How to Help My Child Become a Better Soccer Player

Soccer Unleashed
Nov 10, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Apr 21

Soccer is more than just a game; it’s a passion! Whether your child dreams of following in the footsteps of stars like Alex Morgan or Lionel Messi or simply enjoying the sport with friends, there are many ways to enhance their skills right from your home. Engaging in certain activities can significantly boost your child's development and help your child become a better soccer player.

Help your player become a better soccer player

Running – The Foundation of Endurance

Running lays the groundwork for stamina and speed—essential traits for all soccer players. Start by integrating running into your routine. Encourage your child to run around your neighborhood or arrive to practice early and run a few laps. For variety, incorporate interval sprints: quick bursts of speed followed by a slow jog. Studies show that this form of training can improve cardiovascular fitness by up to 20%, making it an ideal endurance boosting activity for soccer players.

To make running enjoyable, set challenges. For instance, use a stopwatch to see who can run a certain distance the fastest, which also promote endurance and help your child become a better soccer player.

Juggling – Improves Soccer Ball Control

Juggling is a fun method to enhance ball control and coordination. Start by assessing how many times your soccer player can juggle. Have them juggle as many juggles as they can, repeat two more times. Take the average of their three attempts and use that as your starting point. Set a goal for improving the number of juggles by 20%. Continue this until your player reaches 100 juggles without dropping the ball. Then throw in some challenges. For example only juggle with your weak foot, use your thigh every 10th juggle, complete an around the world, or create a juggling competition if you have more than one player.

Research shows that practicing juggling can improve soccer touch and coordination among players by 30% over time, which helps your child become a better soccer player on the field.

Ball Control Skills – Becoming One with the Ball

Mastering ball control is vital in soccer. Create simple drills that can be practiced at home without a full field. Use cones or household items to set up an obstacle course in your yard, basement, or driveway.

Have your child dribble through the course using only the inside of their foot. Gradually increase the complexity by changing speeds or parts of the foot used. These activities sharpen their ability to maintain close control, especially in tight game situations. Be sure to have them practice with both feet, this is essential to development.

Another fun way to practice is to play "keep away." Stand a few feet apart and have your child try to keep the ball under control and use their body's while you gently attempt to poke it away. This game encourages agility and teaches your child to shield the ball when challenged by opponents.

Agility – Quick Feet Make Fast Players

Agility drills are crucial since soccer players must be able to make quick movements and change direction easily. Use a ladder or tape to create agility challenges at home.

One effective drill is lateral hops: have your child bounce side to side over a tape line for a set time. As they improve, increase their speed or the height of their hops.

Incorporating games like "Simon Says" can make agility training light-hearted and fun. The main goal is to improve their speed and footwork, which are fundamental for real-game success.

Encouragement and Practice – The Heart of Improvement

Encouragement is key to any child's development. Celebrate every small victory! Create a positive atmosphere. Establish a consistent practice schedule, balancing skill training and downtime. With more excitement, they will want to practice more. If they do have time to practice more than with just their team or during off season, look for local pick-ups, training sessions and even futsal.

Consider celebrating their efforts with a small treat or sharing in their joy after a terrific practice. Also, watching soccer games together can be both fun and educational. Discuss the techniques used by the professional players and analyze what worked or didn’t. Point out that even professionals make mistakes. Learning from mistakes and playing on is what matters. This boosts understanding and engagement with soccer as well as encouragement to take risks - which all help your child become a better soccer player.

Health and Nutrition – Fueling the Future Star

Proper nutrition and hydration are often overlooked. Encourage a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. Studies show that children who eat a balanced diet are 25% more likely to perform well in sports.

Hydration is equally important. Teach your child to drink water before and after practices. Pre-exercise snacks, like nuts or yogurt, can help maintain energy levels during training. And, some players really benefit from a half time snack such as applesauce, grapes, or oranges.

Create a culture of health by cooking nutritious meals together or experimenting with smoothie recipes. This not only benefits your child’s performance, but establishes lasting healthy habits.

Summary of How to Help Your Child Become a Better Soccer Player

As your child sets their sights on the soccer field, remember that the journey should be both fun and rewarding. By engaging in activities like running, juggling, ball control drills, and agility exercises, you are paving the way for skill development while fostering a love for the game. To take this information to the next level, also consider is which skills are most important at what age.

Active participation, support, and encouragement from you are essential on this journey. Support your child, get involved, and savor every moment. Each instance plays a part in your child's growth as a player and forms enduring memories. Start implementing these strategies today and witness your child's transformation into a more self-assured and skilled soccer player!

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About Soccer Unleashed

Soccer Unleashed is on a mission to ignite the passion and performance of every youth soccer player. Our online soccer opportunity listing empowers parents to unlock their athlete's potential by providing full access to top-notch training programs, clubs, leagues, camps, pick-up games, and other critical opportunities. By opening doors to these resources, we help players emerge from the shadows, uncover hidden talents, transform benchwarmers into team leaders, and offer players, clubs, and organizations the opportunity to connect. Regardless of their current level, driven players will have the chance to excel on the field, creating a future where every soccer dream can become a reality.