Youth Soccer Coaching

What if I told you that stretching as a part of soccer training tips is highly recommended by professional soccer coaches and is widely practiced by players in almost every sport? As a sport, soccer is growing and developing incessantly in its superiority.

When it comes to kid’s training for soccer, two types of stretching i.e. static and dynamic stretching are included in it.

In static stretching, players stretch their muscles to a certain point of resistance and then hold for some period of time. When it comes to dynamic stretching, recurring motions, rhythmic bouncing, and rebounding is what the player does. Generally, static stretching is considered as more effective and involves less risk than dynamic stretching.

This article shares some of the benefits that stretching provides in helping average players become champions.

Soccer Training

Stretching reduces injuries: Continuous stretching during the day and performed over a period of time may promote muscle growth that, consecutively, could reduce the risk of injury. Stretching also provides a way of increasing the muscle size and strength.

Stretching shapes flexibility: Stretching puts a stop to any loss of flexibility. However, the support is more convincing for a long-term stretching line up than for shorter periods of time.

Performing stretching for a few minutes before starting any playing activity is likely to enhance flexibility. When it comes to soccer training tips, the best bet is to distribute a stretching program over a predetermined length of time to continuously increase the range of motion.

Stretching betters’ performance: When the stretching program is planned after considering the player’s soccer specific needs, their performance improves.

Stretching can be great fun for the kids: If you include a lot of different types of soccer drills in your practice sessions, it can be a lot of fun. Keep varying the warm-up activities you do before stretching. Try to include games such as the tag game, ball tag, and keep away.

Contemplate on the stretching, sense and know each stretch, along with checking for stiffness in the body.

One 15-30-second stretch for each muscle group is sufficient for most players, but some kids require longer stretches and more repetitions as well.

This is because when the temperature of muscles is higher than normal, tightness decreases and extensibility increases. Kids who feel like to keep up or enhance their flexibility can realize this goal to some extent by stretching. It’s advisable to perform stretching exercises when the body temperature is higher than normal as it is safer and more useful.

This is the reason why some coaches make kids stretch even after a workout. After practicing soccer skills, if kids are made to do some stretching for 5-7 minutes, it’ll prevent their muscles from tightening too fast.

Generally, players who exercise an active warm-up prior to stretching get a better range of motion than those who only stretch. So if injury prevention is your aim, stop stretching before exercise and increase the warm up time.

Some food for thought; one of the most important soccer training tips is that hurried stretching is meaningless and boring and doesn’t help your players gain flexibility, so allow them some extra time when they are feeling inflexible or stiff. You can subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community and get your way to innumerable articles, videos, and periodic newsletters.

Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn  how to explode your players’ skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Youth Soccer Drills.

If you’re like me you probably know that soccer training tips for goalkeeper are of immense value since a goalie is the only player on the field who is allowed to touch the ball by both hands and arms.

And so, soccer skills that a goalie possesses give him an edge over other remaining players. But this makes the job of training goalkeepers for soccer even more difficult.

Goalkeepers in soccer are more often than not, the first line of offence and the last line of defense, based on the playing skill. They’re always ready to employ their body to stop the ball from entering the goal or to block it. They are always prepared to grab hold of the ball by pitching into any direction whatsoever.

When it comes to a goalkeeper’s training for soccer, on various requirements specific to their role and their level of play can be very trying. At the same time, his or her mental state should be kept in mind while teaching him various skills.

Soccer Training

Only one player in the team can be compared to a goalkeeper and that is the goal hungry striker. Actually some of the best goalies have already been great strikers at some point in their career. You’ll frequently encounter a one on one battle at various levels of competition between goalies and forwards.

One of the most important soccer training tips for a goalkeeper is to stay balanced and know the center of gravity of the body. This will benefit a game setting by enhancing the activity of a goalkeeper and the promptness of other players.

Though most goalkeepers in soccer are tall with long arms and big hands, but even if otherwise they easily compensate for the need of physical built with good vertical and lateral mobility.

Goalkeepers need unvarying motivation even though they have a good sense of self-worth and the coaches should never forget this. Soccer Goalkeepers need to do their regular warm ups with the team, but then separate from the team and perform the specific soccer drills that will prepare them for the game.

Goalkeepers act as the leaders of the team as they have a personality that is both dominating and controlling. Therefore, they need to be constantly supported by all their teammates in successfully doing their job by being in a representative capacity.

The ball can only be handled by the goalie in the 18 yard box. Anyone other that a goalie who fatefully gets to touch the ball with an arm, ends up winning the opponent a free kick. In the case of the goalie’s team member, it is a penalty shoot from “the spot”.

So go ahead and use these soccer training tips in improving the overall performance of the team by supporting the goalkeeper who’s the leader in the 18 yard box and should be appreciated for that. For more such training tips and coaching skills, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community and get access to thousands of videos.

Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Soccer Drills.

Let me ask you a simple question. Almost all soccer coaches tend to ignore the soccer training tips while designing training programs for kids with the intent of just making up the numbers and going through the motions. Do you find yourself doing the same thing?

Set some definite goals for your team before you plan your next training session. Determine in advance what you wish to achieve form this program and do whatever it takes to accomplish that.

Add to your training program such soccer drills that are new, innovative, and fun to perform so as to add variety. This will give the players a break from the dullness of performing repetitive drills day in and day out. Once players start enjoying their practice sessions, you’ll notice that their performance will improve consistently.

Make your players understand the value of respecting and listening to you, their coach, no matter what their age or level at which they play. Appreciating each other’s feelings creates an environment that is pleasant for both the coach and the kids.

Soccer Training

Soccer players can greatly benefit from having a high level of flexibility. There are 3 types of flexibility.

Dynamic flexibility: It refers to a player’s capability to perform fast movements within the full range of motion in the joint, like twisting from side to side.

Static active flexibility: It’s the skill to stretch an intricate muscle employing the tension within that muscle. One example is to hold one leg in front of you and keep it as high as you can. The hamstrings are stretched while the quadriceps and hip flexors hold your leg up.

Static passive: This kind of flexibility allows a player to make use of his body weight or some external force to hold a stretch. For example; picture yourself holding your leg out in front of you and relaxing it on a chair.

Now let’s go to the next in line of soccer training tips. It requires you to check that kids are wearing an appropriate gear, depending on the weather conditions.

Training for soccer and a fitness program should go hand in hand with a view to work upon those areas that need most help. Following are the factors that must be kept in mind when designing a training program like this.

Age of the player: With age, there is a decrease in the flexibility of soft tissues in the body that is directly related to the reduced range of movement, no matter what the gender. Still, the chances of flexibility getting decreased are very less if we remain active.

Gender: Girls exhibit a greater range of movement, independent of their age.

Movement: In demonstrating soccer skills, active kids show a better range of movement that the inactive kids.

Injury: Injuries also hinder the range of motion in a joint.

Pain: With an increase in pain, flexibility decreases resulting in muscle spasms. Nonetheless, flexibility in kids is not hampered by strength training unless the exercises are done correctly and in full range of motion.

Genetics: A player’s genetics also decide the amount of flexibility that his or her body has.

What’s stopping you from incorporating these soccer training tips into your training program and make it more effective and productive? You can improve your coaching skills by subscribing to our youth soccer coaching community that has tons of articles, newsletters, and relevant videos.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn  how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Drills For Kids.

I don’t know a thing about you, but I’ll bet that you must acquaint yourself with the essential soccer training tips, especially when you are participating in the game as a coach. It therefore becomes easy for you to include these tips in your soccer drills training session that take place 4 to 5 times a week as per your game’s standard.

You can improve their performance by instructing your players about the essential tips and techniques. They are in the following paragraphs;

Train your players to continuously move the ball with one or two touches: In a team setting, this is called inter-passing. Train your players to move the ball with speed and make solid crisp passes, whether it’s a 3 meter pass or a 20 meter pass.

Play the ball and keep travelling: Playing and moving encloses the basic idea behind making runs. But the important thing to keep in mind is to make these runs dangerous leading to goal scoring opportunities or opening up space for a team-mate.

Soccer Training

The basis of all soccer skills is the ability to pass accurately in order to create opportunities. Here, you must set up your defender. Your players almost need to close in the defender towards them, as though he or she is going to be able to catch the ball, then give it and go, stepping up into the open space to receive or return the pass.

Once your kids make a move to beat the opponent, tell them to change their pace. Teach your kids to swiftly attack and attempt to keep moving the ball as fast as they can. The moment they get a chance to break, they must even the score with a few accurate passes.

Coach your players to keep the ball close to their feet when maneuvering the ball: One of the important soccer training tips requires kids to keep their head up and remain watchful of others movements in the field. While dribbling, they should try and touch the ball with every step. This results in maintaining a close control over the ball then enhancing hie/her ability to take it away from the defenders.

Get the cross in: During the first half of the game, take shots on the goal and observe the goalkeeper throughout. If you know that you are going to make runs into the open space, let your team-mates know this. This type of communication is critical for the development of great players.

Training for soccer requires each player to learn to aim for the area along with 6 and 18 yard boxes. This will push the goalkeeper to come out in an endeavor to get the ball. Due to this, the goals will remain open and unprotected.

Continue to observe the ball: Constantly observe the movement of each and every player on the field. Train players in a way that they stick to the team’s strategy and tactics for the day.

So you should start incorporating these soccer training tips into your training sessions so that your players are able to execute it naturally while on the field. For more such tips and ideas, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community and get access to innumerable articles, videos, and periodic newsletters.

Andre Botelho is a recognized expert in youth soccer coaching. He influences well over 35,000 youth coaches each year with his unique coaching philosophy, and makes it really easy to explode your players’ skills and make training more fun in record time. To download your free youth soccer coaching guide visit: Soccer training tips.