Soccer Trapping Drills

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Being able to trap and control ball is important for any soccer player. No matter the trajectory of the ball's arrival, a good soccer player must be able to receive and control it to maintain possession. Youth soccer coaches hoping to produce quality players should focus a good amount of effort on making sure their players learn to adequately trap the ball.

Whether it is a pass from a teammate, a clearance from the goaltender, or a cross from the outside, maintaining possession is vital. Your team will not be able to control the game if you can't even control the ball. The team that dominates possession during a game usually creates more scoring opportunities A good first touch on the ball is often the difference between getting that goal and getting stripped of the ball.

If your players fail to trap and control the ball and constantly give away possession, you will be in a very rough spot. Make sure to work on trapping skills early in your season and often. Get the fundamentals of trapping down while your players are stationary, and then take trapping drills to a moving platform.

Most of all, good trapping skills are developed through repetition so make sure you have a list of drills that build trapping skills and give players lots of touches on the ball.

Focus on teaching players to cushion the impact of the ball like a pillow, and try to drop the ball directly to their feet.

If you are short on trapping, skills, finishing, possession, overlapping, defending or any other type of drill you could imagine, this youth soccer coaching manual can give you pre-planned practices and various drills that will keep practice fun, exciting, and informative for your players.

Soccer Equipment - What Do You REALLY Need?

For kids, soccer is a great sport to play because you need so little equipment to play it. Basically, you need a ball and some space - that's it. Walk into your local sports supply store, though, and you may well start to think that you need to have a very large bank balance to afford all the bits and pieces that the salesman will tell you are vital to play the game.

The reality is that if your child is happy to just muck around with a soccer ball, you probably don't need much in the way of soccer equipment. But if they want to get involved in a team and start some soccer training, then it's worth spending a few dollars to make sure they have the right gear.

If they're going to play in a team, then it's most likely the team will have a uniform. This will involve a top, shorts and matching socks. Some teams are happy to use fairly generic uniforms, otherwise will have a specific design. It may be possible for you to buy a second hand uniform from another team member who has outgrown theirs - it's certainly worth asking!

Shoes are the next item on the list. It's possible to play soccer in standard trainers, but it may not be a good idea for your child's feet and ankles. Grass can be slippery if it's a little bit wet, and soccer often involves rapid changes of direction. If you can manage, it's worthwhile buying soccer footwear with cleats. These will help to provide much better traction on grass and reduce the risk of slipping over and twisted ankles. It's worth spending a few extra dollars to get a good quality pair, because they will certainly be subject to some tough punishment!

Shin guards are optional, but are a good idea even at the beginning level. They need to be firm, but still allow enough movement and flexibility to not interfere with the player's movement. It's important to try them on to make sure they are the right fit for your child.

If your child needs a soccer ball to practice with at home, then check what size ball is used for games. Smaller children use a smaller size soccer ball, and it's important to practice with the same size ball at home for consistency. If your child already has a standard size ball it may still be worth buying a smaller one to match what they use with their team.

Some other soccer equipment that you might like to consider, but which falls into the category of "likes" rather than must haves, includes:

- Practice goal - but you'll need some space to use it!
- Soccer equipment bag
- Soccer cones for drill practice

When your child takes up a new sport, like soccer, it can seem a little overwhelming at first to buy all the necessary equipment. But if you can afford to buy good quality soccer equipment then your investment will pay for itself by withstanding a lot of the rough usage and vigorous activity that goes with soccer without falling apart. Better to replace soccer equipment because your child has outgrown it, rather than because it's fallen apart.

Soccer Practice Plans For Volunteer Coaches

Coaching a soccer team is rough for the first time coach. While some may have previously played soccer or even Assistant Coached in the past, being the Head Coach brings a whole new level or responsibility.

As the leader of the team, you will be responsible for making the final decision in practices and in games. This position also requires you to plan out a practice schedule that will help your team evolve into better soccer players, both individually and as part of a team.

All these roles come with the added pressure of expectations from players and their parents, that is enough to make even the toughest individual, crack. For this purpose, I have put together a book with soccer practice plans that will make each of your jobs as a coach much more manageable. If you are short on the resources to plan effective soccer practices, i.e. time or knowledge, my book will help you immensely and possibly take your team all the way to the top.

The soccer drill book comes with 20 Differentpre-planned soccer practices that cover each and every topic, skill and situation that you will come across during the season. If you follow my soccer practice plans, your players will learn and enjoy the game, their parents will be happy and you will have succeeded in virtually all of your responsibilities as a head coach.

Youth soccer is more competitive then ever before and if you don't have a plan for soccer practice, your players will pay the price.

Soccer Backgrounds

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Soccer backgrounds are already widespread. They are another attractive feature of the most popular and profitable sport on earth. An interestingly increasing number of sponsorships to the sport prevails and even gets better each year. Professional football players are normally being given millions of ad contracts by soccer merchandise firms. With the ever growing number of advertisers and sponsors of football, it continues to maintain its position as the most watched contact sport in the whole world.

The football game is a great source of enjoyment and entertainment to every soccer enthusiast or follower. The greatest form of sport entertainment is perhaps the World Cup which takes place every four years. During a World Cup season, football followers crowd the venues in order to witness festive football games that never fail to make them dance, yell, cheer, and fight for their very own national club. The exceptional and overwhelming popularity of the sport can be mainly attributed to the high level of faithfulness of the fans and enthusiasts from all corners of the earth. Football is undoubtedly the greatest and most followed game today and will continue to dominate in the many years to come.

France, Brazil, Ireland, Italy, and England are a few of the countries that consider soccer as a way of life. They are regular participants in the World Cup and can provide breathtaking ball games to the millions of viewers all over the world.

One of the most sought after merchandise during a major soccer tournament like the World Cup are football items that feature soccer backgrounds on them. These items are beautiful and colorful and offer unique satisfaction to a football fan. They can be ordered through the internet right now at very reasonable prices.