Soccer, bloody soccer

[SCP]

My son has always been a football and baseball kid but he has chosen to play soccer this spring. I'm fine with it as long as he is playing a sport. However, I don't know poo about the game. I'm your typical meathead football guy. I enjoy working on the nuances of football and baseball with him outside of normal practice, but I know those sports and normally help coach. Soccer, on the other hand, I'm clueless about. Any tips on things we can do in the yard together outside of normal practice? I was kicking it around with him last night but it was almost like the car commercial with the dad throwing the baseball incorrectly (I kick with my toe which I know is incorrect).

[Kevin Greene]

Have him watch some daytime Soaps so he knows drama and how to fake an on field injury and draw a red card on the opponenets.

[Ja Rhule]

Watch English Premier League with him this weekend. Arsenal vs. Tottenham will be great game to watch. Its on Sunday 11am. Ball control and passing are the most important attributes in soccer. Teach him how to dribble, pass, pass on the run, kick the ball correctly. Power strikes vs precision strikes. Etc.

[SCP]

Lol that's about all I know about the game. Flopping and screaming in agony.

[SCP]

Watch English Premier League with him this weekend. Arsenal vs. Tottenham will be great game to watch. Its on Sunday 11am. Ball control and passing are the most important attributes in soccer. Teach him how to dribble, pass, pass on the run, kick the ball correctly. Power strikes vs precision strikes. Etc.

Teaching him is where the problem lies. I need to learn myself.

[Happy Panther]

My son has always been a football and baseball kid but he has chosen to play soccer this spring. I'm fine with it as long as he is playing a sport. However, I don't know poo about the game. I'm your typical meathead football guy. I enjoy working on the nuances of football and baseball with him outside of normal practice, but I know those sports and normally help coach. Soccer, on the other hand, I'm clueless about. Any tips on things we can do in the yard together outside of normal practice? I was kicking it around with him last night but it was almost like the car commercial with the dad throwing the baseball incorrectly (I kick with my toe which I know is incorrect).

Kicking around is good. As long as he has the proper form it doesn't matter how you do it.

You can also play keep away. Basically try to get the ball away from him and visa versa. You can also set up cones for small goal and try to score.

Trapping skills are key. Get him to practice controlling the ball when it comes head high, chest high, knee-high etc.

There are lots of one on one drills you can look up online. Lot's of good things to work on footwork

Basically the best players aren't the fastest or strongest but the ones best at ball control.

You should also watch an EPL game on Saturday morning

[Darth Biscuit]

Teaching him is where the problem lies. I need to learn myself.

How old is he?

[SCP]

How old is he?

Just turned 8.

Good advice Happy Panther. Trapping and ball control. He's a natural athlete and was doing well in a pick up game last weekend. Had 4 goals scored in an hour scrimmage. But when kids converged on him he had a hard time keeping the ball under control.

[Darth Biscuit]

Just turned 8.

Good advice Happy Panther. Trapping and ball control. He's a natural athlete and was doing well in a pick up game last weekend. Had 4 goals scored in an hour scrimmage. But when kids converged on him he had a hard time keeping the ball under control.

Yeah, my kids played at that age... pretty much just worked on the fundamentals of trying to trap the ball when it comes at them and stuff like leading a pass etc.

I didn't know crap about soccer either.

[SCP]

Yeah, my kids played at that age... pretty much just worked on the fundamentals of trying to trap the ball when it comes at them and stuff like leading a pass etc.

I didn't know crap about soccer either.

:-). I'm hoping this is just a phase. He was doing great at baseball last spring. His team won their league championship. He still wants to play football in the fall but he has to move up to tackle and I'm still deciding if I want him to do that at this young an age.

[Zcustom]

Teach him how to kick a football on a tee first (if he doesn't know how already), then just replace football and tee with soccer ball, it's the same motion.

Then teach him about spacing, you may have to google some info on that, a young kid can dominate youth soccer if they are good with their spacing.

[SCP]

So I need to google spacing and ball control.

Better be careful when I search ball control.

[Ja Rhule]

Messi is the best soccer player in the world. The reason it is because of his ball control and quickness. Sometimes it seems like the ball is glued to his foot.

[Hawk]

it's all about ball control and proper technique. His feet will get real sore real quick without the proper technique and that will take the fun out of it really quick.

the sooner his feet feel the ball and he can run around with it with his head and eyes up, the quicker he'll become a better player.

the rest just comes with practice and practice, and then some practice.