Individual Soccer Training Tips

With youth soccer more competitive than ever before in the U.S., players need every advantage they can find to get an edge.

Many youth, college and adult players have turned to private training--one-on-one sessions with a coach--to sharpen their games.

Players are going to try to maximize their efforts during the session, and it's up to the coach to make sure the player is getting the most out of the practice.

Advantages of Private Training

When a player works with a coach individually, he will see improvement in his game because coaches can pinpoint exactly where the breakdowns are occurring in a players game.

During team practices, the coaches are often working on tactics, or working on a specific skill, while the player may be struggling with other specific skills.

Coaches can tailor-fit individual practices to address the player's individual technical needs.

Skills and Technique

When working one-on-one, coaches can focus on the techniques that will help the player once he gets back to team training.

The most important aspect of this is touch on the ball. In a private lesson, coaches will make sure the player gets tons of touches with both feet, and demand that the player gives quality touches.

A warm-up for this is volleys. The coach should stand a few yards away from the player and toss him balls that he will volley back with the inside of the foot. The player should alternate the foot he uses.

After that, have the player volley the ball back with his instep, then have him trap the ball with his thigh and volley it back. Finally, have him do chest traps and headers.

When progressing into moves, one-touch passing or first touch, the coach should make sure the player starts slow and speeds up as he gets comfortable with whatever he's working on.

It is repetition like this that will make it easier for a player, once he returns to team practices and must incorporate these techniques in the team game.

Footwork and Fitness

Coaches should include some level of conditioning and foot-speed training in each session. Some coaches prefer to start with it because if a player can do ball work once her legs are fatigued, she will be better off in game situations.

There are countless exercises that a coach can incorporate to improve foot speed and conditioning.

Coaches should try short sprints, backpedaling, side shuffling and quick changes of direction without the ball.

The reason this is so important in private training is because players are often smart enough to know what the right move is, but can not execute because of lack of fitness and foot speed.

Drills like this also are important in strengthening tendons and ligaments.

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