Kids and Coaches at Challenger Soccer Camp

In addition to helping develop your child’s skills and understanding of the game, soccer camps are extremely valuable for young players to develop socially. Continue Reading

What should I eat before a game, and what else should I do so I can play my best and be focused?

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One of the best training exercises for soccer and many other sports is something that many people enjoy doing for fun anyway, however, it has been largely under-utilized until recently. That exercise is jumping rope. Continue Reading

If you want to impress your coach when team practices start up again in the fall, you’d better make good use of the summer.

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All you need to practice soccer is you, a ball, and a wall

Simply put, wall ball is practicing your soccer skills using a wall to stop the ball and to return the ball to you. Continue Reading

I would like to know how to put on top-spin or no spin at all on the ball, so I can make the ball dip when I take free kicks. Continue Reading

Wall Ball is a great way to practice your soccer skills

 
If you read Wall Ball Part 1 you know that playing against a wall is one of the best ways for soccer players to practice on your own.

Now, here is a great program for players of all skill levels: Continue Reading

A forward attempts to get past a defender

Unfortunately, there is no one, simple answer to this question. There are no moves or plays that will always work any better than others – otherwise everyone would do it.

Jukes and fakes will often not work at all on defenders because a good defender should be focused on the ball and not your fakes. Passing can also be an option, but even that is not always possible nor always the best choice.

That being said, there are a few options.

If they give you space – say by jockeying you down the line – take that space and try to create an opportunity for them to make a mistake or for you to pass. A lot of defenders will become impatient if you stay patient yourself. Many times, they will give up their positioning and try to poke the ball away (the younger you are, the more common this will be). Wait for that. If the defender overplays in any direction even for a moment, capitalize on that and use that opportunity to try to get past him.

If you want to be more aggressive, you can still use jukes and fakes. The key is to keep the offender off-balance – both mentally and physically. You want to use the moves you are strong at, but if you always use one or two moves, a good defender will be expecting those. Switch it up from time to time. Also, try to figure out the defenders’ weaknesses. If you know a defender isn’t good with their left, attack that side; if you know you are faster, use your speed; if you know you are stronger, use your strength.

As coaches, it’s important to keep your players rested and healthy, but is it possible that too many substitutions can actually be bad for your players? Continue Reading

One the the problems often encountered when playing small-sided games in practice (particular when using a small-sized goal) is the tendency for one or more players to stay back and “guard” the goal. Continue Reading