How do you become better at soccer as an adult? As a lifelong soccer player and now a trainer with a kinesiology degree, I’m going to share some simple tips to improve your skills at the beautiful game.
One of the reasons why soccer is the most popular sport in the world is because it’s easy to learn. Plus, it’s accessible to a majority of the world since it hardly requires any training equipment.
If you want to start improving your skills right now, all you really need is your feet, the ball, and some space. Once you’re ready to compete, cleats and shin guards are the only additional gear requirements.
While playing soccer recreationally or competitively against other players is one of the best ways to improve your skills, spending time training barefoot and having fun with the ball is equally as important.
Join A Soccer Team With A Coach
By far, the best way to get better at the game is to play soccer against opponents while receiving coaching. If you are serious about becoming a more skillful player, one of the most important things you can do is find a team with an active coach where you can also be part of a team environment.
A team environment allows you to play against others of a similar skill level, learn by watching them, as well as learn through your coach’s feedback. Your goal each season should be to improve. And once you outpace the skills of your teammates, you should seek out a new team that will challenge you even further.
If you feel like you are one of the less skilled players on your current team, your main goal should be to stand out and keep working to become one of the better players.
Join a Recreational Soccer League
If you don’t commit to joining a soccer team that offers coaching and training a couple of times a week, your next best option is to join a recreational league.
Recreational soccer leagues typically offer various divisions, from less competitive to more competitive, so you can seek out one that is the best fit for your skill level. The Adults Play Sports directory is a great way to find an adult soccer league near you.
Playing recreational adult soccer helps you get regular game-playing experience which can be even better than team training skills for your development.
Similar to playing with a coached soccer team with regular training, it’s important to assess your skills each season to determine whether you want to continue with that team or move to another one with more advanced skills for a bigger challenge.
Spend Time Training Barefoot
Whether you play with a coached team or in a recreational soccer league a couple of days a week, it is also important to spend time training individually with the ball. One of the best ways to do this is by training barefoot.
Barefoot training allows you to strengthen your feet in ways they don’t normally get worked inside the cleats. If you take a look at some of the best players in the history of the game, you will find that many of them developed their skills by playing barefoot all throughout their childhood, some by choice and some because they couldn’t even afford shoes.
Playing soccer barefoot will allow you to get a completely different feel for the ball and will drastically improve your ball control and skills. Training barefoot doesn’t have to be complicated, and these are some of the most basic drills you can perform.
The most important thing is to ensure that you perform barefoot drills with full focus and maximal effort as if you were in an actual game.
- Barefoot juggling
- One of the best and most fun ways to start a training session is to kick the ball in the air and juggle the ball as many times as you can without dropping it. As you get better, you can play with how high you can kick the ball and what part of your body you control the ball with.
- Wall Passing
- Wall passing is a straightforward drill that will benefit one of the most important skills of the game–passing. For this drill, all you have to do is find a wall or any surface that can bounce the ball back to you, acting as a partner that never gets tired. With a wall, you can work on different types of kicks and techniques, as well as work on both feet and how you control the ball.
- Wall Passing + Turning
- Similar to the wall passing drill, the wall turning drill requires a wall to bounce the ball back to you. After a few passes, work on turning with the ball and dribbling into space, aiming to replicate game speed and intensity. Focus on using both feet and practice various turns, such as using the outside of your foot, the inside of your foot, or any other type of turn.
- If a wall isn’t available, you can still practice by kicking the ball ahead of you, then running to the ball, turning, and dribbling past your starting point.
- Dribbling + Turning
- This next drill involves dribbling down the field (or within the space available) at full game speed, incorporating various skill moves along the way. The aim is to simulate game scenarios by imagining opponents approaching and then using skill moves to evade them. This is similar to how boxers use shadowboxing to prepare for fights.
- This drill is one of the best ways to enhance your dribbling skills, especially when done at full speed to replicate a match-like intensity. You can either do this drill on its own or progress from the last two drills by passing the ball against the wall. Then, after every few passes, turn and dribble out to space at max speed.
Watch The Game
Another way to become better at soccer, without having to play the game itself, is to analyze high-level matches. By analyzing high-level games rather than just watching them for entertainment, you’ll get a better understanding of the tactical side of the game. This is relevant because the tactical side of the game is just as important as technical skills on the ball.
Watching games can help players better understand what to do with and without the ball. Seeing professional players in action can also help adult soccer players better understand their positions and the different formations of the game.
Improve Other Areas Of Your Life
So far, all the tips I’ve given have been directly related to spending time with the soccer ball and playing or analyzing the game. However, there is a lot more that players can do to improve their performance on the field and to speed up their recovery after playing.
To become a better athlete in general, not just a better soccer player, it is important to also take care of other aspects of your life that impact performance, such as:
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Hydration
- Recovery
- EMF Exposure
- Mitochondrial Function
Remember, becoming a better soccer player as an adult isn’t complicated, but it does require some commitment and discipline. Ther playing frequency, either through team training, league games, or individual training, ideally barefoot and with maximal intensity. And don’t forget to take care of every aspect of performance outside of the field as well.
1 thought on “A Soccer Trainer’s Tips To Level Up Your Skills On The Pitch”
Watching games to get a better tactical understanding is spot on. I’ve been doing this for years and it’s crazy how much you can learn just by paying attention to formations and player movements. You start to see the game differently, kinda like a chess match on grass. Makes you appreciate the coaches and players even more. Cool piece, Daniel.