Tips for Soccer Training at Home

Soccer is life, and training is something that you need to take with you off the field and into the home if you want to improve. Soccer is a demanding sport that requires year-round conditioning to perform at high levels of play. If you want to test yourself and reach those goals, you’ll need to develop a steady training regiment and diet you can use to maintain your body during the off season. Be field read with this equipment, and these tips.

Take Inventory

Most people who play soccer seriously own a soccer back pack, ball, a pair of cleats and a jersey. If you’re trying to train at home, you’ll want to pick up a few more accessories based on what you want to improve. Cones are always great to have for everyone but goalies. We could all use more practice dribbling and staying maneuverable, and cones are cheap and easy ways to practice those skills. Grab a small net to practice putting your shots on target, and don’t forget the ground anchors so you’re not constantly resetting the net.

If you pack everything the night into your soccer bags the night before, or after a wash, you’re always ready to go straight to practice. Plus, packing everything ahead of time is good for discipline.

Drills

You can do a lot at home to improve your foot control. Rolling the ball back and forth between you feet, using the heels and balls of your foot, helps you get the basics of ball control. Practice without looking to improve your dribbling, and then pick up the pace.

Next, try dribbling the ball behind your leg with your heel, stopping it with the ball of your foot, then rolling it off your hell to your opposite side. Repeat until this becomes a fluid motion.

These two drills are only the beginning. You’ll find YouTube and your Club’s coach to be excellent resources in improving your game.

Conditioning

The next crucial phase of your training is general conditioning. This extends to every aspect of your life. Don’t smoke, don’t eat too many unhealthy foods, run regularly and perform lots of aerobic exercise. There are also a number of soccer conditioning drills you can do to keep you ready for longer game sessions. Run the figure eight or a few field sprints in your soccer gear.