Soccer Tips for Beginners

In addition to his work as a professional in the field of electrical service consulting, Paul Katsus enjoys playing soccer in his leisure time. A fluid game that places a premium on technique and creativity, soccer is played in countries across the world. Like any sport, soccer has many complexities, and it takes years for players to develop skills and game sense. Here is a short list of ways for beginning soccer players to improve their game.

Practice footwork
When you are alone, make a point to teach yourself new moves and practice old ones. Practice your quick touches by kicking the ball against a wall and gradually increasing the pace. Footwork is an essential skill throughout all aspects of soccer, including dribbling, passing, and shooting. Even at the highest levels, simple stepovers and cuts are some of the most frequently used methods of beating defenders and creating space.

Develop an intuition for space
The game of soccer is all about space: identifying it, creating it, and exploiting it. The only way to develop a genuine sense of timing and space is to play often and keep your head up. Keep an eye out for the movements of both defenders and teammates to find out where to make a run or deliver that killer pass. Watching soccer at the highest level also helps, as the players on TV are the best in the world at finding and manipulating space.

Work on your stamina
At the professional level, midfielders frequently run more than 6 miles during a 90-minute game. Roughly translated, this means that a good soccer player must be in excellent aerobic shape. Fatigue not only affects your ability to run and control the ball, but also the capacity to make smart decisions. It might be the least fun aspect of soccer training, but regular conditioning drills can contribute immensely to your value on the field.

Play the game
When asked about the development of soccer skills, legendary club coach Jose Mourinho drew an incisive analogy: “A great pianist doesn’t run around the piano or do pushups with the tops of his fingers. To be great, he plays the piano.” Simply put, the quickest way to improve your soccer skills is to get out on the field and play.