Is your child Soccer mad? Are they constantly kicking balls around the house and dragging Dad to the park?
If so then FPA have put together our THREE step guide to ensure you are correctly supporting and nurturing your child’s passion.
We’ve also added in some of our coach’s top tips so you can help your little Ronaldo improve their skills.
1. PLAY is the WAY!
The fundamental component of Grassroots Soccer is fun and team-building. The concept of learning through play whilst being guided by coach is key to developing a lifelong interest in the game.
If Soccer becomes boring, stressful or a chore. Players will quickly loose interest. The coach must make the game of Soccer uncomplicated, be motivational and have passion for the game!
2. The FOUR CORE Skills!
Every budding Messi or Ronaldo must have a solid base of technical skills. These four core skills cover 95% of the actions of any outfield player when in possession of the ball during a game of football. These comprise of:
- Striking the ball
This includes all forms of striking the ball such as short/long passing, shooting and crossing - First Touch
Controlling the ball with all allowed body parts - 1v1
All moves, feints and accelerations to get past and away from an opponent - Running with the ball
At speed (with a lot of space) or 'dribbling' (in tight areas), this includes techniques for protecting the ball and changing direction
A top coaching tip for parents to develop their child’s skills: Choose one of the above skills and along with your child come up with a game which would see continual repetition of that skill in a FUN way.
An example for First Touch might be: Stand 5m away from a wall see how many times you can kick the ball at the wall and control it with first touch without losing control. There are many ways you adapt the level of difficulty of this game including: using both feet, limiting control to certain part of the foot i.e. outside or inside, bouncing ball the list goes on…!
Have fun with it and involve your child in the process!
3. Find a QUALITY Coach!
To allow your child to get the most out of the beautiful game, getting them involved in organised soccer is essential. This will give them the opportunity to develop and learn with their peers, get valuable game time and access to professional coaching. Whether that be a Soccer Academy, Local Club or School Soccer it must be stressed that coaching element is vital to this.
Coaching tip:
-Look out for coaches who have nationally recognised badges such as the FFA Coaching licenses.
-Ensure that the coach puts on sessions which are engaging offering the children lots of touches of the ball with no extended periods of time standing round in dreaded lines!
-Find a coach who offer lots of positive reinforcement and develops and fun and safe atmosphere for the players to practice and play in.
So, there is our quick and easy three step guide to ensuring your child gets the most out of their soccer experience. These tips may seem simple but trust us when we say they can make a huge to your child’s development both short term and long term.
At FPA we pride ourselves on offering high quality coaching to all levels of ability. To find out more information visit Football Pathway Australia.
