PERSUADING PLAYERS to PREPARE

During the pandemic, when players are playing alone, they can work on their passing and control skills with Ball and Wall soccer.

As a young player growing up in Liverpool, my parents’ house was just around the corner from a school. I spent lots of time kicking a ball against the school walls….the ball was a cheap rubber ball. I played a “one-bounce” game, kicking the ball against the wall at waist height, let it bounce once, and then repeat to see how many one bounce touches I could do.

I would also pass the ball against a wall and turning with the ball when it came back to me. A wall is helpful when trying to learn to kick the ball with your weak foot….in my case, as a right-footer, working on my left foot.

Players can practice heading the ball etc., and the ball always comes right back to you.

Later in life, as a coach educator, I noticed a lot of the professional teams I visited in the U.K. and Brazil had a wall specifically built for players to practice repetitive skill development. The Brazilian players spend an enormous amount of time on Ball and Wall activities. We all think Brazilians have fantastic skills, well when you watch Brazilians training you can see why.

KOACH KARL’S NOTES:

If a Wall is not available, you may want to use a bench.

When using a Wall or Bench, it helps to encourage your players to –
-Pass/shoot a moving ball avoiding a stationary one
-Pass/shoot at angles rather than straight on
-Move immediately after the pass/shot (follow your shot)
-Use the ‘Push – Peek – Pass’ Self-talk sequence

Dear Reader, Your suggestions for ‘Preparing Players’ are welcome!

Your FUNdamental, Koach Karl (Karl Dewazien)
• Emeritus State DoC of California Youth Soccer Assoc. 1979-2012
• Author – FUNdamental SOCCER Books Series
• Producer – ‘FUNdamental SOCCER -Practice’ DVD.
• Clinician at: www.fundamentalsoccer.com
• Can be reached at – koachkarl@fundamentalsoccer.com