Every Soccer Player Practices, but true athletes train. And that difference is a big deal!
Every week in our city, state, and on fields all across the nation, hundreds of thousands of players put on their shin guards and cleats to go to weekly practices with their teams.
What makes your son or daughter different? They all do the similar things dribble, pass, shoot and scrimmage as the basis of their practices. As players get older, their teams may become more skilled, have coaches with years of coaching experience and play against better competition… but how many of those players have truly trained?
Team practice is an integral part of developing as a player. As a club coach AND professional trainer, I see the multiple benefits of this aspect of a player’s development.
At team practice, players learn general knowledge of the game; learning foundational movements, foot skills, passing & receiving with teammates, team tactics, formations and more.
Those ARE all crucial to improving as a player; especially in a sport that requires team oriented knowledge. So why is training still so important when players can “just go to practice”?
The problem is the lack of true individual development. While team practice can help players learn general aspects of training, most players do not gain the individual development needed to truly improve. Here’s why:
- Comfort Zones – Many players struggle at practice to step outside their comfort zones; usually due to fear of failure (peer or coach related).
- Coach Focus – Coaches focusing on team-oriented development, with 12-18 athletes, cannot give each player individual instruction. Coaches focus on how they want the team to play and not each player’s need
- Limited Practice Time – Most teams only practice 2-3 times a week or approximately 4.5 hours. If a teacher asked your child to become proficient in calculus with only 4.5 hours spent a week, that would be unrealistic. Soccer is the same. If you want to become proficient, you must do the homework to pass the test.
This is where training becomes critical to improvement! Private training serves the purpose of focusing exclusively on your athlete.
- Athletes are able to break down each of their individual strengths and weaknesses in order to improve.
- Training helps athletes to develop mental focus & determination, improving small but important technical details
- and most importantly confidence and the environment to work on creativity!
Many players lack creativity due to fear of failure or feeling like they have to accomplish “exactly” what their coaches tell them.
Skillability Soccer Training is the only place in town where players can come express themselves and be creative without fear or pressure from the team or coaches. Therefore the players thrive in this environment and confidence soars through the roof!
“90% of soccer is technical adherence. The other 10%? You have to critically think on your feet; using instinct and creativity!”
WHY IS THIS A BIG DEAL?
To become a completely developed athlete, you must focus on every aspect of your skillset; both individually and as a teammate.
If players focus on the team aspect of development, they will not develop fully as an individual.
On the other hand, if players only individually train, they will not be able to adjust to their team’s required demands of the game. Team practice and individual training go hand in hand. Think of it this way:
Team Practice + Individual Training = Complete Athlete
If one part of the development equation gets out of balance, the end results do not happen. In order to become the best player you can be, you must spend time both with your team and as an individual.
At Skillability Soccer Training, our training approach is 100% built on developing players completely so they can take their sessions directly to the field; training with team practice curriculum.
We make sure our athletes not only know how techniques work but more importantly understand how and why to apply them. Whether mentally, physically, or technically, players must fully develop in order to succeed.
Now you understand why we say “practice with your team is never enough”
If you ready to take action and train with the best soccer trainers this season, now is the time. Simply respond below by clicking the banner to get started with Skillablity Soccer Training!