Shomit Mukherjee’s Soccer Blog

Time spent during the week together as a team is relatively short. In most cases, the majority of U-14 and older travel teams practice for a total of 3 to 5 hours a week. So what else are players supposed to do to prepare to play in games besides that? The answer lies within the intangible qualities of the players on each particular team. In most cases, teams that have gone undefeated and/or won championships have players with wonderful intangible qualities. These traits are often overlooked when coaches evaluate players.

Tangible qualities are things that can be measured in relation to technical ability. Players sometimes believe that if a fellow player has some good technical skills that they must automatically be a good soccer player. This could not be further from the truth. How does that player react when times get tough in a game and he/she starts to get tired? Do they lift their teammates up to push through the tough times in practice and in games? Or do they start to feel sorry for themselves if they are caught in a tough game, losing 1-0?

There is no test for coaches to look for it, but players must be able to feel it on their team if they want to experience the ultimate success on the field as a group. In soccer as in life, everybody wants to win whenever they play any game……it’’s willing to prepare to win, on AND off the soccer field, that can make all the difference in the end.

All youth players that want to excel and play soccer at a high level should pay close attention to the consistency of their first touch. The first touch is also referred to as a “preparation touch.” The first touch on the ball for a player should comfortably set up the desired second touch, whether it be a shot, pass, dribble, cross, etc.

Several simple exercises that can be done at home and are not so physically demanding can do wonders for a player’s first touch, no matter the age or gender. Simply going outside and tossing a ball five feet above the head and bringing the ball down with different surfaces (shoelaces, thigh, chest, head, etc.) can do wonders for a player’s confidence if they take the time to do it. The progression for this type of activity is to have the player consciously throw the ball higher and higher as they go. This, of course, increases the degree of difficulty.

Once players feel comfortable in bringing the ball straight down out of the air with multiple surfaces of the body, they should try to expand to bringing the ball down AND moving in a direction simultaneously. For example, throw the ball up in the air and then use the outside of your right foot to attack the space to your right. Timing is key, and the foot should make contact with the ball almost at the same time that the ball makes contact with the ground. Having focused eyes that watch the ball throughout its flight in the air is such an important detail that many young players do not pay attention to. This is an abstract concept to some people, but I feel it is of the utmost importance in being a good soccer player. You control your eyes…..let them help you become the master of your first touch.