Soccer
is not only a game of skill and tactics but a game of fitness as well.
The further along you come in your soccer career the less substitutions
occur in a game. This means more playing time and less rest for the
elite players. In order to become an elite soccer player you must
practice and play all year round. There are three levels of soccer for
teens: town, traveling and club. The earlier you start participating at
all three levels, the faster you will become an advanced soccer player.
Steps
Try out for the local club team, if you are not already on a team. Also, look for local "club" teams to try out for. Depending on your current ability will dictate what clubs you will be able to play for. Do research on the clubs history as well as the coaches and their backgrounds.
- Learn by imitating. Go ahead and watch professional and college soccer on television. A great way to learn almost anything is watch someone, who is more advanced than you, do it. Watching these players will help you understand how the game can be played and will show you just how good you can be. If you play a specific position, you should focus on the player who is playing your position and take note of the things that they do. Also, watch the referees and the calls that they make. It is very important for players to become experts on all of the rules of the game. You can also buy or borrow soccer tapes. There are thousands of soccer teams that prove to be very helpful in all aspects of the game. These tapes break-down different drills and tactics that will help you become an elite player. They are very easy to follow and have proved to be extremely helpful to soccer players all over the world.
- Follow a training schedule. This should be a ritual, and not something you choose to do on certain days or at certain times. Training with a soccer ball 3-4 times a week will definitely improve your skill. Volley against a wall, or practice shooting with both feet on a trampoline or goal, if you have one. Practice footskills, and juggle. Juggling will help with ball control. You should do this with both feet, so you are comfortable with both feet. Also, shoot and volley with both feet. You will definitely see an improvement
Tips
- When doing keep-ups (juggling) try using feet only (if necessary use other parts of the body sparingly) do not rely on using thighs. Many young players mistakenly do this.
- Whatever you can do with one foot you should be able to do with the other. You must become ambidextrous to be a great soccer player.
- Always remember "The most committed wins." This means that if you want it bad enough and train hard enough it will pay-off in the end. Just remember, any time you are not practicing someone else is out there becoming better than you.
- Try to become a leader on your team. Be vocal and encourage others to do so as well. Coaches will be very impressed by this, and eventually this is how captain's are selected on teams.
- Also try to play as hard as you can every single practice, just like game mode because that will give you the pressure to play stronger and faster so you can take these skills to the game.
- Finding soccer clubs, individual trainers, and soccer tapes can be accomplished by using search engines on the Internet, such as Yahoo or Google.
Warnings
- Always stretch properly before and after all training sessions. Torn ligaments and other injuries can be very costly to a soccer players career.
- Hydrate yourself everyday. Dehydration is a major concern and danger for all athletes. Drink plenty of water and Gatorade several hours before the game. But be careful not to drink too much water, since nothing is worse than running with a full stomach of water or Gatorade. Also, get into the habit of being a healthy eater.
- Don't do drugs.
- If you have long-term pains in your stomach after playing soccer, see your doctor.