"Football is a game you play with your brain" - Johan Cruyff
Touches made a great point, dunceeness hard to cure, especially if you work hard in training, you talk bout it, you tell them what to do...yuh shout at them from the sidelines and then yuh see dem balls up right infront yuh face.
Take Lionel Messi, did he learn to dribble like that from a coach? Don't think so, he learned by dribbling on his own when he was very young. He probably loved to cut and dribble past people the first time he touched a ball.
At a young age it's best to just play and learn through playing and watching older talented players. Find a good mentor to look up to and learn from - model your game after theirs. This could be watching a player on TV or an older player that plays on a team near where you live.
How to Become an Advanced Soccer Player
Edited by Patrick Marks, Dman0875, Ben Rubenstein, Dave Crosby and 108 others
Soccer is a great sport to get involved with. To become an advanced player, however, you need to start early and work hard. You'll need to work on your fitness, and learn to imitate the soccer greats, but most of all you'll need to have enthusiasm for the game. So get out on that field and start practicing!
1. 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.
2. Work on your ball skills to be a high-level soccer player. As well as practicing twice a week with your team(s), you should be practicing by yourself or with friends; either in your backyard or an open field. The following are some of the things you should work on. Juggling: although this is not directly used in the actual game of soccer, being a better juggler will improve your 'touch' and overall comfort with the ball. Dribbling: practice dribbling in a thirty yard area. Dribble with your laces using both feet. After doing several repetitions of these, use only the outside and inside of your feet. Alternating inside/outside every touch.
3. Work on different aspects of fitness to be a fit soccer player. There are three main aspects you should work on. These are endurance, speed and strength. To work on (a) endurance run 2-3 miles twice a week and improve on your time each week. Soccer is also a game of (b) speed. To improve your speed, work on sprinting. Find a soccer field, start from the goaline and sprint to midfield, from there jog to the next end line. Repeat this step then walk the length of the field to cool down. Do this as long as possible until you are too fatigued to continue or for about 15 minutes. Your age will determine what you can do for (c) strength. Some exercises that is useful for all ages are leapfrogs, wheelbarrows, and lunges. When doing leapfrogs; start from a squatting position and leap as far as you can, rest for a couple of seconds and then repeat. When lunging start from the standing position, step forward as far as you can with one foot and touch the ground with your knee of the non-stepping foot. Then put your weight on your foot that you first stepped with and now step forward with your opposite foot and touch the ground with your other knee. Continue to do this down the length of the field. You will need a partner to do wheelbarrows. Have your partner standing while holding your ankles. You should be in front of them with only your hands touching the ground. You should both walk simultaneously (you with your hands and your partner with their feet) to midfield. Switch positions at midfield. Do all of these exercise 2-3 times down the field, you will drastically improve your leg/abdominal strength.
4. 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.
5. Hire an individual trainer, if you have different goals than that of the team(s) you are on. Many very well qualified coaches or college soccer players train individuals by the hour and are relatively cheap. This direct attention on the player and their needs is an excellent way to become a great player much faster.
6. You can also get a group of friends to go out and play mini scrimmages. This can help improve your ball work, and you can get tips form your friends along the way.
7. Go to your local library and find some books about soccer. A very helpful book is "Soccer for Dummies."
8. Know your position(s). It is very hard to get better at soccer if you still get confused when the coach asks you to be a certain position.
9. Get advice from your soccer coach. They have seen many different players and probably your mistakes can be caught better by someone who constantly watches you play.
10. Have the right size soccer ball and make sure it is not flat. It is harder to improve if your ball is not even the right size or "shape."
11. Go for the ball. Don't be afraid to hit the ball! Get in there, don't just stand there, since that is no help to your team.
12. Aim with the side of your foot.
13. 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 foot skills, 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!