Pick up Your Game
A youth soccer coach, Hugo Grajeda, director of Pro Youth Soccer Academy in Chester, New York, shares some tips to help you improve your soccer skills.
Start with basic drills. ¡¡ãGo outdoors, get a ball and keep it close to your feet, ¡¡À Grajeda says. ¡¡ã If you have a backyard, work on shooting. ¡¡À
¡¡ãIt's a good way of building skills without having the pressure of games. Choose a camp that emphasizes building skills and go to one of those. There are plenty of camps that begin right after school ends. ¡¡À
Don't forget to stretch. Then do a series of stretches to loosen up your muscles. Don't forget to take a drink of water before you even step on the field. ¡¡ãWater is important, especially in summer, ¡¡À Grajeda says.
Watch the World Cup. Grajeda will be telling his athletes to watch as many games as they can. Then, you should try to bring some of their moves into your own game. ¡¡ãPick up something that you like and practice it, ¡¡À Grajeda says.
Keep practicing. Practice may not seem like the most fun part of playing soccer. Look for ways to make practice fun by adding some competition to simple drills, and don't be discouraged if it takes time to master new skills. ¡¡ãIf someone were struggling to improve, I would tell them to keep practicing, keep trying. Practice makes perfect. ¡¡À
A. Sign up for a soccer camp.
B. Reduce the pressure of games.
C. Study how the best players move with the ball.
D. A game is sometimes used as an educational tool.
E. However, it's the best way to develop good techniques.
F. That will help improve your ability to run with the ball close to you.
G. Before each game or practice, start with a proper tenminute warmup.
