Focus on Technical Training: 
First Touch:
Keeping it Dynamic
 

Dear Coach,

Well the summer flew by with plenty of soccer action taking place at the Olympics in Beijing and in Austria and Switzerland during the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. The summer was also very hectic for many of the Kentucky Youth Soccer Association programs with record numbers of players attending the summer camps and more ODP players than ever before gaining recognition at the regional and national level.

Many of you may be in the full swing of your fall soccer season and without really even taking a breath from the previous season Kentucky Youth Soccer Association recently conducted our Player and Olympic Development Program try-outs for the 2008/09 season for the three youngest age groups. During these events we assess the players mainly on their technical ability and how comfortable they are with the soccer ball in pressurized situations. Youth soccer players need to continuously work on their first touch and can do this during their own time as well during practice sessions with their teams.

If players can familiarize themselves with keeping their first touch dynamic they have a better change of buying themselves time during games which will enhance their own skills but also help the team keep the ball moving.

Have fun during US Youth Soccer Month  Enjoy, see you at the Far Post!

 
Adrian Parrish
Kentucky Youth Soccer Director of Coach
and Player Development
 

Four New Lesson Plans for Improving a Player's First Touch

Below are four sample lesson plans that focus on improving a player’s first touch and keeping it dynamic. We continuously encourage “giving the game back to the children” and making them the main focal point so to encourage your players solve the problems and think for themselves with in each Key Coaching Point Section you will now find a Guided Discovery question which you can ask of your players when conducting these sessions  

Kentucky Youth Soccer Association recommends that you build a library or create several set plays which the can use for the season, you can do this by writing your own or using the resources such as the Lesson Plan Form.

 
The Purpose of Juggling
by Adrian Parrish, Kentucky Youth Soccer Director of Coach and Player Development

Coaches will often request that their players practice and perform juggling skills/exercises during downtime at practice sessions or even ask for them to develop this skill at home. But why is it required of a player to execute such a skill considering it is very rarely, if at all, used in games. Obviously it serves a purpose, and that is not just to help players become more comfortable with the ball by developing their first touch. It also helps develop a players balance and agility; two characteristics that we look for players to posses.

It is required of a top level player to have a good first touch and be comfortable on the ball, especially when under pressure from opponents, with limited time and space. Therefore, coaches must encourage juggling in order to develop touch,  because touch translates into being composed in games. With a good touch players will be at ease when bringing the ball under control and holding it against pressure.  To read more, please click here.

 

Kentucky Youth Soccer State Director of Coach and Player Development, Adrian Parrish, answers questions from parents, coaches and players.

To view the Q&As, please click here. 
 Ask Adrian, Click here.
 

Footability Technical Footwork System DVD ImageFootability Technical Footwork System DVD   Sharpen your skills!  Learn the proper mechanics to execute each move! The Footability System will provide the tools necessary to increase your technical speed, improve your comfort level on the ball, instill the confidence to be creative and inspire you to reach your full potential. The creators of The Footability System, Chris Martinez and Rivers Guthrie, have a combined 16 years of professional soccer experience. This system introduces the base system and set-up and get-away touch techniques. These tools help develop two-footed soccer players and teach how to get in and out of moves efficiently and effectively. (45 min.)

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Coaches Connection - The Coaches Connection provides members with a link to the US Youth Soccer Coaching Education Network and staff, plus 55 State Association Directors of Coaching Education and their staff, as well as guest lectures from around the world.

Get connected with leaders in the field of coaching, referee education and player development. Stay current with discussions on such hot topics as small-sided games; recreation vs. competitive soccer; parent education, ethics and morals in sport
. Click here for more info.
 
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Sept 2008