3 Ways to maximise soccer training sessions

Soccer training sessions are foundational blocks that develop a soccer player and prepare them for real-life scenarios in the game. But, in essence, players are ultimately responsible for their own development.

As a child grows, they will become more independent. Eventually, they will get to a point of solely governing their own lives. When they’re young and more dependent, it is the responsibility of the authority figures in their lives to impart as much wisdom, motivation, and other key life lessons as possible. But gradually the child must take hold of the reigns to learn how to create the best possible outcome for themselves.

What can a youth soccer player do to make sure he or she is maximising the soccer training sessions their coaches have prepared for them?

Set achievable goals for yourself and strive to improve at soccer training sessions

Don’t just rock up each week to your soccer training sessions without a goal in mind. If the focus of the curriculum is dribbling, what dribbling goals have you achieved? Is the ball staying close to your feet and do you have more control as you pick up pace? Are you able to manoeuvre the ball more smoothly and quickly through a set of cones? Where are you looking when you’re dribbling? Have you improved since the last time you did this drill? The same goes for any other skill – passing, shooting, communicating etc.

Don’t just practice at soccer training, practice every day.

Your individual soccer training counts. The difference between a player who has the potential of playing professional football, and a player who struggles to be scouted is a passion for the game that goes beyond their formal training sessions. Players who practice at home, do so because of the love of football, but also because of key life skills and characteristics.

Discipline is one of those, and it will carry a person through to the next level. Five minutes extra practice at home each day can make all the difference. Slowly build up the amount of out-of-session practice time and you’ll develop much faster and further. What are you taking from each training session and practising at home?

Where’s your mindset at? Is it a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?

A person with a fixed mindset fears failure and therefore shies away from challenges and effort. A person with a growth mindset knows that anyone can improve and so they are motivated and have a desire to learn.

Are you self-motivated? Do you take responsibility for your development? Are you building a strong mindset to overcome setbacks? Are you willing to learn? If you’re not happy with your answers, ask yourself why. Never underestimate how much you will be able to find out if you do a little seeking. No one is too young to have a strong and healthy mindset. Start young, and you’ll find that it’s easier to maintain as you grow up.

In Conclusion – Maximise your soccer training sessions

Your personal football trainer will have a great and lasting influence on your development. A good coach will put in bucket loads of effort to make sure you have the best possible chance to succeed in life. This is a reminder to you, as the player, to put in as much effort as possible, because without your best, you’re settling for less than you can achieve.