This article is about one on one soccer training. I will talk about the benefits of one-on-one soccer training and why getting this type of instruction is worth it. I will also go over some common misconceptions about 1:1 soccer training and what you can expect for the cost of each session. I will talk about how to find the right coach and what to look for in a coach. I will also touch on what to expect from a coach and give a few examples of different coaches.
I believe that every child should have one on one soccer training whether they are advanced or not. Children need someone devoted just to them so that they can help them with their game. The sooner a child gets this type of training, the more effective it will be. Children should start soccer training around age 4 or 5 and continue until they are about ten years old. That said, if a child is about to turn 13 or 14 and has never had one on one soccer training, it’s still worth going to get it. I recommend one-on-one soccer training for this age group because not many kids are ready for team practices. At this age, there are still so many other things going on in a kid’s life that interfere with soccer, such as school dances or sports camps. I believe that if a child does have team practices, they should never miss them. If it’s impossible to make a session for the coach, get another one-on-one session. Every coach is different in their approach and style, but four things are non-negotiable regarding soccer training.
The first thing is just as important as the other three qualities because it’s my favorite quality of a coach: Passion! The coach needs to have a passion for soccer and love working with children to be the best for the kids. This quality is very important because I believe that power brings out the power in others, making an effective teacher. The second thing is the level of play. It’s very important that the coach play at a high level. To do this, there have to be specific things about the coach’s game that make them capable of playing at a higher level. The third thing is that the coach has to be knowledgeable. I don’t mean they can tell you what every player on Real Madrid did in their last game. I’m talking more about being able to teach you how to improve and get better. They need to stick around long enough to see your improvement, and it’s even better if they see your improvement before your parents do! The fourth thing is organization. I realize that I sound like I’m the Michelin man here, but it’s so true that it’s worth saying three times. Being organized is extremely important for a coach because soccer is a fluid game that they cannot effectively teach you if they can’t keep up. This goes for any sport. If you have a coach who can’t organize their thoughts on the field, they have trouble managing their sessions with you and what should be a practical one-hour lesson becomes wasted time.
There are many benefits to one-on-one soccer training and not enough time to list them all, but I’ll talk about just the top 3! The first benefit is individualization. Being able to teach each player individually is one of the best ways to see improvement. As I’ve mentioned before, this is easier with younger players because they are just starting, and there are many things that they aren’t comfortable doing yet. With older kids who have been playing for a while and already have bad habits, it’s much harder to correct those habits because it takes so many extra sessions on top of what you would typically do on the team. The second benefit is that if you miss a team practice, your coach can help you fit in another session to make up for it. This will be very useful later in the season when your team has a tournament or two-day camp and you miss practice three days in a row. These are the times when it’s most important to make up for lost ground. The third benefit is that 1:1 soccer training gives you your style. I’ve discovered that every single player has their style of play. It’s something that you create yourself and that no one can tell you what your style is, it’s something that you must discover for yourself. When you have a coach who works with you all the time, they will have a much better idea of your style than your parents or other coaches, and they will be able to help develop your skills to incorporate them into your game better.
The benefits of one on one soccer training do not stop there. Many other things make it worth it. First of all, I think it’s important that you want to know that you’re getting your money’s worth and not being ripped off when you pay for a session. The second thing I think is very important is that the coach should provide some feedback to measure whether or not you’re getting better with each session. I want to say that the coaching shouldn’t be all about the coach. If a coach wants to have sessions where they dominate and don’t care whether or not you’re getting better, it’s hard to enjoy yourself in those sessions, and they will probably be pretty dull. If you can imagine yourself on a date with a girl who doesn’t like to have fun and never laughs, then you’ll understand what I mean when I say that it’s important for the coach to be fun to work with. The last thing is that it’s important for there to be not only 1:1 soccer training but also team practices. These are necessary because they provide a different environment than what your regular games offer. The team practices are better for the players because they are a place where you can practice your teamwork, and they are also much more fun than regular games. With team practices, you get to break out of your game and see what someone else likes to do out there on the field. I believe that the combination of these two types of training is ideal.