Soccer during a shut down
Our last soccer match was Saturday, March 7. Connor had two games and we stayed to watch his friends’ teams play, too. That was our last “normal weekend” as we know it.
Soccer has been canceled. Life is on hold. Toilet paper is currency.
We are fortunate that tele-working is an option. I have become passingly proficient at teaching my classes on Zoom while also managing Connor’s fourth-grade assignments. Doug’s in charge of soccer training, math and Spanish (je parle francias).
Connor’s coach sent some drills. His other coach (a former GK at ECU and soccer coach for another team) gave him drills, too. He received a Dribble Up ball for Christmas with the $7.99/month streaming service, which is fantastic. (No endorsement here). The live classes put your player’s name on the board with all the other participants. Connor gets a kick out of hearing the coaches call out his name and seems to enjoy the competition. The coaches do a good job of recognizing the participants. The ball has a chip in it that is linked to the app, which can be used with an iPad. (They offer basketballs and fitness balls, too).
He misses his friends, both from school and soccer, and he misses the practices and games.
Having time on a field with his parents gives him a sense of “normal.”
If you are looking for some at-home drills, here are some ideas. Remember, the goals are touches on the ball, having fun and maintaining that fitness level.
Connor challenged me to Timed Trials.
He won.
Timed Trials: Set a timer for 60 seconds; there are five sets; repeat three times.
- Toe touches
- Roll flicks
- Pull back/push throughs
- Triangles
- Boxes
Cone Course: Set up obstacles (cones, cans) and have your player dribble through, using their right foot; on the return trip, have them use their left foot. Repeat five cycles of each foot.
One-Touch Shooting: Place two cones about 18 yards from the goal. Line up balls parallel to the goal. Take one touch to shoot each ball into the net.
If you are limited on space, the timed trials are more about speed and control.