3 Quick Tips to Improve Dramatically

Yesterday, I was asked by one of my players if I could provide him with three tips for players who want to improve rapidly and give themselves the best opportunity to play at the next level. I thought about it for a minute and wanted to share what I shared with him.

My first tip is to compete. Of course, we want to have fun and we want to enjoy playing soccer, but if you want to improve quickly and give yourself the best opportunity to play at the next level, then you have to shift your mindset to a competitive one. You have to compete in every game, compete at every practice, compete in every exercise, and compete on every play. Truly competitive players, players who will sacrifice anything to win, are rare. These players stand out amongst their peers and a team full of competitive players will wreck havoc in any league, regardless of the level.

My second tip is to watch soccer. Many of the players I coach do not actually watch soccer, and it shows. Watching soccer allows you to gain a perspective and understanding about what you should do whilst you are on the field. And while you’re at it, don’t just watch, analyze it. Don’t just follow the ball or watch highlights, watch the players who play the same position as you, and analyze what they do when the ball is in a certain part of the field, or with a certain player. Watch how they move, watch when they step, watch when they drop, watch when they attack, watch when they defend, when they take players on, and when they move the ball around, you get the idea. Doing so will improve your knowledge of the game, and will dramatically improve your movement, decision making, and positioning on the field. In fact, we have brain cells called “mirror neurons” that fire both when we watch someone perform an act, and then when we perform it ourselves, physiologically indicating that we can improve at something by simply watching it.

My last tip for rapid improvement is to practice the skills you are able to outside of practice, outside of practice, and practice them at game speed. Doing so will allow you to maximize the time you spend at practice learning and competing. It will also help you stand out to your coaches and earn more playing time. Practices should not be spent working on the technical skills that are within your control, those skills are your responsibility to develop on your own. Skills like passing, receiving, shooting, pulling the ball out of the air, dribbling, etc., are all simple to train on your own and should be habitual actions at practice. And practice them at game speed. Doing so will increase the likelihood of the skills translating when you are under pressure on the field. Improving these skills on your own will maximize your ability, and allow you to use practice to improve the skills that are a little harder to work on yourself, such as tactics or decision making.

So, in summary, if you are trying to improve dramatically, and give yourself the best opportunity to play at the next level, my three best tips (at this time) are to compete, watch soccer, and develop your technical skills outside of practice.

Thanks for reading,

-Jer