At Home Coaching tips to help your child learn soccer

ALSO: See practice guidelines by age group

1. If you don't practice you don't deserve to dream.

2. A new player should start out with dribbling the ball. Have them use the inside of the foot to dribble in a straight line, then progress to dribbling around object to learn how to turn the ball. Also, teach them to learn how to change direction quickly.

3. Play them in a small game of one Vs. one (just like in basketball)

4. The next important thing to learn is trapping. It is important to learn how to receive a ball without having it bounce more than a foot away. Stand about 10 feet from them and gently toss them the ball, so that they can stop it with their feet. Vary the throw to include rolling and high balls (just like playing catch in baseball). You can vary this by having them pass back to you after they trap the ball.

5. Passing & Shooting. Have the pass with the inside of their foot and shoot with the laces on top of their foot teach them not to use their toe. When shooting with the laces approach the ball from an angle and kick with a sweeping motion using the top of the foot at impact. If they approach the ball head on when shooting(like a football player) they will have a difficult time kicking the ball and lose significant power in their kick. However, when passing with the sides of the feet the approach angle is not as important.

6. There are several inexpensive books that can show drills, but for the most part you can make up your own. Adapt the drills you have used to teach other sports, and they will probably work well.

7. A lot of times the best teacher is playing the game, so when you in the backyard you can never go wrong by playing small games.