Playing at home:

Soccer is a fun game to play. The better your skills, the more fun you’ll have! A great way to improve your skills is to play with friends or play on your own.

Here are a bunch of things you can do at home or in the local park. We have categories for games,  passing & receiving, dribbling, juggling and ball control and fast footwork. Many of the activities have links to video demos. Link: full video catalog

Try some of these activities. If you get bored with one, try a different one, or create your own. Most importantly, have fun!

Juggling:

Juggling helps you with ball control, balance and foot-to-eye coordination.

Remember to juggle the ball with the top of your foot (laces area of your shoe), not your toes. Your toes should be pointed out, not up. This will keep the ball from spinning toward you. Listen for the good "thud" sound, not the bad "dink" sound.

As a beginning, you can start with the ball in your hands. But as you get better, start with the ball on the ground and try to pick it up with your feet.

Freestyle:  Use any legal touches to keep the ball up in the air. How many can you do in a row? Can you "juggle your age"? Can you beat your old record? If you're new to juggling, allow yourself a bounce between touches. 

Pattern:  Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, how many can you do in a row?  

Pattern:  "The Box:" You'll make the ball go in a box pattern. Link: group video demo

1. Take one juggling touch with your right (or left) foot.

2. Take one juggling touch with your right (or left) thigh.

3. Take one juggling touch with your other thigh.

4. Take one juggling touch with your other foot.

5. Catch the ball.

If you get good at this, try going around the box and coming back the other way (steps 1-2-3-4 followed by 4-3-2-1). Keys:

• Each touch needs to setup the next touch.

• Keep your feet moving to stay under the ball.

• Stay balanced.

Pattern:  "Round the world:" This is similar to The Box above, but you'll do a header between the thigh touches. If you get good at this, try going "round the world and back." If you get really good at this, add shoulder touches between the thigh touches and header.

1. Take one juggling touch with your right (or left) foot.

2. Take one juggling touch with your right (or left) thigh.

3. Take one touch with your head.

4. Take one juggling touch with your other thigh.

5. Take one juggling touch with your other foot.

6. Catch the ball.

Pattern:  "inside - laces - outside:" Juggle once with the inside of your foot, then once with the laces of your foot, then once with the outside of your foot, then catch the ball. It's much harder than it may seem! It this becomes easy, try repeating the pattern with both feet. Link: video demo

Pattern:  "low - high - low:" Juggle the ball below your head, then above your head, then below your head again and catch it. The key is to cushion the ball with the final touch, not kick it. Link: video demo (repeating low-high with no hands)

Sombrero (or "180"):  This is called a sombrero since you put the ball over your head like a hat. Link: coach demo

1. A teammate passes you a ground ball (or you can play a pass to yourself off a wall).

2. Go to the ball and flick it up in the air with your 1st touch. Keep your toes down to make your foot act like a ramp, and the ball will pop up 1-2 feet into the air.

3. Juggle the ball over your head on the next touch. Keep your toes up on this touch, and lean back slightly to redirect the ball over your head.

4. Turn to receive the ball on the other side and dribble away in the other direction.

Distance:  Start at "home" base (a tree, or one side of the driveway) then see if you can juggle while walking or jogging to another base (another tree, or the other side of the driveway). Count a point anytime the ball bounces on the ground. The less points the better. With practice, you'll lower your score. With lots of practice, you may even get it down to zero, which is a perfect score.

• Advanced variation:  Can you juggle from "home" to the next base, then turn and come back to home while still juggling?

Speed:  How many total juggling touches can you make in 30 seconds? Can you beat your previous record?

Partners:  Juggle between partners. The ball will be coming out of the air at a different angle than when you juggle by yourself, so this adds a new challenge. Links: video demo 1 (players) / video demo 2 (player and coach)

Wall juggling:  This is a fun (and challenging) variation of regular juggling.

• Basic:  video links: kids demo / coach demo

  • Stand 3-4 steps away from the wall, holding the ball about chest height.

  • Drop the ball and let it bounce.

  • Use your laces or inside of the foot to pass the ball off the wall so it comes back as an air ball. The key is to be patient and strike the ball after it drops to a height between your waist and knees.

  • Repeat the "bounce, then pass" cycle. Start by using whichever foot is easiest, then try alternating feet (right, left, right, left, etc.), then try "weak foot only." If you get really good at this, see if you can wall juggle with no bounces!

• Pattern - wall-foot-thigh-volley:  video links: kids demo / coach demo

  • Stand 3-4 steps away from the wall.

  • Play the ball off the wall (about waist height).

  • Take one juggling touch with your foot, trying to play the ball about chest height about 12 inches in front, setting up your thigh.

  • Settle the ball with your thigh, so the ball goes out about one step in front of you, setting up your foot. (You don't want to get much height on this touch.)

  • Use your foot to "volley" the ball back into the wall, then repeat the foot-thigh-volley sequence.

  • Key: Remember that every touch needs to setup the next touch.

"Booty" juggling:  This is a goofy (and challenging) variation of regular juggling. This helps you learn to strike the ball with your laces while keeping your ankle locked with your toes down. video links: kids demo / coach demo

1. Sit on your booty.

2. How many juggling touches can you get in a row -- feet only -- without lifting your booty off the ground or letting the ball touch the ground? The key is to keep your toes pointed out -- not up -- and strike the ball with the top of your foot (laces). If you do it right, the ball will go straight up in the air (with no spin), so you can take another touch while still sitting. (This is hard, but with practice, you'll get it. Once you get it, you'll find that you shoot harder during games.)