Soccer is a beautiful sport because so many skills are required to perform at a high level. High-level players are not just skilled in one area; they are spreading to differentiate themselves from the competition. Emotional skills are crucial to high performance. This blog will highlight essential skills for soccer players to perform at a high level.
Essential Skills:
Ball Control
One of the most fundamental skills to have within the sport of soccer is having quality control over the ball; if you cannot do that, it is hard to make that jump to the next level. This is an essential skill because not being able to control the ball will allow the opposing team to take the ball off you quickly, and ball possession is vital in soccer. Being able to control the ball is a simplistic yet essential soccer skill if you want to play at the highest level. Two types of ball control are critical to be able to do to play soccer at any level, especially at an elite one. The first is receiving, controlling the ball into space away from your body, which is useful when being marked to create space away from the defender. The second type is trapping, which is stopping or settling the ball at your feet, allowing you to control the ball and make split-decision moves when needed. It is also essential to control the ball with more than just your feet, as it will only sometimes be at ground level. You need to get the first touch of the ball with your chest, feet, thigh, and head to place it exactly where you intended to gain control of it.
Accurate Passing
Soccer is a team sport, and players can only thrive within that team if their passing is on point. Players must also complete short passes and long passes consistently if they want to play at the highest level. While passing may be easy in training or practice, it is a lot more challenging to get your passes right when the pressure of the game overwhelms you. It is an essential skill because many different aspects play into passing in a game; a player needs to determine how far they will pass it, where the pass is going, and the speed at which they will pass it. They also have to determine these factors while defenders are pressuring them, most likely, so it is crucial to be able to make passes, especially in stressful situations. Passing is essential because it keeps the game’s pace going; without accurate passing, it is difficult to score or win a game. Accurate passing will also wear down your opponents because they constantly chase to re-establish their control of the ball. Overall accurate passing is an essential soccer skill to have if you want to play soccer at the highest level.
Shooting
Shooting is an essential soccer skill because no one will ever score if players never shoot. Hitting the ball with precision and accuracy is a vital skill that soccer players must have to be able to score and help lead their team to victory. Various things are a part of the shooting skill, including power, precision, accuracy, and understanding how the ball reacts when struck at different speeds. Understanding and adapting to all these other aspects of shooting will allow you to shoot the ball better, presenting the opportunity to score more for your team. It is also a critical soccer skill to have at a high level to shoot with both feet. While shooting well with one foot is essential, it can make you one-dimensional and easy to read for the opponent. Shooting with both feet allows players to be more crafty and deceiving to the opponent, enhancing their ability to shoot from different areas because they can do it with both feet. Overall, shooting is essential because it is how goals are scored and is needed to play at the highest level.
Dribbling On The Run
Dribbling on the run and ball control go hand in hand in terms of essential soccer skills because they help your team control possession of the ball. One of the most effective and fundamental soccer skills is the ability to run and dribble the ball. It is difficult because it requires balance, firm control, and coordination. Dribbling is an essential skill to have because there may be times when you need to dribble on the run through small spaces to create opportunities for your team to score. It is also essential to be able to dribble while running at higher speeds to push the pace of the game and give an advantage to your team by putting the opposition on their heels. Overall it is not necessary to be able to dribble on the run like Messi, but being able to dribble on the run is an essential soccer skill to play at the highest level.
Stamina and Fitness
Stamina and fitness are essential skills at all soccer levels and are especially important if you want to play at the highest level. Soccer games are 90 minutes, and it is vital to have the fitness to play with high intensity for the duration of the match. It is also imperative to have additional fitness skills such as running speed and repeat sprinting speed. These skills are essential because speed control is critical when playing soccer. When overviewing a soccer game, players spend little time sprinting but must be fast in specific scenarios. The ability to run fast or slow down in a split second is a vital soccer skill to play at the next level.
Discipline and Attitude
While it is arguable that discipline and attitude are skills, there is a mental aspect to the game of soccer. Players with this mentality will play at a higher level with ease simply by being determined to get better continually and working hard. No soccer player is perfect; everyone has areas they can improve upon to take their game to the next level. Having the right attitude will help you excel; when things don’t go your way, you can feel bad for yourself or work harder to improve yourself. Working hard and dedicating yourself to improving will help you improve essential skills consistently. While all the skills listed above are critical, discipline and attitude may be of utmost importance because, with these skills, you will have the hard work and drive to develop the other skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, soccer is a beautiful and technical sport which is why there are so many essential skills needed to play at the highest level. Ready to play soccer at the highest level? We are looking for boys and girls of various ages to join our academy register now https://tacacademy.ca/indoor-2022-2023-season/.
About TAFC
We are a unique soccer academy/club dedicated to developing your kid’s soccer skills and growing them as people. If you are interested in registering for our program, head to our academy overview page to learn more or register now!
