Motor Behavior Learning
Soccer for Beginners
- Passing and getting familiar with the ball are great skills to start out teaching for beginners.
- If a student is a beginner they probably have never touched a soccer ball before and are very uncomfortable with the ball.
- It is important to help students become more comfortable with the soccer ball by starting with the following skills:
- simple individual touches on the ball
- passing with a partner from 10 feet away
- certain factors are important to consider when teaching these skills such as age, environment, physical ability, etc.
- It is important to start out slow; get students used to playing and then focus on the accuracy of their performance.
- Asymmetric body movements
- Focus on "teaching: your body to be coordinated with this specific sport and skills.
Soccer for Advanced Students
- Advanced students should be very comfortable with the game and the skills that are required. Their balance and coordination is obvious, but there is always room for improvement.
- Speed and agility in drills; making yourself more quick on the ball as well as working on your reaction to different movements.
- Juggling, getting multiple touches on the ball
- When passing with a partner focus on one-touch instead of two, and passing the ball with accuracy and good pace.
- Movement consistency- practice basic skills over and over
- Estimate movement distance- using your touch with the ball to decide how far you need to pass/shoot the ball.
- Peripheral vision- important in game play especially for advanced players.
Soccer for Intermediate Students
- If students are at the intermediate level of play then that means they have probably played on a team or with another group.
- Intermediate players should focus on the following:
- passing while moving.
- keeping their head up while dribbling the ball
- focus on offensive/defensive type strategies such as "jockeying" while defending a player, and keeping a "triangle" formation to pass and move around the field.
- striking the ball on frame with the laces.
- Students are coordinated and familiar with the game.
- Focus on closed skills because other factors contribute to play