Soccer Coaching Blog | Professional Soccer Coaching Advice

I’m sitting in the Better Soccer Coaching offices thinking about the ten things you most like to see in a young soccer player during a match. It’s one way of finding out whether your training sessions are achieving what you hope.

When I think up coaching drills to be published in Better Soccer Coaching I’m constantly making sure they can relate to match days. If you cannot see a benefit during a match from using exercises in training, either in the individual or in the team, then they are not much use.

So here are my top ten things I look for during a match in each individual player:

1. Making forward passes through the opposition defence
2. Taking chances in the attacking third – try a backheel
3. Passing the ball and moving in support
4. Working hard to win the ball back
5. Communication – calling out names; asking for the ball
6. Making runs off the ball
7. Forgetting mistakes and getting on with the game – keeping their heads up
8. Enjoying the game; having fun
9. Playing until the final whistle – winning or losing
10. Knowing their position on the field (especially for defenders) so they can recover quickly if the team lose the ball

Do you agree or disagree? Or do you have a better top ten? Let us know at Better Soccer Coaching by commenting below…

Dave Clarke, Better Soccer Coaching editor