Your player struggling with improvement? Check out these soccer tips!

It's no secret that soccer players often struggle to improve. 

Many youth soccer players have coaches for almost every aspect of their game.

Whether it is mental, strength and conditioning, technical, nutritionist, you name it, they got it.

But despite all of the help they receive, many players still find it challenging to keep progressing. 

 Is it the players' fault? Are they the ones to blame?

Absolutely not.

We have reached the point where the information is there, but the application is not. 

I heard a saying recently that if it were just information we needed, we would all be the most incredible parents, coaches, mates, kids, etc., but we are not. 

It only comes through practical application that we start to see benefits from the information. 

Our players need that as well, and they need to know how to apply this information to serve them in soccer and in life after soccer.

So how can your player plan their improvement as soccer players? We will discuss some tips that will help them to reach their goals.

One of the most important things a soccer player can do is to look at themselves objectively.

(Note: This advice  is for older players who have already found themselves as players. If they are a younger player, then they need to start working on all aspects of their game.) 

Self evaluation yourself is difficult.

Questions to guide progress: 

What are my strengths as a player? What are my weaknesses as a player? 

This may be a little difficult to do independently, but encourage them to ask for help. 

Ideally, they need an objective set of eyes, such as a coach, a trainer, or an older player that they look up to in the game. After getting that feedback, they can now move on to the next step.

Once they have a list of strengths and weaknesses, it is time to start setting goals based on those weaknesses.

Players set goals on many occasions and fall into one of two traps. One, They set a goal that is way too easy. If the goal is easy, this will not keep you motivated for very long. 

Or two, They set a way too hard goal ( for where they are at). When their goal is too hard for where they are, it makes it hard to stay motivated.

The second one is better for the two problems because they can always set goals and break them down into smaller, manageable pieces.

After breaking their goal into smaller, manageable pieces, they can start focusing on the specifics of their plan. 

For example, let's say they identify their weakness as their first touch. They decide to set a goal of 100 juggles and 100 wall volleys in 30 days. They can plan to work 20 minutes at least five days a week. For the first week, their goal is to get to 25 juggles and then 25 wall volleys. Then the next week, they add another 25. And so on and so forth.

Now, this is the hardest part of it. It is difficult to identify weakness, set a goal, make a plan but follow through is the hardest part. Because motivation will come and go, they have to make their training plan a habit or routine.

Finally, don't forget to enjoy the process! Soccer should be fun, so make sure they want themselves along the way. If you're not, their motivation will likely suffer. So find ways to enjoy the journey and stay positive throughout the process.

If you follow these tips, you'll be well on your way to becoming improving as a player. Thanks for reading and good luck!

Do you have any other tips for how to improve as a soccer player? Share them with us in the comments below! And if you're looking for more motivation, be sure to check out our collection of soccer quotes. Thanks for reading and good luck!