Summer -- most bang for the buck?

[Anonymous]

DC will be heading into their third year of travel soccer in the fall. They are not doing Super Y because of we are out of town most summer weekends. DC is signed up for one soccer camp so far, in June. I think doing less soccer for a couple months will be good for DC, but I also know the reality that it would not be great for DC to come back from the summer looking rusty. Next year there is a new coach and they will be up against some tough competition. A lot of the kids on the team are doing Super Y and some are starting to do private training on top of that.

So my question is, what would give the best bang for the buck (in terms of money and time) for keeping skills sharp while also allowing for somewhat of a break? The options seem to be 1) some more camp, 2) evening skills class once a week, or 3) a block of small group or private training sessions.

DC will be staying active this summer with swim team and other things, so not too worried about overall fitness. They could use the most work on technical skills. I'm sort of intrigued by the private training option, as it seems it would be more personalized to what DC needs to work on without adding hours of soccer to their schedule. But I know nothing about it. How do people find trainers? And are they worth it for a situation like I have described?

[Anonymous]

Best bang for buck will be private training IF you can find a good trainer. Especially if the focus is technical training.

Coachup.com is a good place to start looking for a trainer. Reviews and bios will tell you a lot.

You can also reach out to your club to see if any of the coaches do it on the side. I do not recommend training with your team coach for obvious reasons.

There was a recent thread where a private trainer provided some good info. I think they were going to do a dedicated thread on private training but I haven't seen it yet.

Camps are one size fits all and typically more recreation focused than anything. Skill levels vary since a lot of people see it as daycare in the summer.

Evening skills classes are a step better but still fairly structured with a "keep kids moving through the drills" mentality over technical training.

Private training is a mixed bag. Some trainers are good, others are just okay. A post in the thread I previously mentioned talked about seeing the difference between "practicing" and "training".

Camps and clinics will be more practice.

Private training can be practice or training depending who you get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best bang for buck will be private training IF you can find a good trainer. Especially if the focus is technical training.

Coachup.com is a good place to start looking for a trainer. Reviews and bios will tell you a lot.

You can also reach out to your club to see if any of the coaches do it on the side. I do not recommend training with your team coach for obvious reasons.

There was a recent thread where a private trainer provided some good info. I think they were going to do a dedicated thread on private training but I haven't seen it yet.

Camps are one size fits all and typically more recreation focused than anything. Skill levels vary since a lot of people see it as daycare in the summer.

Evening skills classes are a step better but still fairly structured with a "keep kids moving through the drills" mentality over technical training.

Private training is a mixed bag. Some trainers are good, others are just okay. A post in the thread I previously mentioned talked about seeing the difference between "practicing" and "training".

Camps and clinics will be more practice.

Private training can be practice or training depending who you get.

Agree on this and you may also be able to join some of the Super Y practices during the summer as well. I would just ask the coach who is running the team.

[Anonymous]

The bigger clubs with two super Y teams might take a kid on their second team.
Or look at something like Next Star, that you can basically fit around your schedule

[Anonymous]

All you need is a ball and a wall. Everything rlr has she either has or you can help mold. Keep it light and it may turn into a habit, win win either way

[Anonymous]

Best bang for the buck is: having the kid do some running, not every day. Find a wall and have the kid work on their touch. Take a couple of cones and do some of the technical training they have done the past 3 years in travel. Take a ball and do some juggling. Take the kid and a couple of balls and have them do some shooting on their own. If there is an opportunity for pick up here and there, do it for fun. Play some basketball, tennis, swim and enjoy the summer while still being ready for the upcoming year. All of those FREE. Best bang for your buck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Best bang for the buck is: having the kid do some running, not every day. Find a wall and have the kid work on their touch. Take a couple of cones and do some of the technical training they have done the past 3 years in travel. Take a ball and do some juggling. Take the kid and a couple of balls and have them do some shooting on their own. If there is an opportunity for pick up here and there, do it for fun. Play some basketball, tennis, swim and enjoy the summer while still being ready for the upcoming year. All of those FREE. Best bang for your buck.

If you want to pay me for spending an hour on the field and tell them the same exact thing, I would be happy to take your money. Let them figure out what works, what doesn't. how and why.

[Anonymous]

We are going with a local D1 female player who offers casual sessions at a local high school. $20/hr with two teammates. One teammate knows the player and family. We will do 2x a week.

The goal is just practicing, having fun and getting touches on the ball. All three girls are defenders and the player is also a defender so hoping for body positioning, strategy at a higher level.

[Anonymous]

I would reach out to your coach or club and ask for recommendations. See if your child knows/ prefers any of the names you get. Then ask your coach for anything specific. Also, watch games this summer (there will be tons) and have your player watch things like team shape when they pan out, and the players who play their position overall. Have your player talk about what they are seeing from the professionals. It is a great learning tool. Listen to the pundits before the game and during halftime.

[Anonymous]

At least a little time off for the kids to rest! Pick up with their friends is a great thing if they can not let it go for a couple of weeks, but even professionals get time off!