All good advice above. I agree with lots of ball mastery. Lots of dribbling. Lots of juggling. Once you get a few hundred juggles just standing in one spot, juggle while walking forward, then running, etc. Lots of wall passing. I would also add improving headers and of course shooting...shooting on the run, turning and shooting, one timers, volleys, etc. And of course must be good with both feet. It's a grind. I often think my kid would have been better off loving a different sport.

Training at home is very effective.

My kid trains at home almost everyday. We draft a new drill sheet each week. It greatly improves him over all the kids on his team. A few indoor drills that help develop and don't require enough effort to sweat.

1. Bells forward, back, left, right. Look straight is best.

2. Toe taps and Brazil toe taps.

3. Pulls backs. Forward and Vs.

4. Sole rolls.

5. Juggling.

6. First touch practice. Pass or throw the ball and have them practice controlling it with one touch. Mix in bouncing balls, etc.

7. Side rolls.

Don't need a lot of space for these drills. My kid focuses on 3-5 different drills a week. Takes about 10-15 minutes max per day if not less. If it's a slow day he'll practice 20-25 minutes. Over time it's 1500-2000 touches on the ball per week (indoors, easy, not sweating). Adds up quick.

Because we don't have a yard, we try to find times when the local high school isn't using their football field (like on the weekends, holidays, or weekday evenings in the summer) and my daughter does some juggling, dribbling, air ball receiving, and passing. I don't have any soccer experience so we just come up with ideas as we go. For example, I tossed her "wild balls" and got her to ground them and pass them back. It's actually sort of fun and gives us some bonding time too. We regularly see other kids and adults practicing other sports individually or in small groups (saw frisbee, football, and other soccer players today).

Anonymous wrote:It’s often mentioned that the best club players are training outside of practice. I get that that often means additional clinics, private lessons, etc. But what can a really disciplined, motivated kid do at home that will make a difference on the field? Strength training? Running? Drills?

Juggling different size balls, and against the wall. Passing different directions against the wall. Going out in an open field and practicing all sorts dribbling. YouTube and Instagram has a treasure trove of simple things to do as an individual.

For strength training, my kid made up his own routine, just using body weight. Pushups, squats, heel raises, sit ups, planks, etc. Do some plyos ad well.

It’s often mentioned that the best club players are training outside of practice. I get that that often means additional clinics, private lessons, etc. But what can a really disciplined, motivated kid do at home that will make a difference on the field? Strength training? Running? Drills?