Every Great Player Can Juggle

All soccer players at some point always ask the same question. “How can I become a better player?” This is the ultimate question that coaches get asked all the time from players of different ages and ability levels. Being me, I like to answer the question with another question. I normally ask, “What is your juggling record.” Most are not sure and if they are, they are not willing to tell me because they are not proud of it. Then my answer is simple, “Juggle, every day, and count to keep track of your progress.” As their numbers go up, so will their control of the ball, and most importantly, their confidence.

Does juggling make you a great soccer player? Being able to juggle the soccer ball does not guarantee you will be a great player, but EVERY great player can juggle. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Great players can juggle the soccer ball because they have complete control and mastery of the soccer ball. There is no way to excel in the game without the ability to control the ball in all situations during a game under high pressure. Devoting time to work on juggling will help any player, of any ability level, to improve their ball control and their ability to play the beautiful game.

How much time per day does your child set aside to juggle the soccer ball? Normally, it is very hard to get a player to go do it, especially the older they get. When children are taught at an early age to appreciate juggling, understand how it benefits them, and are challenged to continue to beat their records with different parts of the body (feet most importantly), it is something they will continue to do as they get older.

No matter what age the player, it almost correlates perfectly that the players who have the highest juggling records tend to have the best touch and control on the field. As an ancillary benefit, players who juggle frequently learn to focus for longer periods of time, show a great deal of patience and discipline, improve consistency, and have better balance/coordination. These are areas of the game juggling helps improve that are not always talked about, but are very evident in players who can keep the ball up for several hundred touches without making a mistake.

I do not think it is big secret that juggling is good for players. Most, if not all coaches, encourage their players to do it. Unfortunately, very few players actually spend the necessary time required to develop this skill and in return, improve their ability with the ball. At SuperKick, the soccer staff encourages players to juggle everyday and during training sessions outline proper technique to help players have more success and build their number of touches. Most importantly, we challenge them. We help them set goals and ask them to reach them. When they hit a mark, we raise the bar again. Players are not asked to just get higher numbers, but are given other challenges to expand their creativity and have fun with the activity. Eventually, we do not have to ask what their juggling record is because they are so excited to let us know!