If your child has taken a new interest in soccer, you probably want to see them succeed and do their best. Whether you’ve never played a sport before or you were a soccer star in your youth, there are ways you can help your child practice at home. Use the soccer training drills below to hone your child’s defense, offense, dribbling, and more.

3 Soccer Training Drills You Can Practice in Your Backyard

1. Tag

Who says that a soccer drill has to involve a ball? A classic game of freeze tag emphasizes stamina and evasive maneuvers that are critical in soccer. You’ll need at least four people for this game, but the more the merrier. Designate one or two people as “it” and have them chase the others. Those who get tagged must remain still until they are unfrozen by one of their teammates. The fun continues until everyone is frozen, or just worn out.

2. Clean the Room

This exercise is a fun time, and the more people the better. Start with all the soccer balls you have, and maybe a few other playground balls if you only have a soccer ball or two. Place them in one half of your yard, and have your child try to kick them to the other side of the yard. Meanwhile, you’ll be kicking the balls back to their side. This aspect of soccer training emphasizes kicking with strength and precision while under pressure.

3. Warm Up Dribbling

Set up a square of cones roughly five feet by five feet. Have your child start dribbling in the square to warm up, then circle a cone while dribbling and return to the inside. Once they’ve circled every cone, have them practice dribbling with just one foot at a time. They’ll learn better eye-foot coordination for passing and attacking the goal.

One of the best ways to get your child more enthusiastic about soccer is to enroll them in a club. There, they’ll meet other children and build their soccer and teamwork skills simultaneously. For those in Norwalk, CT, Beachside Soccer Club offers exceptional classes for children five and up. Committed students may even work their way up and graduate into the U.S. Soccer Academy Program, a professional-level soccer training camp. To learn more about their instructors and programs, visit them online or call (203) 852-6969.