A concept that has become increasingly more important in children’s soccer is technical training. Every young footballer should receive appropriate training methods in order to improve and develop their skills.
With the aid of new technology and research, football teaching methods have evolved significantly in many different ways.
From tactical awareness to technical skills, academy coaches have their own tools and methods to get the most out of their players and prepare them for competitive soccer.
This is where technical training comes into play, as it combines all these concepts and paves the way for a young footballer to develop their technique throughout their career.
So, in this article, we are going to delve into the whole world of technical training in children’s football, how it impacts skill development, and the positive results it can bring for children and teens.
We will also look at the different types of technical training available, to give you a clearer criterion when choosing.
What is Technical Training in Kid’s Football?
Technical training is a set of processes designed to help young players develop their technical (and also tactical) skills so that they’ll be able to compete at the highest level.
These technical training methods are specifically designed to bring out the best in young players, providing them with the necessary tools to develop their understanding of the game and make a real difference on the pitch.
In basic terms, technical training takes into account how to structure a player’s development during their early years, ensuring they have an in-depth understanding of the game and can showcase all their talent on the pitch.
Technical training evolves according to a player’s age, and is progressively applied throughout a child or teen’s life.
Technical Training Accelerates Skill Development
It’s normal for a football player to acquire new skills on their own by playing regular matches or simply drawing inspiration from their favorite players. This is called empirical learning or being self-taught.
However, these days, empirical learning isn’t enough for a player to be able to reach professional levels or even stand out as one of the best players in their academy.
Coaches are currently emphasizing the importance of understanding the game’s tactics and how players position themselves on the field. Furthermore, certain technical skills are very difficult to develop without specific sessions that oblige the player to develop these concepts.
This is where technical training in children’s football comes into play, as it’s an effective way for players to accelerate their skill development.
Training focused directly on developing techniques and tactics gives them a competitive edge over other players and helps them to stay one step ahead in every move.
Football is similar to other learning areas. The best way to learn new things is by opening yourself up to that new knowledge, understanding it, and practicing it repeatedly until it becomes second nature.
Professional football academies have special technical training plans, along with federation services and professionalization for young players.
All these approaches are helping to ensure that youth football is gaining greater relevance worldwide. Additionally, they allow more players to gain opportunities to get into professional football and devote their lives to what they’re truly passionate about.
The Effects of Technical Training on a Child’s Future Soccer Career
Early and mid-development technical training has several positive effects on young players.
As well as helping them to significantly develop different aspects of their game, it familiarizes them with more formal and professional training at this early stage of their football lives.
This helps players adapt more quickly to training processes and better understand all the insights and wisdom taught by their coaches.
Similarly, it encourages a greater competitive spirit and enables the children to learn from both the strengths and weaknesses of their peers.
Children’s football technical training develops:
- Basic, intermediate, or advanced technical skills to improve player performance on the field.
- Tactical understanding to improve your positioning on the pitch and increase your understanding of the game and your teammates.
- Accuracy in short passes, long passes, crosses, and shots using different techniques that are currently being implemented.
- Positioning and defensive technical concepts in each area of the pitch for greater defensive capability.
- Ball control, dribbling, using both feet, and space creation.
Types of Technical Football Training
Technical training can be divided up and taught in several different ways depending on what skills are being focussed on.
From summer football camps and individual classes, to specialized camps for goalkeepers and other players in specialized positions, there are many options available to either start or continue a player’s technical journey.
Personalized Group Training
Some academies and coaches offer unique tailored classes for small groups of no more than 4 or 5 players.
This type of technical training plan is ideal for footballers from the same social circle or school.
This type of process helps them to strengthen each child’s weaknesses while improving their performance playing with their teammates.
It also promotes healthy competition and camaraderie. Coaches can also take a more personal approach to address each player’s individual circumstances.
Some private coaches offer individual lessons for single players. These can be at the frequency required by the player, and they help players work independently without any distractions.
Summer Technical Training Camps
A great time to consolidate and enhance a player’s technical skills is in the summer. These training sessions focus solely on developing technique and they let the players experience something different from their regular training routine.
These camps typically last one to two weeks and the children have the opportunity to disconnect from their usual routines.
Additionally, there are camps available in other countries such as England or Spain.
Goalkeeper Camps
Goalkeepers require a different technical training process than outfield players.
The skills they need to acquire are different from those of outfield players, and because of this they need exclusive sessions with experienced personnel.
Goalkeeper camps cover all the technical and tactical aspects that a goalkeeper needs to excel in their position.
These camps are a unique experience for those training to be goalkeepers, as it is quite unusual to have the chance for goalkeepers to get together and enjoy an exclusive camp like this.
Conclusion
Technical soccer training for kids has become an essential aspect for every child or teen who aspires to become a professional footballer.
Technical and tactical components are increasingly relevant in football today, and developing these at an early age helps players to acquire a deeper understanding of the game and keep them one step ahead of their peers.
- Technical soccer training helps to develop new technical and tactical skills.
- It focuses on improving ball control, dribbling, passing, shooting, defensive positioning, tactical understanding, defensive posture, and many more technical skills.
- It also enhances players’ understanding of the game and prepares them to react to the different match situations they will encounter.
- The children and teens become more familiar with more professional structured training environments.
- It encourages a competitive spirit while allowing them to learn from skilled coaches.
For all these reasons and more, there’s absolutely no doubt that technical training should be taken extremely seriously in football!
Even though empirical learning and talent are key factors in a footballer’s training, having a solid theoretical foundation along with technical and tactical knowledge is completely indispensable.