Self-Training is an indispensable part of player development. Perhaps no one said it better than the great Johann Cruyff when asked about his pathway to the pros,
I trained about 4 hours a week at Ajax as a boy, but I played 4 hours on the street everyday. Where do you think I learned to play football?
If you are fortunate enough to have a high-level pickup game in your area then head out and play as much as you can. But if you don't, here we provide some terrific, dynamic, train-at-home resources for players of all levels and ages. Just 15 minutes-a-day, four-days-a-week will show dramatic results.​​
Step 1 : agility ​​
Step 2 : footwork demos or follow-along, pick your training style or try both! ​​
Step 3 : JUGGLING!​​
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No training routine is complete with juggling. And remember, EVERYONE can do it. Juggling is the best exercise for developing fundamental skills of a true futboler like touch, passing weight, mental focus, agility and much more, and it's a lot of fun. Start with one bounce juggling on a hard surface -- a driveway or garage is ideal -- and work your way up. 10 minutes of practice a day is all you need to advance quickly.
And no self-training program is complete without Wall Ball, perhaps the greatest and most underutilized free training tool available to everyone. It can be played alone or with as few as one other friend. And a good wall can be found in just about every community. Here are a few in the Rondout Valley:
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Ulster County Community College in Stone Ridge, near the tennis courts
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Marbletown Elementary School in Stone Ridge, by the swings on the back side of the school
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Block Park in Kingston, in the Strand neighborhood
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If you know of other great walls in our community, please email us and we'll add them to the list.