Football Sports Centres near me

Football lessons near me

Football is a game which is played by two opposing teams of 11 players using a round ball. Players kick the ball to each other and try to score goals by kicking the ball into a large net. A match consists of two 45 minute periods known as the first and second half.

However, there is much more to the game of football with various rules and decisions to consider!

Playing football has many health benefits due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting.. It increases aerobic capacity, cardiovascular health, and builds strength, flexibility and endurance.

What is the best age for children to start playing football?

Perhaps aged 3-5, kids can start playing football in the garden at home as a toddler, or in the playground at nursery. Children who are aged 5 to 7 have the necessary motor skills to compete in the game and start learning the skills of football.

Can football be learnt online at home?

Yes. Anyone with a passion for the beautiful game will have mostly watched it on TV, so it makes sense that you can study, analyse and perfect your skills through the medium of a screen.

Soccer training online is becoming more popular and the results are getting better all the time. This is because there are many online education platforms with expert soccer training tools and programmes to help players improve. These are aimed at footballers at any level, parents of players and coaches who train players.

This is all very well but, let’s face it, how can you beat a real live coach to keep you motivated?

Initially you should be familiar with the basic elements of football, such as positions and formations, then it’s a matter of focussing on what’s best for you, what position you want to play and the broader picture of what that means. That is what the online coach will help you with.

Remember it’s not just about being a player. You may want to be a coach yourself, or be a physio, referee, or manager/promoter. The list goes on. If you enjoy the game of football but want to truly understand the sport on a deeper level, then you need to choose your tutor carefully but obviously, whatever you want to do with this, it’s important that you understand what it takes to be a player.

What can I expect to be taught?

Through a mixture of theoretical tactics, board lessons and practical analysis of clips from real football matches, your football coach will give you an introduction to the larger world of soccer and develop your skills as he or she assesses your ongoing development.

It starts with basic skills, simple examples for example like placing the ball between your feet, slightly bending your knees and knocking the ball in between your feet as quickly as you can.

Another exercise, known as ‘Triangles’ where you start with the ball slightly in front of you, dragging the ball back with the sole of your right foot at an angle, then passing the ball across to your left foot using the instep of your right, then pass the ball forward at an angle with your left foot; stop it with the sole of your right foot and continue the process. You then do the same exercise but start with the left foot. When it's broken down like this, you can see why these exercises can be studied via a screen.

Other skills include the Drag, the Inside-Outside, Fast Feet (Stepover), Double Taps, Body Triangles, Squeeze and Push, Drag Stop and Juggles.

This all sounds obvious but with a coach you will be told how to improve rather than just copy.

As with music it takes time: practice, practice, practice. But with an online tutor you can discuss your techniques and progress and benefit from the wealth of online guides when appropriate to your training.

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