How to Turn Your Child into the Next Big Soccer Star?

We know the phrase, ‘every winner was once a beginner.’ To be a soccer star, it’s going to take a lot more than being on the school team or joining a local club. It takes a lot of work and perseverance.

The start for many of past generations actually began on the streets, since soccer clubs for the young were not as popular as they are now, and many players came from poorer backgrounds, such as Pele of Brazil or Maradona of Argentina.

Pele was discovered on the streets, and Maradona in a local club, both with raw, off-the-charts talents. Now, enrolling a kid in a club is the best route to take because of how they’ll be trained, giving them an experience they can’t get elsewhere. Here are some things you can do to help your future star.

Practice

Practice is a lot more than dribbling or juggling the ball and learning new tricks. This hardly makes for a superstar.

Scouts and coaches aren’t really looking for the person who can do the most tricks with the ball. They look for things that you see happening in real games; passing, receiving, shooting, running with the ball, and accuracy.

While they are looking for talent, they’re looking for the talent that can help a team, and whose gift is not of superhero status, but more ‘normal,’ for lack of a better word.

It goes without saying that young ones with potential will gain the most, if given the opportunity to play in countries that are home to some of the world’s greatest, plus have a fanatic soccer population, such as Barcelona, Span.

There, they eat, drink and breathe soccer, and when your child joins the Barcelona soccer camp, it will give them much more experience than they could ever get within their local club, team, and surroundings.

The camp has a boarding school where the best methodologies and philosophies are taught. They also have several try-outs during the year, and fan trips, which will also develop their intercultural competence as well as social skills.

Watch games

We know that your child probably got interested in soccer from watching games. But you want them to watch with a critical eye and not just the goals and highlights of a game.

Ask your kid questions, like: “Who was the better team?”, “Who was the prominent passer on each team?” “How were the players positioned when in possession of the ball?”, “Where did their attacks come from?”, etc.

Tactics

Yes, you do learn techniques from watching, but let your child focus on tactics as well. Basic techniques are essential for playing well. Knowing tactics and strategy can make the difference in a sport where a lot of players don’t know enough about it.

Your child might have the makings to become a big star, and if they do, you want to encourage them and be a great supporter of their dream. Make sure you and your young one understand the sacrifice and hard work it takes to be a professional athlete.

Pro soccer stars have the basic talent, but work very hard to get where they are.