Soccer in the USA

by Darrell & Rhode Island Stingrays Soccer

Today, soccer in the United States is loaded with instructions, organization and expenses. These things are not evident in the culture of other countries. Most of the other countries around the world utilize the ball and the game itself to motivate and develop players at an early age. Throughout the world today, many of the top-level players share some similarity about how it all began for them. A ball and a wall seem to be that familiarizing factor. Because of the conditions and economic situations in their country, so many of these stars spent their time kicking a ball against a wall. This is such a vital piece to the development of every soccer player’s skill. When a player strikes a ball against a wall and gets the ball right back, this is a simple wall pass. More importantly, this repeated action of striking and receiving the ball, will allow you to improve and develop technique. We need to understand that it is repetition that develops our technique. By playing against a wall you are increasing the amount of touches and developing your feel for the ball. As a result, you learn to anticipate how the ball is going to come off the wall and learn to anticipate receiving the ball and then reacting to play it again. This repetitive activity will raise the technical level of a player at a rapid rate and contribute to a more confident and attractive style of play.

Here in the United States, we have a tendency to practice as much as we play. In contrast, in many of the other areas of the world, a player will practice all week; yet, plays only one game on a weekend. Throughout my coaching career, I have had the opportunity to work with people that have played at high levels simply because of the conditions and economic backgrounds that they came from. These players were able to keep themselves entertained with a simple give and go against a wall. Any player willing to be self disciplined and find a wall can become a much better player because of the amount of touches that he or she experiences with the ball. Once again, I stress that when receiving the ball, a player must learn to anticipate how to play the ball. They learn positioning and control when gaining possession of the ball off the wall. With more practice, they learn to deliver it back with various types of passes. Playing the ball off the wall prepares you to deal with what comes next. This practice and repetition helps to develop coordination and balance, which are two extremely important aspects of the technical process.

Granted, a player needs to work on many different aspects of the game. But, it is important to remember that as a player, your skill is often measured by your ability to deal with the ball when it is played in your direction ( receiving ) and how you play the ball to the next player ( passing ). I believe that, for so many technical players performing today throughout the world, it all began with a ball and a wall. Certainly, receiving and passing are not the only components that make a soccer player. But, it is obvious that these are two criteria of the game that are so important to reach the higher levels of play.

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