Soccer Smarts for Teens: 50 Skills and Strategies to Master the Game

by Andrew Latham

Overview

Up your game with advanced soccer strategies for players ages 12 to 16

Working on your own skills is an important part of being a team player, and Soccer Smarts for Teens is here to help you. With this inspirational choice in soccer books for teens, you'll work your way through 50 different techniques and strategies you can implement right away—on your own or with your team—to help you take your game to the next level.

Go beyond other soccer books for teens with:

• Expert guidance—Get clear instructions for practicing moves like speed dribbling and long-distance passing, then move into more complex game strategies like creating space on the field.
• A range of difficulty levels—Each exercise is labeled with its level of difficulty so you can continue to challenge yourself as you improve.
• Tips and motivation—Find info about how to stay hydrated and keep your cleats from smelling, along with space to write notes and motivational profiles on pro players.

Explore the tricks and techniques that can boost your skills with this top choice among soccer books for teens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781648765117
Publisher:	Callisto Publishing
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.42(d)
Lexile:	1020L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 16 Years

About the Author

Andrew Latham is Head Coach for the Lower Island Soccer Association (LISA) in British Columbia, Canada. Bringing more than 20 years experience as a youth development coach in North America and the United Kingdom, he spent three and a half years with Sheffield United as a youth coach, where he played a key role in introducing Futsal to the Academy Players. He holds a CSA A license, US Soccer A License, UEFA B License, and the USYSA Y License, and is a graduate of the National Coaching Institute of Canada. Learn more by visiting: www.lowerislandsoccer.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction x

Part I Techniques 1

Setting Goals 2

Developing Your Philosophy 4

Look Up! 7

1v1 Against the Keeper 9

Free Kicks 11

Penalties 15

Meet the Soccer Star Alex Morgan 18

Corners 20

Long-Range Shooting 22

Shooting Inside the 18 Penalty Area 25

Running with the Ball 27

Speed Dribbling 30

Volleys and Half Volleys 32

Meet the Soccer Star Alphonso Davies 34

Mid-range Passing (Instep) 36

Long-Distance Passing 38

Headers: The Flick-On Pass 41

Headers: Straight into the Goal 42

Headers: On the Defense 45

Chipping the Ball 47

Meet the Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo 50

Bending the Ball: Inside of Foot 52

Bending the Ball: Outside of Foot 54

The L Turn 57

The Step Over Turn 59

The Scissors or Step Over Move 62

The Cruyff Turn: The Fake Out 64

The Matthews Move: A Ball Dance 66

Part II Strategies 71

Receiving the Ball 72

Helping the Player with the Ball 75

Recognizing Play Patterns 78

Living in the Triangle 81

Meet the Soccer Star Kadeisha Buchanan 84

Breaking Their Lines 86

Breaking the Press 89

Zonal Marking 92

Man-to-Man Marking 95

Defending From the Front Line 97

Defending Against Their Playmaker 100

Pressing to Get the Ball Back 102

Meet the Soccer Star Kylian Mbappé 104

Defending Crosses 106

Playing Out of the Back: Defense 108

Crossing the Ball to the Shot Zone 110

Finishing Crosses: Scoring Off a Pass 113

Losing Opponents in Their 18 116

Playing against a Deep-Lying Block 118

Playing against a High Defensive Line 121

Playing Over, Around, and Through 124

Meet the Soccer Star Marta Vieira da Silva 126

Playing with Your Back to the Goal as a Target 128

4-2-3-1 131

3-5-2 133

4-3-3 135

4-4-2 139

Creating Space on the Field 141

Drill Downs 144

1v1 against the Keeper 144

Attacking Heading 144

Defensive Heading 145

Free Kicks 145

Long-Range Shooting 147

Chipping the Ball 147

Running with the Ball 148

Juggling 148

Ball Manipulation 150

Half Volleys 150

Glossary 152

Resources 154

Index 156

Editorial Reviews

This book has something for both players and coaches. I enjoyed the simplicity of the book and how the topics were explained, from individual skill development to how you want your team to play—it’s all here in Soccer Smarts for Teens.” —Colin Miller, director of player and coach development at North Shore Girls Soccer Club

“To be a high performance player you need a high performance guide, and Coach Latham is your guide for smarter soccer.” —Sam Snow, founder and president of The Game Planners, LLC, and author of Coaching Youth Soccer

“Coach Latham has met a much necessary need for teenage soccer players with Soccer Smarts for Teens. It serves as a guide, checklist, and motivation for players in their teenage years. I can’t think of a better guide for players in their teens than Andy Latham.” —Mike Freitag, director of coaching education, Colorado Soccer Association

“The best way to learn to play soccer is by playing soccer and growing your soccer IQ. This book is for the modern player playing the modern game. Read Andrew’s secrets so you can score… Gooooaaalllll!” —Gary Williamson, NTX technical director

From the Publisher