Soccer agility can be learned

When watching a soccer game, you'll notice that the ball changes direction constantly. This change of direction could be accidental...deflections or miss hit or on purpose like a wall pass or a diagonal pass. It could also be accomplished by an attacking player dribbling and then changing direction with the ball.

In any event, in order to continue to get better as a soccer player and to be able to stay up with the play, soccer players must learn a very important skill. That skill is soccer agility. You might be asking yourself how does a player learn agility? Soccer agility or agility by itself is really the ability of a player to change direction safely, efficiently and explosively. The most dangerous athlete on the field is the athlete who can stop the fastest and then explode in a new direction.

Even if you do not have the ball, you need to be able to change direction effectively and quickly. Many defenders need to be extremely agile as they need to be able to react quickly and explosively to what an attacking player is trying to accomplish with the ball.

Here are three quick pointers to help a soccer player with their soccer agility:

• When stopping quickly, a player must first take a few smaller steps as they approach the spot where they need to stop at.
• As they are taking these smaller steps, they also need to start to lower their hips and bend their knees.
• At the point where they need to stop, they should have their feet about shoulder width apart.

With these smaller steps, bent knees and hips down, the athlete has now effectively slowed themselves down and can now prepare for their next step in a new direction.

Following these moves will help a player become more athletic and more dangerous on the field. It will also help them lessen the chance of suffering a serious knee injury.

For more information on how to learn the secrets of direction change, go to www.soccerandspeedcoach.com and register to learn when our speed and direction change DVD for soccer players is coming out. You can also download our seven secrets to soccer success too for free.

Have a great day!

Gary

www.soccerandspeedcoach.com