2 Simple Ways to Become a Better Soccer Player

Soccer is one of the largest sports in the world, that anyone can play. In order to improve and become better you have to be willing to put in the work. This means pushing your self to the limit and stepping outside your comfort zone. You need to be different from others and have unique attributes that will set you apart you from other players.

1. Learning How to Play a Different Position

In soccer everyone wants to play, no one wants to sit on the bench for large periods of the game. Sometimes their's someone better then you in the position you play, but more often then not theirs 3 to 4 people who want to play one position. Learning to play another position is very simple, it's just like any other real world problem. You first seek the knowledge and then gain the experience. First pick a mentor that plays the position you're trying to learn, it can be a friend or a professional soccer player. I recommend a friend because you can pick their brain on what's expected and how to properly play the position.  In terms of gaining the experience you need to continuously play the position you're trying to learn, over and over! Whether your playing a pickup game with your friends or you're playing a scrimmage in practice, just do it! It'll make you better in the long run and help you grow as a soccer player.

Learning how to play a different position will benefit you in two ways:

•You will get way more playing time because you can play more positions than others.

•You will improve other areas of your game because when you play in a different position you have to think differently, as well as react to different situations.
If you're a striker trying to learn how to play right wing, you're going to have to learn when to tuck in and when to stay wide.

2. Perfecting Your Weaker Foot

As a predominantly right-footed person, It used to be a struggle for me to use my left foot when playing. So one day I decided to take action and change that. When I was young, for about a month, I used my left foot for everything excluding when I was playing competitive games for my team. I would shoot, pass, dribble and even try skills with my left foot. Over time I became so comfortable with my left foot. The consistent repetition of doing things with my weaker foot, made me feel more confident and become a better player.

The benefit of perfecting your weaker foot will:

•Make you extremely unpredictable to opponents because they won't know whether to cut-off your right or left foot when defending you.

•Allow you to thrive in multiple positions on the field. For example, if you play right mid-field it won't matter if your coach tells you to play on the left side because you're so strong with your weaker foot.

Overall, focusing on improving and stepping outside of your comfort zone is always beneficial when playing soccer. You should always be focusing on being unique and what can give you an advantage over your opponent.