If you have an account to use the Techne app, we want to make sure you understand how to get the most out of it! And if you don’t have an account, be sure to use these tips to take advantage of the free week we offer.
If you're not sure where to start or if you're using the app correctly, this will be a great guide for you. And if you're preparing for soccer tryouts, training consistently with the app can help you prepare and be as confident as possible.
“I like training with Techne because it helps you to develop discipline and a commitment to train every day.” - Hayley R., California
Here are a few tips on how you can get started and get the most out of Techne.
Start small.
The real key to starting Techne is to pick something manageable and just do it. We recommend getting baseline scores on a few of our Time Trial drills. Try these 3 Juggling Time Trials below and enter your score for each. If you want to try them each a few times, keep in mind that you need to log only 10 minutes/day to start your Training Streak!
- Right Foot
- Left Foot
- Alt Feet
“[Techne] helps me with my technical skills and my confidence on the field. I can do it at my own pace and when I don't have anything else to do I can just log into Techne.” - Savannah C., Louisville
Pick a focus.
We offer a lot of content, which is amazing for players who are very familiar with how to manage an individual training plan. But for those players who are new to training on their own or not quite as sure what to work on, it’s helpful to pick a specific focus and to spend a full month working to improve just one area. Here are some suggested areas of focus:
- Getting your first 50 juggles. If you’re newer to juggling, you’ll want to adjust the difficulty of the Juggling section in This Week’s Session each week and work on the most basic level. If you practice juggling with focus for 10 minutes every day for a full month, you’ll be amazed to see how much you improve!
- Building consistent training habits. If you just want to commit to doing something each day, we recommend picking 5 Living Room Training drills and doing them every single day. If you want to add more on some days, that’s great, but with our Living Room Training you literally don’t even need to leave home, so it’s very easy to commit to.
- Confidence on the ball. If you’re looking to bring the skills practice on your own onto the field with you, the best thing to do is the Wall Work section in This Week’s Session each week. Be sure to complete the drills in this section at least once each week. It’s even better if you can go through the series a few times throughout the week.
- Map out your week. Get in the habit of mapping out the week ahead each Sunday. You can use our Track page to set yourself reminders in order to hold yourself accountable.
“Techne gives you a selection of things to work on for your whole game and it changes every week. The wall work drills have really helped my passing and first touch.” - Pierce W., North Carolina
How do you know if you’re “doing it right”?
There is no secret "key" to becoming a great soccer player. If you're doing it right, you will feel yourself gaining confidence and ability on the ball. You will practice the steps in the drill slowly until you master it, then you will increase your speed over time and the moves will become second-nature. When you're doing the Wall Work drills, the ball will come back to you as planned more frequently, and when you're juggling, you'll be chasing the ball less. If you're new to working on technical skills on your own, give yourself at least 10 minutes of practice with each drill before you decide if you're "doing it right." That 10 minutes will show you just how much you can improve as you focus and train!
Here’s how players plan their weeks with team and self training:
“[Techne is] giving me structure when I train solo. There is material for all aspects of the game. And every week new exciting drills to master.” - Philipp B., Netherlands
At times, it may be hard to stick to what you’ve planned, or you may feel frustrated by slow improvement. Don’t give up! The most important thing is to stick with it and keep it fun. Consider listening to your favorite music while you train or recruiting a friend to do Techne with you.
Contact us if you’d like an extension on your free trial to give these suggestions a try!
