At Techne, we view soccer as a 365-day-a-year habit. After all, the game is a passion we all enjoy. So, whether it’s playing soccer, training for it, or watching it--there’s always something to do!
However, winter can be a challenge to figuring out how to get into the game. That’s why we have come up with simple and creative ways to meet that challenge. See below for some Techne Tips, and remember that above all, keep it fun!
10 Techne Tips every soccer player should do this winter:
- Make an indoor training space. Whether it’s raining, snowing, too dark outside to train, or training and games are cancelled--if you want to improve consistently, you’ll need to get creative. If possible, create a place for yourself at home to do some work. It doesn’t have to be a full indoor facility in your basement. It can be a 2’x2’ that you clear out in your bedroom to do some dribbling footwork patterns or stretching, or the foot of your staircase that you can kick a ball against. Using these spaces will make your winter training feel so much more accessible on the days when it otherwise may seem impossible. We recently added nearly 250 new drills in our Living Room Training section of the app.
- Figure out ways to watch soccer. Whether it’s asking for access to a streaming service as a gift for the holidays, searching on YouTube for highlights, or simply checking FotMob for the daily game schedule, set yourself up for success and enjoyment by watching some quality soccer this winter. Here’s a piece on The Benefits of Watching Soccer.
- Start a training streak. There’s no better time than the New Year to start a training streak. In the Techne App, this means just 10 minutes a day. And if you’ve created an at-home training space, this should be no problem! You can even do it while you’re watching a game. The more time you spend with the ball, and the more consistency you have, the better you will be with your ball control, your first touch, and so much more.
- Set meaningful goals. If you like to create New Year’s Resolutions, the winter break is a great time to revamp your personal goals. Think about setting long-term and shorter-term goals that inspire you to consistently work towards them.
- Connect with teammates. Just because you can’t see them at the field doesn’t mean that you can’t stay connected with your teammates. Use the Techne Leaderboards and social media to stay in touch with them about the training you’re doing. You can even challenge them to compete with you on the Time Trial drills or match your consistency by creating a group training streak to stick to.
- Ask for help. If you’re struggling with your soccer, or don’t know what to do this winter, it’s okay to ask for help! Whether it’s your coaches, parents, teammates or another expert who can help you to improve, or even contacting us on social media, there are people out there who are great resources.
- Work on mental skills. Your positive attitude, focus, and confidence need training just like your technical and physical skills. Use this winter to get into the habit of training your mental skills. You can use the Mental Training in the Techne app for guidance.
- Get into an age-appropriate strength training routine. If you don’t already do regular strength training, there are important movements and exercises to work on to supplement your soccer. If you’re younger or coming back from an injury, it may be as simple as some basic balance or flexibility work. If you’re an older, more serious player, it may mean weight lifting and plyometric training. Coming soon to Techne, we have a new soccer-specific physical training component that will be available in the app.
- Stretch for flexibility. If you aren’t sure what to do, or are in a place where you don’t have access to any space or even a soccer ball, you can always still work on something meaningful. Stretching is an important part of staying healthy, preventing injury, and it can be done casually, such as while you watch TV. The key is always to be looking for even 5-10 minutes to do something beneficial for your development, even if it’s as simple as moving off the couch and onto the floor to stretch as you enjoy your favorite show on Netflix.
- Take some time for recovery. It’s been a tough year for everyone. If you need to, be sure to take some time away from hard work to recover, both mentally and physically. In addition, if you are maintaining a heavy training load through this time, it’s important to get enough sleep, hydrate, and eat well. These are all ways you can give back to your body as you ask so much from it. Read our 3 Tips on Recovering After Playing Soccer.