balance

Balance, the strengthing of muscles is the most important. Has you ever seen the Tad Ramos commercial where he is touch in the soccer ball with the balls of his feet. One foot on top "touch" the other on the ground and then reverse. Do this as fast as you can correctly. It will improve touch and balance. Also get with a trainer or do some online research into strengthing your leg muscles, with squats, lunges, leg curls. The other one is the stair climber hit it for about 15-20 minutes a couple times a week. Tackling, wouldn't advise practicing that as it can be dangerous.

 

"Anyone know of anything that improves balance and agility?"

Are you being thrown off balance by a defender as you wait to receive a pass? If so don't wait to receive the pass if the ball is moving right at you go to the ball don't wait.

If your off balance when dribbling dribble lower to the ground less straight up. Bend the knees more get you arse lower.
---------------------------------

"Also if anyone has any tips on how to practice tackling, I would be very appreciative."

If your talking about the stand up block tackle.

It is all about timing and form not about being physical or big or even contact with the player. it is about winning the ball, then starting your teams attack.

The idea is not to crash into the dribbler. The idea is to win the ball from the dribbler.

You don't go for the tackle when the dribbler has close control of the ball. You do close space on the dribbler. Meaning if the dribbler is alone you close that open space within two yards of the dribbler. That alone limits the dribbler options, his view of the goal and also her passing options.

Then you position your self to be ready to tackle. You get into a side ways position, and again you wait for the moment where the dribbler does not have close control of the ball. Then at that time you go for the tackle. So it is a lot about the timing of the tackle knowing when to tackle.

You never go straight into the player. Your not looking to bang into him just take the ball away from him. Then you can start your teams own attack.

You come in from an angle to the left or the right of the dribbler not straight into the dribbler.

You tackle using only the inside of the foot with a bended knee not stiff legged. You want to hit the center of the ball so your tackling foot should be slightly off the ground with the heal down, and toes up ankle locked. It looks very similar to the form you use for your push passes.

So you hit the center of the ball, and the tackling foot follows through riding up the ball. That gives the ball top spin. You want to put top spin on the ball to help the ball go over the dribblers right or left foot depending on the angle you took. You want to put the ball behind the dribbler off the dribblers left or right shoulder. Then you go to the ball and win the ball and start her own attack. If you have to step on over the player to go through and win the ball you do that.

If you don't hit the ball over the dribblers foot the first time. Immediately tackle the ball again, and keep tackling until you win the ball be relentless when you tackle.

Remember you hit the ball not the man. You don't get injured hitting the ball.

You come from an angle you hit the side of the ball your facing right in the center of the ball not low on the ball.

Do not turn your inside of the foot after the touch. Keep it square with the ball just like you do with the push pass. Think of it as when you putt in golf. You don't turn the face of the club immediately after the putt as your follow through you keep the face of the club in the direction you want the ball to go. The tackling foot also faces in the direction you want the ball to go. Also the non tacking foot points in the direction you want the ball to go.

Eye on the ball and tackle coming in from an angle, hitting the ball with the inside of your foot so it goes straight over one of the dribblers feet with your top spin follow through to help it along. You don't want to hit the ball into the dribblers body.

Practice-last thing is you don't go for a tackle unless you have a team mate supporting from behind just in case you miss.

Practice - It is a skill and has to be practiced like any other skill in our game. Be like the terminator on your tackles

Good luck practice.

Richie

 

Medicine balls and stability/"swiss training" balls. Do any thing to strengthen your abs and back but be sure to strengthen all our mid section muscles. Don't just do crunches.

I know of nothing that improves agility but plymometrics will help you explode which looks like agility to a lot of people.

 

Agility

Have a fence that is 3 to four foot high that has a rail and is open under it?Do over and unders - hand on the fence and go over it then go under it and over it and under it. Nice for agility.

Have hurdles jump one hurdle and go under the next and over the next and under the next, etc.

Tumbling is good for agility run do a shoulder roll and run do a shoulder rolls and run then shoulder roll and a sprint and shoulder roll, etc.

Richie