Do you think I should just start trying to improve 'the Brazilian way'. By this, I mean just playing pick-up games with friends. My school, very luckily has two beautiful futsal courts side-by-side, for anytime access for all of us. Before this was built, and before I started getting consumed by training routines and structure, me and other soccer players would play mornings plus recess and lunch on the oval. I improved tremendously. I really want to go back to this, I feel I can improve, and anyone for that matter, by just playing the game. I would still work-out, do fitness - in the mornings before school. The difference between my improvement whilst playing pick-up games, compared to how much I've improved training individually is pretty big, in the former's favor. I would plan to play at leats 2 x 25 minutes daily (school days). They are really intense, would I need more then one rest day? But that's really up to me isn't it, I'm the only one who can answer this question. I was thinking something like this: Mon - work-out, pick-up games Tues - work-out, pick-up games Wed - pick-up games Thur - pick-up games Fri - rest Sat - Game day (currently indoor soccer) Sun - work out, plyo's Also, do you think I can get away without warming up for the pick-ups, it's not practical in a half-an-hour recess/lunch, plus looking like an idiot. I remember reading about Ibrahimovic in an interview, and he said "When I was younger I use to be able to play non-stop without even warming up, now I have to prepare myself properly just to kick a ball around". I would do training in the school holidays. All the best players in the world all built there skills playing in the streets, with friends etc... What are you thoughts? And quickly! School is tomorrow!
The pick up games are great. They are also endurance training. The 1000 touches drill is meant to complement pickup games. Use it as a warmup or activity during a downtime during your pickup games. It is also called the 7 minute drill. It is about 700 touches in a short period of time.
I would be playing there all day if I had two futsal courts at my disposal. I'd be at school early and be there after school. That is one of the best ways to inprove your game. Make sure you do warm up a little, even some ball dribbling and make sure you stretch everyday after school. Good luck.
what are you training for? College? Pro? What's the alternative? Practice in a structured team setting? It just sounds like you're asking for permission to go play soccer. I've heard worse ideas than going to play everyday.
You answered your own question. You improved from playing with other soccer players. No need to ask any of us.
I started playing pick up close to everyday when I was 18yo. I honestly believe if I had started playing pick up everyday when I was a young teenager it would have been the difference between me being the top amateur/average collegiate player I am now and having a legitimate shot at playing professional ball. Personally I don't believe there's a more productive way to get better at the sport.
I'm starting to have second thoughts about this. I've started playing pick-up games 4 days a week at school, and I'm mostly enjoying it. Although what pisses me off is all the people who don't even play the sport that play. The small futsal court gets packed with athletically retarded people - not literally, but honestly some of them are THAT bad - and it's hard to play with so many people. Also, they don't like to play 'outs', if the ball goes 20m off court they'll keep playing, and there are no tactics, just kick and chase. There is me, and at most 5-6 other people who put a competitive effort into the game - to try and beat players, jockey, play through balls etc... Sometimes we get a good game going, with not many spastics, but not very often. There's only a handful of people who are as good as me/better/nearly as good as me on the court, other then that the competition is very poor.
The regular play can be great for your conditioning and many other aspects of your game, but I wouldn't abandon entirely some diet of more classic training. The 1000 touches and lots of juggling should be a standard pregame supplement and even if it's using a wall instead of a partner, there are benefits that you can get from the repetition of controlling and playing the ball in that setting that presumably won't be duplicated in a match. Or, maybe as simple as spending a session where you're using your weaker foot. In an ideal world, you'd have a coach who is assisting you in identifying areas that might need technical improvement; from the sounds of it, you have to identify those on your own. As for what you're describing of this game in your latest post, I would take from it what is positive and recognize its deficiencies. If it's a mad scrum, you may get some benefit to your dribbling in extremely tight quarters, but, again, need to recognize that there is little tactical development and consider how you're going to supplement that. I've also seen settings like the one you describe where there is little endurance benefit; to the extent that is one of your purposes, you may need to supplement that as well if you're not getting in enough exercise. Is there a chance you might invite the other 5-7 strong players for a separate (private) game on occasion? You may or may not want to abandon this game -- but be thinking about what it doesn't provide and how you can get that.
It's not practical to have an exclusive match, the ovals are closed and all there is, is the futsal courts, so everyone wants to play there. I also feel that it distracts me from my class work, I'm too pumped to play football and I don't feel like doing anything. I'm planning on training individually on weekends and school holidays.
I believe your mentality needs to be different in the pick-up games. I knew a very skillful player who played pick-up games in school. He told me the main aim during the game was to get the ball back so they can practice their attacking skills. They didn't care about keeping score or winning each game. Jockeying and team work maybe difficult but I assume you can still practice your 1 v 1 skills.