iSoccer Featured Player: Magnus
We’re excited to present Magnus as our latest Featured Player! He raised his iSoccer Skill Level from White (1) to Green (5) in just 6 months, and is a great example for young players everywhere. Check out how Magnus and his family play iSoccer together!
Name: Magnus – Age: 10 – Lives: Maryland
iSoccer Level: Green, 5.0
- “Without question, he’s learning lessons that he will take with him for the rest of his life: setting achievable goals, working hard, and having fun doing it. Magnus may not realize it right now, but iSoccer is creating a foundation within him for future success on and off the field.” – Dad
- “I feel more comfortable when the ball comes to me in the air, when before I was hesitant.” – Magnus
- “We practice with him and compete against him on many of the skills – it’s great exercise for us and a nice way to relax after a day at work.” – Dad
- “I haven’t done this in 20 years, so it’s fun to relearn it with my son.” – Mom
A big thanks to Magnus and his family for sending in the video footage and helping inspire players all over North America!
Magnus shows that no matter what your scores are when you start iSoccer, if you spend time working on the iSoccer Skills, you will get more comfortable with the ball. And to all the parents out there – challenge your kids on a couple iSoccer Skills! It doesn’t matter if you’ve never played soccer before – have fun with it!
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
Check out our previous Featured Players, Teams, and Club!
Takumi – Age 9 – Level Brown
Luca – Age 11 – Level Red
U12 Synergy
Bozeman Blitzz
Quick Tip: iSoccer Indoors
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Just because winter weather is right around the corner, it doesn’t mean you need to stop trying to improve your iSoccer scores. Here are two easy ways anyone can play iSoccer indoors, without destroying the house!
When playing outside isn’t an option, it’s all about being creative to still get touches in over the winter. So head to the gym, garage, or basement, and use a tennis or size 1 ball to keep raising your level during the off-season. But remember – be safe and don’t break anything! Cheers! |
Quick Tip: Learn How to Do a Roll Step Over
Here is a quick video progression that can teach any player how to perform a Roll Step Over. Start with the first video, and once you are comfortable with each skill, move to the next one.
| Step 1: Start to get comfortable using the bottom of your foot to roll the ball back and forth. Try to get going as fast as you can.
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| Step 2: Add a scissors move while continuing to roll the ball back and forth and establish a rhythm.
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| Step 3: Start slowly as you learn how the move works. Then start to pick up the pace, and challenge yourself to get sharper and quicker.
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Watch all 500+ Training Videos with iSoccer Plus
Learning moves like a Roll Step Over is a fun way for any type of player to add creativity to their game. Work your way up with the videos, and then take your new move to the field!
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
Newest Featured Team: Girls U12 Synergy
In 2009, Bill Miles became the coach of a rec-level U10 girls team in Hanover, NH, a small town of 10,000. Three years later, they won the U12 New Hampshire State Cup. Let’s take a look at what happened during those years, and why their coach thinks winning wasn’t their greatest achievement.
Coach Miles believed that skill training was key to his young team’s development, but he wasn’t sure how to get his players excited to spend more time with the ball. He had played D1 soccer at UPenn, but couldn’t use the drills he learned in college – they were too advanced, and emphasized the wrong part of the game for U10 players.
He discussed these issues with another coach, who introduced him to iSoccer. After using iSoccer at only one practice, Coach Miles said a light bulb went off. “iSoccer gave me a repeatable process that was fun, focused on the basic skills necessary for young players, and actually worked!”
- They started using iSoccer at the beginning of every practice, sometimes as a formal assessment, and sometimes as a quick challenge.
- Throughout practice, they used 20 seconds, and even came up with some new skills on their own.
- Coach Miles set short and long terms goals for everyone to achieve.
- iSoccer helped create a strong bond among teammates, and led to healthy, fun competition in training that motivated the entire team to spend time with the ball away from practice.
*The concept of a “growth mindset” was pioneered by Columbia and Stanford psychologist, Dr. Carol Dweck. She explains that, “in a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” You can read more about her groundbreaking studies with school children.
iSoccer uses games to create a fun path that shows kids how to improve in soccer and in life. Coach Miles used iSoccer as a foundation, applied it to his personal coaching philosophy, and ran with it. How you use it is up to you!
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
Quick Tip: Using Player Points
- Weekly Points Goal: Players, how many points can you earn this week? You get points for entering scores, raising your Skill Levels, and even just logging into your account. Can you earn 1,000 points this week? 5,000?
- Award Points to Players: Coaches, did you know that you can give or take away points from players in your account? Use this feature to reward players for doing well, or take away points to keep them honest. Give your players points this week, and get them excited to play iSoccer away from practice.
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
Quick Tip: Partner Passing Game
- 5m One Touch Partner Passing: In 20 seconds, see how many one touch passes you and a partner can complete from 5 meters apart with any foot. If you have to take a second touch, or if the ball doesn’t go 5 meters, don’t count that pass and keep going. Can you get to 5, 10, 20, or 25?
- 2.5m One Touch Partner Passing: Move it in, and see how many passes you can do from 2.5 meters apart. It’s all about quick feet on this one!
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
Quick Tip: Midseason Pull Up
- Players: What’s one area of your game that you have been struggling with this season? Non-preferred foot dribbling? Shooting? Aerial control? Pick one or two iSoccer Skills and really focus on raising those scores in the next couple weeks. Login>>>
- Coaches: Choose one or two iSoccer Skills that your team needs to improve on as a whole, and set a team goal to collectively raise those scores. Be sure to offer a group reward for hitting the goal, like a free-play practice. Login>>>
- Parents: Help your player improve on a couple iSoccer Skills by scoring them and encouraging them to set goals. (You can even score yourself and challenge your player to see who can raise their scores the most. It doesn’t matter what scores you get or if you’ve never played soccer before – have fun with it!) Login>>>
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
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