Do You Need a Private Coach to Excel in Soccer Today at the Youth, Select and Higher Levels?

It’s widely known that all college soccer programs only have room for truly exceptional players – roughly 7.5% of the top youth players make it onto a college roster (Di, DII, DIII, NJCAA, NAIA), and only 1% make a D1 roster. That means, in a city of 1,000,000 people, there are roughly 10,000 kids per age group. As about 7% of kids play soccer, that means there are 700 per age group (350 boys and 350 girls). 7.5% of players making it to play in college means the top 26 kids in an age group are likely play in college at any level, and the top 3-4 have a chance to play DI.

All of this to say, it makes sense that, in order to attract attention from their dream schools, youth soccer players must raise their skills and athleticism to incredibly high standards.

For many parents, the logical conclusion is to hire a private coach to supplement the training their children already receive with their club teams. They want their children to be above average athletes, and that requires an above average level of training

While private coaches can be helpful, they are far from mandatory. In fact, players technical skill often increases as much as (if not more than) it would if they spend the same amount of time juggling and passing against a wall as

 with a private coach.

What to Look For In a Private Soccer Coach

We get it – with the level of competition to get to the highest levels, anything that gives you an edge is worth pursuing. And if you want to get stronger, hiring a personal trainer to help you perfect your form when lifting weights makes perfect sense. Sure, you could work out by yourself at a gym, but how are you supposed to know which exercises will be most conducive to your goals?

A good private coach is not going to just set up a few cones and have your player dribble through them. They are going to look at where your player has the most opportunity to grow and develop training sessions to work on those skills. For example, if they hear from their coach that they are playing midfield but having trouble receiving the ball, they might do drills to work on scanning, then creating space when receiving the ball and turning in both directions with both feet.

Does that help? Absolutely. Is it necessary though?

Here’s the thing about soccer. Most players don’t need to engage in any particularly fancy or technical drills in order to elevate their game. Basic drills that work on their touch like juggling, and drills that work on their receiving and passing, like knocking the ball against a specific spot on a wall, are really able to help most players develop solid technical skills. Supplementing that with boosting their Soccer IQ via video analysis of former pros break down specific situations as they are being utilized in professional games. By being able to improve their knowledge from the comfort of the couch, they are able to grow their skills while giving their bodies a well-deserved break.

As for conditioning and athleticism, the basics are often just fine here as well. Working with a trainer to perfect running mechanics and increase top speed is good, but it’s one of those things that help on the margins – if a player is the fastest on the field and can run at full speed for 45 minutes straight, that’s great…but it doesn’t mean much if they are always out of position.

Mental Game and Discipline

Another reason a parent may consider hiring a private coach is for motivation. Yes, a private coach can help someone get through a tough workout, but they can’t make someone fall in love with soccer. That love of the game is what motivates successful athletes to train as hard as they do, over and over again. In other words, someone who isn’t already motivated enough to train hard on their own regularly is going to struggle with college soccer. If you do have a true passion for soccer, on the other hand, you are already ahead of the pack.

When you talk to most college coaches, having good technical skills and having a high level of athletic ability are table stakes. The main differentiators college coaches are looking for are a player’s Soccer IQ and their mindset. Improving the mental side of the game is one of the key benefits of one-on-one mentoring from former pros. Playing with confidence, not nervousness, shrugging off mistakes, and building your teammates up are key skills that set players at the highest levels apart from the rest.

College soccer is tough, and if you don’t have a clear reason for why you’re putting yourself through such rigorous training, you’re likely to burn out. As two former pros, we’ve seen many players get accepted into top college programs, only to realize they don’t love soccer enough to keep going. Mentoring is designed to answer these questions now, so players can make better decisions for their future and maintain a healthy relationship with the sport they love.

Do You Really Need a Private Coach?

A private coach can be a great supplement for a player, but it needs to be the right time in a player’s development and work on the parts of their game that have the lowest floor. And they are not magicians. They can’t make passion appear out of thin air, and they can’t improve in-game knowledge. In the end, a private coach is helpful but not the most important thing in helping a player make it to the next level.