Off-Season, On Purpose: How Youth Soccer Players Should Be Using Their Summer Training Time
Let me be straight with you: the players who show up back on the pitch in the fall and immediately stand out aren't the ones who took the summer off. They're the ones who used it.
While summer is an important time to recoup, regroup and recover from the season, it is also a great opportunity to focus on development at your own pace. It's a window where the real work happens – you know, the work that most players won't do, which means it's exactly where you can separate yourself.
In my career, I learned that coaches at the highest levels aren't just looking for players who are good at one or two things. They're looking for players who are well-rounded across four core areas: fitness, technique, soccer IQ, and mental resilience (and great at one or two specific things). That's the complete player. And summer is your best opportunity to make serious gains in all four.
We’re also putting together a full summer training guide that covers these four pillars in depth: ball work, fitness, strength, and recovery. We created this Summer Training Packet because we want you to have something you can follow and tailor to your fitness level, your goals and your needs.
But for now, here's where to focus and why.
Fitness: Train the Way the Game Feels
The fitness component that American coaches notice most? Speed and endurance. Not to mention even more specifically, your ability to recover fast enough to keep doing both.
You’ve probably heard that soccer isn't a distance sport. It's a sprint, recover, sprint, recover sport. True – but also have you looked at the mileage cranked out by midfielders during a match? That sprint-recover game can cover upwards of six miles in a high-level match. That’s why endurance and speed go hand-in-hand in soccer. The players who can maintain that cycle for 90 minutes are the ones who make an impact late in games when others are fading.
Here's a workout I'd put in front of any youth player this summer:
• 7 minutes of 20-second runs at a 7–8 out of 10 effort, with 20 seconds of rest between each run
• Rest 2 minutes
• 5 minutes of 10-second runs at the same effort level, same rest intervals
Do that twice a week. By late August, you'll feel the difference. Oh, and your coach will notice.
Technique: Make Your Weak Foot a Weapon
Good players are dangerous with their strong foot. Great players are dangerous with both. That's the difference, and it's that simple.
Becoming two-footed doesn't require complicated drills. It requires repetition and commitment. Juggling, wall passes, cone work - the basics are enough. You just have to commit the touches to your weak foot.
Here's the daily target I'd set:
• 500 juggles with your weak foot. Actionable tip: don't worry about streaks, focus on total touches
• 250 wall passes with your weak foot
Do this every day for 30 days. That's it. Your weak foot will feel completely different by the end of it.
Soccer IQ: Learn to See the Game Before It Happens
This is the one coaches talk about that most players don't train for because it doesn't happen on a field. It happens in your head.
High soccer IQ means making decisions fast. Coaches don't want to see you receive the ball and freeze. They want to see you arrive at a decision before the ball even reaches you.
The best way to train this in the summer? Watch soccer like a coach, not a fan.
Next time you're watching a match, pick a player and stay with them. Every time they receive the ball, ask yourself: what would I do right now? Drop it back? Switch the field? Take someone on? Make the decision before they do. If you've never done this before, you'll be mentally exhausted inside of ten minutes. And that's exactly what should happen. Decision-making is a muscle. Train it.
Mental Resilience: Build the Habit of Positive Self-Talk
I've seen talent walk away from this game because of adversity they weren't prepared for. Fitness didn't fail them. Technique didn't fail them. Their mindset did.
Resilience isn't something you either have, or you don't. It's something you build over time. One of the most effective ways to build it is through, wait for it, journaling. Before you roll your eyes: I'm not talking about writing in a diary. I'm talking about writing down your goals for next season, specifically what you're going to do to reach them, and why you deserve to reach them.
That last part - why you deserve it - is where the real work happens. Because if you can't answer that honestly and confidently on paper, you won't be able to answer it on the field when things get hard. I always ask my mentees to remember their ‘why’- it’s the driver, the motivator that will be there when moments get tough.
Now, remember a resilient mindset doesn't mean nothing gets to you. It means you have the internal language to keep going anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The four areas that separate good players from great ones: fitness (especially speed and endurance), technical skills (particularly weak foot development), soccer IQ (decision-making speed), and mental resilience. Summer is the best time to make real progress in all four because you're not competing week to week.
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A realistic and effective summer schedule includes technical, fitness, strength, and recovery. We created an 8 week training program, you can download it here for free.
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Yes — if you watch it right. Passive watching doesn't build soccer IQ. Active watching, where you're putting yourself in a player's position and making decisions in real time, is one of the most underused training tools available to youth players.
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Just as important as physical training and often more neglected. Coaches at higher levels are evaluating composure, confidence, and resilience alongside skill. Players who only train physically are showing up to tryouts half-prepared.
Ready to Make This Summer Count?
Alright, if you’re ready to get started on your summer training – go ahead and download our Summer Training Packet here. And remember to keep up with your mentorship sessions as mindset is paramount to gearing up for a killer new season.
