If you or your daughter have been swept up in the World Cup fever or have always had an interest in soccer, you might want to look for female soccer clubs, academies, or teams.
Getting into soccer is easier than you might think, but you need to know where to look first and what to look for.
In this article, we'll be looking at the advantages of soccer academies, clubs, and private coaching, and where you can start looking for the right solution for you or your daughter.
Getting Into Soccer on Your Own
Soccer is such a popular sport in part to the fact that it can be played with very little equipment. Anyone who finds a soccer ball or similar and somewhere to play can start playing.
It's not a sport that requires you to have a lot of money, which is why people all over the world from a diverse range of backgrounds can play it.
If you or your daughter want to start playing, you can buy a soccer ball for very little and start kicking it around. Naturally, there are balls, shoes, and other equipment for bigger budgets, but entry-level equipment is usually very cheap and affordable.
Learn the Basics
Start by learning the basics of the game. You can find explanations of the rules, techniques, and skills quite easily online or you can always talk to somebody you know to explain everything to you.
Play Soccer
Learning by doing is pretty much the best way to do most things and soccer is no different. Pick up a ball, go outside, and start kicking it around.
While some players may have been coached from a young age, you'll quickly learn that even the best female soccer players come from very humble backgrounds and their first forays into soccer were simply playing with a ball with a few friends in the park or even in the street.
Watch Others
By watching others play soccer, you can also learn a lot. Fortunately, soccer is a global sport and in addition to local matches, you can also watch soccer from all over the world online and on TV.
Get Fit
Soccer is a sport that's easier if you're in shape. It's physically demanding so it helps to exercise regularly and eat right if you want to play it.
While new players don't need to follow the strict training regimens of the pros, a healthier lifestyle will make soccer more enjoyable and easier to play.
Get Into Soccer Culture
Soccer is everywhere and by being part of the culture, following teams, watching matches, and living and breathing soccer, you'll gain familiarity with how the game's played, new skills, and everything to do with soccer.
Getting into Soccer with Soccer Academies
There are three main ways to get into soccer through coaching: soccer academies, soccer clubs, and private soccer coaching.
For the purpose of this article, we're going to consider soccer academies as coaching centres and companies that have no direct affiliation with a soccer club.
Naturally, most soccer clubs also have a soccer academy for the purpose of discovering and training the players of tomorrow, but there are also plenty of businesses where you can train and play soccer with others where the focus is on becoming a better soccer player.
The Advantages of Soccer Academies
Soccer academies are a good place to look for training because they often split their groups by age, level, and gender, ensuring that players train and play against others of a similar level.
This is particularly useful for girls as it allows them to follow training programs and a development path that aligns with their own mental and physical development.
Soccer academies mostly follow the same ethos, but there are academies for more casual players and academies for serious players with aspirations of playing soccer professionally as well as everything in between. Just remember that the salaries of female soccer players at the moment in many countries aren't amazing and only the top players earn incredible amounts of money.
With a soccer academy, you can find the one that's right for you or your daughter and get involved with soccer quite easily.
Getting Into Soccer through Soccer Clubs
Here, when we refer to soccer clubs, we're talking mainly about teams. In these instances, belonging to the club and playing matches for the team is prioritised over training.
That isn't to say that these teams don't train, but the club exists mainly as a team to compete in local or national leagues and tournaments, rather than the academies whose focus is primarily on player development rather than competition.
Again, the lines between these two often blur and there every soccer club is different with some prioritising player development more than others.
This also means that you can look for clubs that are right for you or your daughter. After all, there are fully female clubs that don't have a men's team, clubs that feature both men's and women's teams, and clubs that only have a men's team.
The Advantages of Joining a Soccer Club
Joining a soccer club comes with many advantages for players that just want to play soccer. For anyone who just loves soccer and wants to get out there to run about and kick the ball, there are lots of clubs that are mostly about the love of the game.
Of course, there are also quite serious clubs and even professional clubs with their own academies, training facilities, etc., and the more serious the club, the more likely that players will have to do trials or tryouts to make the team.
Some academies also require a minimum level of their players, but since players will often pay to attend academies, they're quite willing to take on players of any level and fit them into the appropriate training groups.
Getting into Soccer with Private Coaches
Private coaching is another great way to get into soccer, especially for those who may be shy, lacking in self-confidence, or laser-focused on a particular set of goals or skills.
There are private soccer coaches all over Australia and the world and even a lot of the soccer academies will offer one-on-one coaching sessions for a premium.
You can also find and organise sessions with private soccer coaches yourself by searching on sites much like ours and if you've enjoyed the Women's World Cup and have a sudden interest in playing soccer, private coaching is a great way to start.
The Advantages of Private Soccer Coaching
Private soccer coaching comes with a lot of pros and cons. Since the player is working one-on-one with their coach, the sessions and activities can be tailored to them, what they need to work on, and what they like to do.
This can make the sessions far more enjoyable, especially for very young girls and those who aren't quite sure if soccer is for them.
Private soccer coaching can also be good for those starting with soccer later than their peers as they may need to catch up or mightn't want to be put in a group with younger players at their level.
One-on-one coaching can also be incredibly useful for players preparing for tryouts as they can work with their coach on what the scouts will be looking for and even prepare for the day.
Searching for Soccer Academies, Clubs, and Coaches
Now that you have a better idea of which of these solutions might be best for you or your daughter, you can begin your search.
Online, we'd highly recommend the “Football Finder” on the Play Football Australia website where you can search for soccer for teams and programs all over the country.
Naturally, the terminology used here is “football”, but they still mean “soccer”, “association football”, or whatever you want to call it. You can also head to local leisure centres, gyms, and soccer facilities to look for teams and clubs. Ask around, call them, or send them an email asking about local academies or clubs.
For private coaching, you can see whether or not academies and clubs offer one-on-one coaching or search for coaches on sites like ours. On the Superprof site, for example, you can search for soccer (or any other skill or sport) and where you are and see who's offering coaching in your local area.
You can also see how much they charge per hour, what their other customers have to say about them and see if they offer their first session for free. These free sessions are particularly useful as you can use them to try out several different coaches before choosing which one is right for you or your daughter.
While credentials and experience are important, the rapport between a coach and their players is incredibly important which is why you should try out coaches before you commit to one.
Fortunately, private coaching often comes with very little commitment so you can always change coaches if it isn't working out.
Find an amazing coach for soccer classes near me on Superprof!
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