Robbie's football tips

Hi guys, my name is Robbie Slater and I’m the guy that pops up on your television screen talking football on Fox Sports – you’ll see me talking all things Hyundai A-League, EPL and of course our beloved Socceroos.

You parents might remember me from my playing days, but I guarantee you your kids won’t! Now, without sticking my chest out, I did play at the highest level, and feel very privileged that I was the first Australian to win an English Premier League medal and played many times for the Socceroos - but how did I get there? What does it take?

For me, the answers to both questions are the same: dedication, motivation, desire and self-belief. But how can I help you to help your child? That’s what I’m planning to answer in a series of columns here.

My overarching message to you, the parents, is that you do not have to be an expert or to have played at the highest level to assist your child/ren to develop as a footballer. You can guide your child in the right direction by giving them the right guidance in their training, and that’s where I plan to assist you.

These football tips are for the parents who have children between the ages of 9 and 13 and are looking for a bit of a helping hand for their boy or girl, in short, a couple of training tips.

The first thing you need to know is what stage your child is in their development. This age range means your child is in the skill acquisition phase and basically there are, as set out in the national curriculum, four core skills which need to be developed.

* Striking the ball

* First touch

* One-on-one

* Running with the ball

It is important to develop these core skills at this age as it becomes more difficult to pick them up as you get older.

You also need to understand what state your child is in both mentally and physically at this age because it is important for them to be doing the right things and even more important for them to avoid doing the wrong things. The characteristics of children of this age, and again I quote directly from the National Curriculum, are they are "highly motivated and enthusiastic"; they "want to be challenged"; they are "balanced and co-ordinated"; they "are starting to get the idea of teamwork"; they are "physically and mentally ready for a more structured approach to their football"; and last, but for me one of the most important points, is that they are "sensitive to criticism and failure" - at this age they need praise.

One of the best pieces of advice I got was from my coach when I was playing in France, and it has stayed with me until today. He told me "you can always get a negative point across in a positive way." To put it into context - if a boy or girl is struggling with a certain skill, first praise them for their effort and compliment them on another skill they are doing well then maybe suggest going back and trying any that they are struggling with a little bit more.

Easy!

 

Robbies Football TIPS