Work on Your Touch - Try Soccer Tennis

You gotta have fun with the game so, why not perfect your skills at the same time? A little game of soccer tennis or volleyball can certainly be fun. It's pretty simple to set up almost anywhere and you can play 1 v 1, 2 v 2, 3 v 3 and 4 v 4 might be the most players you’d want to get in on a game but that’s just my advice – you could play with larger teams too (it’s your call). These games can teach quite a bit through play and probably more than you think. Take for example, you might be an attacker that has to take a ball out of the air from a cross on the chest and with one touch direct the ball to your feet for a volley shot on goal.You might also be a central midfielder or defender that has to win a 50/50 ball out of the air and at the same time redirect play to a teammate in order to create a counter attack. Well, playing soccer tennis or volleyball can help you better prepare yourself to manage these sometimes difficult but exciting moments in the match.

If the pros are playing these games why shouldn’t you?

If the pros are playing these games why shouldn’t you? To get started, grab a few friends and play 3 v 3 up to 15 points with one bounce allowing only one touch per player (that’s three touches in a sequence of play per team). Generally, follow the rules of tennis or volleyball, be creative and have fun. If you want to make the game more challenging volleyball is the way to go, which you do not allow a bounce. You can also put other creative restrictions on the game for a better test of your skills like requiring a combination of touches from the team (at least one headed pass and one foot pass).

The opportunities to be creative and challenge your skills are only limited to your imagination. So, just get out and play. Here is a video of DC United playing during practice: