I kick, I score?
May 19, 2011 8:49 AM Subscribe
I want to learn how to play soccer. I'm 30. I'm in pretty good shape, but I haven't played a sport of any kind in more than 15 years. Is it realistic?
And if so, how do I go about it? I don't care if I'm super great at it - this is mostly for fun and exercise, but I also don't want to be the one on the team that no one wants to have around!
I live in Chapel Hill if that matters.
And if so, how do I go about it? I don't care if I'm super great at it - this is mostly for fun and exercise, but I also don't want to be the one on the team that no one wants to have around!
I live in Chapel Hill if that matters.
Ya I'm not good and I didn't want to join teams of strangers AND be the worst player on the team, so I would just try to get a bunch of friends, even the ones who never play soccer, to go out to a field and play. If the group has a wide range of abilities, I find that soccer is a very newbie-friendly sport.
posted by bread-eater at 9:06 AM on May 19, 2011
posted by bread-eater at 9:06 AM on May 19, 2011
If you're super motivated to learn, going outside and kicking the ball alone might be good.
But that would probably get boring? Get at least one friend and pass back and forth on grass somewhere. The most important things to work on are controlling the ball as you receive it and then passing it accurately back to them.
For the control, try and stop the ball about a foot in front of your feet and off to one side or the other. That's the best place for you to kick it away. There's two basic passes: one with the inside of the foot (easy, more accurate for short distance) and with the laces on top of your shoe (for long/hard kicks). This is the single most important skill in the game.
Find informal games to play in once you can handle the above. If you can quickly control the ball and make a successful pass you should be good to go. Playing is where the fun is. If you still like the game you can start thinking about defense/movement/dribbling/shooting.
posted by kjell at 9:20 AM on May 19, 2011
But that would probably get boring? Get at least one friend and pass back and forth on grass somewhere. The most important things to work on are controlling the ball as you receive it and then passing it accurately back to them.
For the control, try and stop the ball about a foot in front of your feet and off to one side or the other. That's the best place for you to kick it away. There's two basic passes: one with the inside of the foot (easy, more accurate for short distance) and with the laces on top of your shoe (for long/hard kicks). This is the single most important skill in the game.
Find informal games to play in once you can handle the above. If you can quickly control the ball and make a successful pass you should be good to go. Playing is where the fun is. If you still like the game you can start thinking about defense/movement/dribbling/shooting.
posted by kjell at 9:20 AM on May 19, 2011
If you do decide to practice kicking the ball, set yourself targets. Hit a certain spot consistently with your right leg, and then the left, things like that.
posted by dhruva at 9:28 AM on May 19, 2011
posted by dhruva at 9:28 AM on May 19, 2011
Yes, you can definitely learn! I have several friends who only picked up soccer as adults.
Aside from just going to a park and practicing dribbling and getting the feel of the ball at your feet, I'd recommend looking for any clinics or beginners' games. There are some soccer organizations in my area that put on clinics (say, $15 for two hours) of fundamentals and whatnot to raise money for charity. Also, the local indoor soccer arena has beginner level teams and offers some skills clinics. Do some research and seek out the local leagues and soccer facilities and contact them to find out what they have for someone new to the game. Even big organized leagues will often have lower division teams that welcome beginners (being generally athletic helps).
Finally, I'd try watching professional soccer (the European leagues are coming to an end soon, though you can still see some great games in the next couple of weeks). The women's World Cup is this summer, plus the some other international competitions and MLS. Watching will really help you understand how teams move the ball up and down the field, among other things. Have fun!
posted by JenMarie at 9:29 AM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Aside from just going to a park and practicing dribbling and getting the feel of the ball at your feet, I'd recommend looking for any clinics or beginners' games. There are some soccer organizations in my area that put on clinics (say, $15 for two hours) of fundamentals and whatnot to raise money for charity. Also, the local indoor soccer arena has beginner level teams and offers some skills clinics. Do some research and seek out the local leagues and soccer facilities and contact them to find out what they have for someone new to the game. Even big organized leagues will often have lower division teams that welcome beginners (being generally athletic helps).
Finally, I'd try watching professional soccer (the European leagues are coming to an end soon, though you can still see some great games in the next couple of weeks). The women's World Cup is this summer, plus the some other international competitions and MLS. Watching will really help you understand how teams move the ball up and down the field, among other things. Have fun!
posted by JenMarie at 9:29 AM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
that would probably get boring?
A decent-sized wall, ideally brick, stone or concrete, is your friend.
posted by holgate at 9:33 AM on May 19, 2011
A decent-sized wall, ideally brick, stone or concrete, is your friend.
posted by holgate at 9:33 AM on May 19, 2011
Our rec league (not in Chapel Hill!) has a division just for fun players. Some of us have been playing since we were 7, some of us have never played, some are fat, some are scaredy cats. All are welcome. Our new season just started Monday and we've got 2 people who have never even touched a soccer ball before. Find out if there's an adult league and a recreational division, and join up!
Soccer is the best!
posted by TomMelee at 9:38 AM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Soccer is the best!
posted by TomMelee at 9:38 AM on May 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Agreed - soccer is a user friendly sport, and you can find almost any kind of league for any skill level of player. Watching on TV will definately give you a better feel for the play.
Also, pick up a book on coaching youth soccer. They actually are very good at explaining the rules, basic tactical and technical skills and so forth.
posted by rich at 9:58 AM on May 19, 2011
Also, pick up a book on coaching youth soccer. They actually are very good at explaining the rules, basic tactical and technical skills and so forth.
posted by rich at 9:58 AM on May 19, 2011
It's certainly possible. I have a friend who was never into sports at all in his younger days. Then in his 30s he started working out and getting fitter, and later started up a five-a-side soccer team. I also know people who play in over-40s soccer teams.
Personally I only started playing tennis in my 40s.
I can't give you specific advice about how to get started, just add my encouragement that it can be done, and to go for it!
posted by philipy at 9:59 AM on May 19, 2011
Personally I only started playing tennis in my 40s.
I can't give you specific advice about how to get started, just add my encouragement that it can be done, and to go for it!
posted by philipy at 9:59 AM on May 19, 2011
I agree with all the advice given so far for sure.
I'll add something that seems to be missing from soccer players in my neck of the woods, at least: watching real club soccer matches. Pick a league, pick a team, and watch some games on TV.
It's actually not a huge time commitment to follow a professional team's entire season. Maybe 38 matches or so for most leagues. 90 minutes of watching soccer a week :-)
posted by MiG at 9:59 AM on May 19, 2011
I'll add something that seems to be missing from soccer players in my neck of the woods, at least: watching real club soccer matches. Pick a league, pick a team, and watch some games on TV.
It's actually not a huge time commitment to follow a professional team's entire season. Maybe 38 matches or so for most leagues. 90 minutes of watching soccer a week :-)
posted by MiG at 9:59 AM on May 19, 2011
You absolutely can. I hadn't played seriously since I was a teen, and joined a coed rec league when I was 34. Skill level is hugely varied in these leagues, and the point is to play and have fun--not so much to win. As far as getting familiar with the game, I'll echo previous sentiments and tell you to watch. If you can get Fox Soccer Channel or Gol TV, so much the better--though you're right at the end of soccer season for most leagues. You can always support your closest MLS team (might want to lower your expectations for that, though.)
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:06 AM on May 19, 2011
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:06 AM on May 19, 2011
I found a rec league (indoor & outdoor) and started playing in my 30s - played happily until my late 40s - going from a total duffer to decent. Our initial team was a group of parents who thought their kids shouldn't be the only ones having fun. We ranged from people who had enver done anything beyond gym in school - like me, women old enough that Title 9 hadn't really changed our access as kids - to some folks who had played in high school and college. Loads of fun - check out your community Parks & Rec department or any local indoor facility.
posted by leslies at 10:19 AM on May 19, 2011
posted by leslies at 10:19 AM on May 19, 2011
My dad coached my teams and my brother's rec-league teams when I was growing up, but he hadn't played since elementary school. He started playing when an adult league finally formed in our town. He was, I think, 48. He wasn't super-fast compared to the other players, so he played defense, and he did pretty well.
To improve your ball-handling skills, kick a ball against a wall. If you have a nearby field, practice dribbling by just taking laps with the ball. Don't just jog -- try to sprint with the ball. Also, try drop-kicking the ball straight up, and trying to control it as soon as possible when it lands. (This will probably involve quite a lot of sprinting.) You can really be an asset to your team by being able to reliably control the ball and move with it.
Maybe watch some games of the league you might want to play in. Watch how the better players move when they don't have the ball. A good chunk of the game is being in the right place at the right time. Also, listen to how the players talk to each other.
This is totally a thing you can do. If you can run, you can play. A lot of new players show up without being able to run with the ball, and if you can show up already knowing how to do that, you'll be ahead of the curve.
posted by nicething at 11:01 AM on May 19, 2011
To improve your ball-handling skills, kick a ball against a wall. If you have a nearby field, practice dribbling by just taking laps with the ball. Don't just jog -- try to sprint with the ball. Also, try drop-kicking the ball straight up, and trying to control it as soon as possible when it lands. (This will probably involve quite a lot of sprinting.) You can really be an asset to your team by being able to reliably control the ball and move with it.
Maybe watch some games of the league you might want to play in. Watch how the better players move when they don't have the ball. A good chunk of the game is being in the right place at the right time. Also, listen to how the players talk to each other.
This is totally a thing you can do. If you can run, you can play. A lot of new players show up without being able to run with the ball, and if you can show up already knowing how to do that, you'll be ahead of the curve.
posted by nicething at 11:01 AM on May 19, 2011
Just started playing again (in Chapel Hill actually) after ten years away. Lots of fun!
Getting into shape is pretty important and knowing where to run is important.
Just kicking it around with friends
If for some reason you're actually a grad student, you can take undergrad phys ed classes, which includes beginner soccer. I took one and audited another as a grad student. So much fun, and the kids are friendly.
posted by sandmanwv at 11:18 AM on May 19, 2011
Getting into shape is pretty important and knowing where to run is important.
Just kicking it around with friends
If for some reason you're actually a grad student, you can take undergrad phys ed classes, which includes beginner soccer. I took one and audited another as a grad student. So much fun, and the kids are friendly.
posted by sandmanwv at 11:18 AM on May 19, 2011
Response by poster: Sandmanwv, I am in fact a grad student at UNC. That is a fantastic idea!
posted by corn_bread at 11:34 AM on May 19, 2011
posted by corn_bread at 11:34 AM on May 19, 2011
FWIW, I really like this youth soccer coaching book.
Lots of good advice here, particularly about developing the basic skills of passing and control, but if there's one piece of advice I'd give to a new player and that I find new players struggle to do, it's to learn to pass the ball backwards.
posted by idb at 11:42 AM on May 19, 2011
Lots of good advice here, particularly about developing the basic skills of passing and control, but if there's one piece of advice I'd give to a new player and that I find new players struggle to do, it's to learn to pass the ball backwards.
posted by idb at 11:42 AM on May 19, 2011
nthing rec league.
When I was playing, we had a bunch of farm dudes who played like pros, except for how much they smoked. Then there were a bunch of barely-title-IX middle-aged women (me et al), a bunch of high school & college girls and boys, and then some random folks who just showed up and thought it looked cool. some were defectors from the semi-pro football team that also practiced in the park, and some were just people who were active but never played on teams. except on actual game night, our "practices" usually consisted of picking sides and cutting the right size field for the turnout.
some nights we played 3v3, other nights, full sides. we substituted freely and inexperienced players went wherever they felt comfortable. the real killers basically took positions opposite one another on opposite teams, so there was never a killer going against a newb. sometimes people stayed and got better, sometimes they moved on to softball or whatev. always fun.
posted by toodleydoodley at 5:00 PM on May 19, 2011
When I was playing, we had a bunch of farm dudes who played like pros, except for how much they smoked. Then there were a bunch of barely-title-IX middle-aged women (me et al), a bunch of high school & college girls and boys, and then some random folks who just showed up and thought it looked cool. some were defectors from the semi-pro football team that also practiced in the park, and some were just people who were active but never played on teams. except on actual game night, our "practices" usually consisted of picking sides and cutting the right size field for the turnout.
some nights we played 3v3, other nights, full sides. we substituted freely and inexperienced players went wherever they felt comfortable. the real killers basically took positions opposite one another on opposite teams, so there was never a killer going against a newb. sometimes people stayed and got better, sometimes they moved on to softball or whatev. always fun.
posted by toodleydoodley at 5:00 PM on May 19, 2011
have a look at previous questions here and here, some great answers there.
posted by kev23f at 4:01 AM on May 20, 2011
posted by kev23f at 4:01 AM on May 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Once you get better, you can practice 'juggling' to develop further ball control.
I'm sure that if you googled something like "soccer fundamentals" you'd get lots and lots of info. Many cities have pick up soccer games, too, for which google would also be useful.
Cool thing about soccer is that you don't need 22 people and a football field to do it. A small park, a couple cones, and as little as four or six people can turn into a soccer game.
posted by entropone at 8:58 AM on May 19, 2011