Rafael S.

During my university soccer career, I always sought to improve my tactical and technical knowledge of the sport. When I was in the off-season, I worked voluntarily as an assistant coach at small soccer academies for children and through contacts I made during my time at college, I often went to watch semi-professional tournament games. I never got to work professionally with soccer but I believe that was my decision. Despite this, my technical and tactical knowledge of sport has always been very in-depth, based on personal experiences and studies on the sport internationally as a whole, understanding its evolution mainly in the tactical role that all 11 players on a team must play. When I moved to California I had contact with some soccer academies in which I could participate in some training sessions and even voluntarily train children between 7 and 12 years old.

Born in Brazil, I started playing soccer at a very young age, in a family environment where everyone was passionate about the sport. In Sao Paulo, playing for a club in the city, we competed in regional, national and international tournaments, playing against clubs from virtually every country in South America. I always stood out for my dedication and commitment until, in 2015, I decided that I wanted to be a student-athlete in the USA and, with a highlights video, I was recruited by the coach at Williams Baptist University, where I played for 2 seasons. Despite being the youngest player on the roster, I played the vast majority of games in my first season as a starter. My original position was Center Defensive Mid, but I was able to easily adapt tactically and physically to play Center Back (sometimes requested by my coach). In 2017, after two seasons, I realized that I should look for a bigger challenge and look for a university that played in the NCAA. With a new highlights video, I was recruited by the coach at GSW State University in Georgia where I played my other 2 seasons. Despite the higher level in this league, (mostly physically) I played as a starter every game I was able to play, both in my junior and senior year. Even playing as a defensive midfielder, I scored goals and provided assists for both universities, in addition to being the squad's tackle leader in 2 of the 4 seasons I played college soccer. After graduating, I decided not to pursue a professional career as a soccer player, but continued playing for leisure and learning about the beautiful game. Both in Georgia and in California, I worked voluntarily as an assistant coach in small soccer academies for children.

1. Warm-up
Light jogging and dynamic stretching to prepare muscles.
Ball work: Dribbling while maintaining close control.

2. Ball Mastery
Cone dribbling: Use of various techniques while moving the ball.
Focus on improving close ball control.

3. Passing and Receiving
Passing: Work on different types of passes (short, long, driven, chipped) using both feet.
Receiving: Control passes with different parts of the body (feet, chest, thigh).
Emphasizing accuracy and first-touch control.

4. Shooting and Finishing
Shooting: Shooting from various positions (inside the box, outside the box) and angles.
Finishing: Heading drills
Focus on accuracy, power, and placement.

5. 1v1 Drills
Defenders will need to prevent coach from scoring and dribbling
Attackers will need to dribble and score

6. Tactical Awareness
Positioning, movement off the ball, and decision-making in game-like situations.
Small-sided scenarios with cones.

7. Cool-down
Light jogging and static stretching to prevent muscle soreness.
Session review and discussing areas for improvement.

8. Homework/Assignments
Specific drills or exercises will be assigned for the player to practice on their own before the next session.

9. Feedback and Goal Setting
Providing constructive feedback on the session's performance.
Setting goals and objectives for the player to work on in future sessions.

*** The time for each drill will vary according to the preferences and needs of the athlete. Specific drills will be assigned to different positions (defenders, attackers, midfileders, etc.)***