I Challenge You! 5000 touches per day for one month

The 5000 Touch Challenge: a fantastic training program and opportunity to reward players for their personal efforts

A simple concept based on years and years of implementation in the greatest developmental football nation, Holland.

This challenge has been adapted from my friend John Townsend who writes for These Football Times. Big thanks goes to him for inspiring me.

 Rules:

• Commit to 5,000 touches outside of regular practice 5 days per week. [In Holland players do 10,000 touches per day, 6 days a week as they get older.] This should take no more than 30-45mins at game pace.

• Follow the laid-out program and work up to a game-paced training regime. No average efforts, wasted time or wasted touches.

• Engage for 30 days minimum…and build towards making this a practice for life.

• Set a standard for you and own your own development.

What will happen?

People will fall off. Life will get in the way. And some will surprise us with their desire. Bottom line, they will be engaged with comprehending just what it takes to MAYBE get to the top.

Fun:

It can be. But other times it will be painful. The only time one can drop the routine is if they engage in a pure game of pick-up soccer, where the touches come organically. These touches count. [1000 for a lunch hour of soccer.]

How to stay on board?

• Dream of the next level!

• Ask for pledges for your teams cause, give yourself a bigger reason to lean in when the day seems tough, wet or long….your cause can be a wonderful motivator.

• Put your video games away…and replace them with the round thing….

• Know this is what it takes. Practice. Motivation to be the best.

Full work out: [print for your boys]

What you need:

1. A target objective – Identify the tangible need to adopt this training approach. It’s difficult at first and it’s time-consuming.

2. Identify your weaknesses – Recognize ways you can convert these weaknesses into strengths that transfer to match play.

3. It’s not fancy. These are technique-building, foundational movements. Later workouts are far more intricate and elaborate. These are simple, touch-building exercises.

4. Training speed vs. Match speed – Start slow. Rehearse the each movement/skill then convert each movement to a match speed instance.

5. Time Demands to complete workout (approx.) – about 30-45 mins

6. Space – nothing fancy, small plot of land ideally with a wall or rebounding surface (if you don’t have a partner). I’ve done this in my basement, garage, and backyard. The surface doesn’t matter either. Just find a safe place to train (grass/turf or pavement)

7. Equipment – ball, cones (optional), watch, pen/paper

8. Be accountable. If it’s too much at first, stop and rest. Break up the workout into smaller chunks. For example, do half the workout early in the day, finish the rest later on.

9. Modify it for the conditions – don’t focus on what you’re already proficient at

10. Take breaks if you need to

11. Progression – combine skills to double/triple the touches per round. For example, 10 pendulums + 10 V-Turns = approx. 40 touches.

5,000 Touches Workout

Stationary pendulums (knock ball between feet); sets of 10X50; 500 touches

Rotate 180, 360-degrees as you improve Adv. Perform pendulums forward, backward, laterally if possible

Step-touches – Essentially a light/fast jog with ball, touch ball every step. Ideally, 750 steps = 500 touches

Juggle – sets of 5×100 = 500 (advanced); 10×50 = 500 (intermediate); 500 touches

V-turns – For this move, the path of the ball follows a V shape. This starts by doing a fake kick, then doing a drag-back of the ball stopping in front of your body, then pushing the ball forward on the opposite side of your body.

250 each foot = 500 touches

Cruyff Turns – sets of 4×25 (2 with right foot, 2 with left foot). Repeat circuit 5 times.; 500 touches

Wall/partner passes – 1-touch vs. wall or with partner (8 yards); Sets: 10X50 alternate L/R = 500 touches

2-touch (receive + pass): 5X100; 500 touches

Sole touches – roll ball using bottom of foot. 125 each foot; 250 touches

180-degree turn – 250 touches (125 each foot)

Juggle 4 body part style; 1000 touches [use four diff body parts to count one point…aim to get 100 points around 500 touches]

=5,000 touches Record Date/Time:

Training Notes/Comments:

Here are some great youtube videos to support your 5000 touch challenge. Feel free to copy or adapt any of these but be sure to work each move up to game pace. The idea is that your mind knows to do these moves before you ‘think” about it in a game. Practice makes instant decisions….

1000 touches: http://vimeo.com/80325038

This website also many different variations of touch

 challenges:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCFsyvrcNTY

Go. Play Better