Ball control is one of the most basic soccer skills, and my boys have been practicing keepy-ups (kicking the ball up with one or both feet without letting the ball touch the ground) since they were in first grade. I remember when doing 5 keepy-ups was a challenge. They were so frustrated and impatient to do more, but Alfie and I reminded them of their experiences with the Shred Sled -- that they would only improve with practice.
So they practiced.
At first, progress was slow. I remember the days when we bribed them with $5 if they managed to complete 10 consecutive keepy-ups, and do it consistently. They practiced for an entire summer before they earned that $5.
But they practiced. And they got better.
Football (soccer) skills by Philip and James - at the Addison Talent show. I was so nervous watching them perform.
Posted by Graham Churchley on Thursday, May 14, 2015
Practice truly does make perfect. They're not perfect, of course, but at the time of writing, Jammy's record is about 250 keepy-ups and 3Po's record is over 350. They received lots of applause and praise for their Soccer Skills skit at their 5th grade talent show.
Even as they continue to work on their keepy-ups, they've started practicing other ball handling tricks. They've been inspired by another set of soccer-mad twins to create a new Instagram account that will chronicle the progression of their ball handling skills. If you're an Instagram user, follow them at @skill_bros_jr! I am so, so proud of their drive and dedication! Look out world, the Skill Bros Jr have arrived!
No comments:
Post a Comment