Football is a simple game, right? Just put the ball in the other team's net more often than they put it in yours. That's all your team has to do.
But getting to the point where your team regularly outscores the opposition is not simple. You have to teach your players a number of skills - how to pass, receive, tackle, shield the ball and shoot. Then when your players are old enough to understand the concept of teamwork, they learn how to space themselves on the pitch, how to support the ball carrier and how to defend and attack as a unit.
But sometimes we forget that all football skills are underpinned by our players' 'feel' for the ball. If they can manipulate the ball without thinking and make the ball do what they want it to do (rather than be ruled by what the ball wants to do), they will become a prized asset. That is a 'natural' football player who can shoot, defend, dribble and score with hardly any visible effort. We all want these players in our teams, don't we? Yet we sometimes forget that a great 'feel' for the ball doesn't happen by accident - it needs to be worked on. So these potential great footballers need help - from their parents, their coaches and above all, themselves. You need the right blend!
