You need energy to have a good soccer practice. Avoid cheese or dairy, as well as greasy, fatty, and overly sugary foods and drinks. Instead, look for simple carbohydrates, like white bread, pasta, or rice, and some lean proteins like chicken, peanut butter, tuna, or turkey slices.


PB & Js, light spaghetti bowls, pretzels and hummus, or a turkey sandwich are all good options.
Wash this meal down with 1-2 tall glasses of water and keep drinking as practice approaches.
 The first step to getting better at something is to know what you want to get better at. Setting training goals lets you get the most out of drills, find and eliminate weak spots in your game, and challenge yourself to get better. Keep these goals specific -- instead of "be a better passer," decide to work on left foot passing, one touch passes, or hitting more accurate crosses.


Play multiple positions in practice -- work on becoming a stronger overall player when possible to succeed wherever you are on the field.
If you're struggling with one of your goals, talk to your coach for advice. Ask if he has any drills or techniques you can work on during practice to improve.
Take control of your practices -- your coach is there to help you get better, but you'll be twice as good if you're proactive about your own play as well.
 While your coach likely has a good warm-up planned for you, you should still take care to your own unique needs. After doing the team warm up, gently stretch any areas you need to take care of on your own. When possible, use dynamic warm-ups, which keep you moving instead of just pulling and holding a stretch:


Side shuffles are good for inner thigh stretches.
Lunges are good for hip flexor stretches
High knees are good for hamstring stretches
Butt kickers are good for quad stretches., Being "on your toes" is the mantra of many coaches, and for good reason. Keeping your weight on the balls of your feet instead of your heels helps you spring into action on a moments notice. In a game, you should almost always be up on your feet, ready to run, pass, or jump, so build the habit in practice.


Bend your knees slightly.
Lean forward and inch or so.
You should be able to instantly push off to either side. If you need to bend your knees or shift your weight first you're not on your toes.
 Players who are effective with both their right and left feet are incredibly dangerous on the field. Practice is the time to take your weak foot and turn it into a weapon. Whenever possible, try to alternate feet, and force yourself to take crosses, shots, and passes with your weak foot in scrimmages.


Remember that now is the time to make mistakes. The more you learn from errors now the less you'll cause in a game.
 One on one defending, where you need to tackle or steal the ball from an attacker by yourself, is an essential skill no matter what position you play. Even strikers need to be able to challenge and defend against the other team's backs, as winning the ball back is the first step towards scoring. Some tips for individual defending include:


Bend slightly at the hips, staying on the balls of your feet, to move quickly.
Keep one foot forward, using this foot and you body to force them to go to one side of you. Push them towards the sideline or one of your teammates.
Look at their belt-buckle area. Where a player's hips point generally tells you where they're about to go., The more you can treat practices like games, the better you will be when an actual whistle blows. Unless you have a game the next day and need to rest slightly, which your coach should note, you should be challenging yourself at every opportunity to play at game pace. Practice isn't about showing off, it is about getting better. This only happens if you push yourself.


Challenge your teammates, especially on other teams. Some healthy competition makes everyone better.
Don't shy away or hide weakness -- this is the time to improve them.
You should be tired out after drills and practices, so don't try and save energy.
 A good cool down helps your muscles relax and prevents soreness and injury the next day. Take a light jog, almost at walking pace, and shake out any tight muscles. This is a good place for gentle static stretching as well, so feel free to lightly grab and hold sore muscles for 10-20 seconds each.


While you should always be drinking water, be sure to have a full glass after practice to replenish lost fluids. Dehydration is a big cause of later soreness.
Get some food within an hour of practice to help fuel muscle regeneration and repair.
Eat a light meal 1-2 hours before starting.
Set training goals.
Use warm-ups to target any soreness or tightness beyond the coach's warmup.
Stay on your toes, in an active athletic position, whenever practicing.
Develop skill with both feet.
Focus on individual defending in scrimmages and one-on-one drills.
Do every drill, game, or activity at game speed.
Cool down with light stretching and a jog to prepare for the next practice.
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