What To Do if You’re Anxious Fall Soccer Will Be Canceled Again

August 18, 2021
By Rachel Gonzalez

It sure is starting to feel like two steps forward and three steps back with this ongoing pandemic. It’s making a lot of socceristas wonder what will happen with fall soccer? We don’t want you to worry if we face another canceled soccer season or even a partial season. There are plenty of ways to stay sharp, some you might have even honed during the first lockdown. Here are a few of our top suggestions of what to do if you’re anxious for fall soccer to be canceled.

Conditioning

Conditioning. Everyone’s favorite thing, right? But honestly, the best way to become a runner is just to start running. The weather is just starting to cool down, so it’s the perfect time to set your goals. Aim to trim down your mile time, try to run further with each workout, and go longer without stopping. Conditioning will help you not only get comfortable with running but put you in prime shape for when you get to step back on the field.

Get Inspired

Burnout is very real, and it happens more often than you think. Workouts can get stale, and motivation can grow scarce. That’s why we recommend taking it to social media to find new, fun, and innovative things to try out. The most beautiful thing about social media is that it gives creative minds the chance to share their thoughts. Find your new favorite workout or fitspo, maybe come across a piece of training equipment looking for Kickstarter backers. The world is big but social media makes it smaller; there is definitely an account that will help you bust that training slump.

Weekly Live Streams

One thing we all learned in this last year is the importance of staying connected. Instagram Live took on new life during the pandemic, especially for workouts. Set up a live stream each week for your team and the rest of your followers, for that matter, to join in on. Lead a workout or run people through how to do your signature trick. These can even rotate throughout your team, with each player putting on a live of their own every week.

Instill Mindfulness

We’ve talked a lot about training physically, now let’s talk about training mentally. The last year and a half have been emotionally and mentally draining, to say the least. If we go into lockdown again, we’ll have a better idea of what to expect, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be hard. Use the time in isolation to take up meditation and set up mindfulness practices to supplement your training on the field. There are tons of books and resources on how to become a better player between the ears. Use this extra time to sharpen all aspects of your game, from ball handling to sportsmanship.

Showcase Your Highlights

For our socceristas looking to get scouted, don’t give up. You can still get in front of scouts and strut your stuff. Soccer parents are always recording their kids’ games, so crowdsource some of that footage. Ask your soccer parent or a teammate to record some of your finer footwork or trick shots. Then, put it all on social media and tag the account of your dream school, or make a supercut of your best moments and email the entire thing to the athletics department.

Social Distance Practice

Even if your school or club isn’t holding formal practices, that doesn’t mean you can’t still practice. The great thing about soccer is that there is a long and a short game. Of course, there’s nothing quite like juking a defender out of your way with a finesse move, but clearing a goal with a header is pretty excellent in and of itself. So get some of your teammates together and practice long game drills together. This includes delivering and receiving crosses, penalty kicks, practicing corners (you can use cones and flags to act as defenders), stopping a lob with a body catch or quick sole trap. There is plenty of stuff to train in the long game.

We can get through this together. Remember to keep playing and stay safe out there.

Featured image via Pexels