When it comes to soccer training, there are many different options. The most common is private soccer lessons where one person trains with a coach or instructor for an hour at a time. There are many pros and cons to getting private lessons and deciding if they are worth the cost depends on your situation and goals. In this article I will talk about how to find a quality soccer trainer, how much they cost, and the alternatives to private soccer training that may be better suited for you!
1 on 1 and Small Group Training
The first option for private soccer lessons are one hour sessions with an instructor or coach where you train alone, but they also offer group classes that have more than two people per session (usually around four). Obviously I have built a business around individual soccer training (Beast Mode Soccer) so I highly advocate the benefits of this type of training. I also offer small group training as well.
My process when I take on a new player is long. First, a player has to apply to train with myself. I only want players who are willing to put in the hard work and dedication, so this part of the process is extremely important. If you only have a dedication level of 9/10 you can not train with me, I do always however, recommend another trainer for these types of players.
After the player has successfully applied for training, I start to analyze video (usually provided by the parent/club/professional team. I provide the player with a self analysis sheet (they also have to speak to their coaches and teammates). When I have finished my analysis we compare their notes to mine We then set micro, short term and long term goals together, and then start to come up with an individual development plan. It's A LOT of work! From that moment each and every session is catered toward that individual players needs.
I often get inquiries about offering a free trial session. This is something a lot of trainers do, but I do not, and I will tell you why:
We have our initial meeting (either zoom or on the phone) to chat, it is then when we can both decide if it's a good fit or not. The way I look at this is how can I do a session with a player that I know nothing about? The amount of work that I put into on-boarding a player is HUGE, this way I already know that they are a good fit, and from the very first session we hit the ground running!
So that is my process. Why did I detail that so much? Because not all trainers are the same, in fact...
Beware the Trainer!
I get a lot of questions about what to look for in a trainer. I always tell people that it is important not just because you are investing your time and money, but also the safety aspect as well! There have been some horror stories out there where players were injured by their trainers, didn't improve etc so, you have to make sure that your trainer meets these qualifications:
- What is their history?
- What players have they helped develop?
- Do they work with players from all levels? Can they ACTUALLY develop players or do they just cherry pick the best ones in your community and then 'claim' them?
- Social media is a phenomenal tool, however it has made it easy for anybody to start an account, buy some followers and likes, and then claim to be an expert. There is a trainer in the Orange County, about an hour south of Los Angeles, who has literally copied everything from our website (including program names) and cloned himself as a world class trainer. His posts are great, very aesthetically pleasing, however, there is absolutely NO product on show! Where are the players that these so called 'gurus' train? They are nowhere to be seen.
You HAVE to do your research. If you need help finding a trainer, feel free to drop me an email. I have a vast network of QUALITY trainers throughout the world, and no, they are not all Beast Mode Soccer trainers, I like to stay in touch with other great trainers, because we can learn from each other! As I said, beware any trainer who will not show their product (players), or you turn up and they have $10,000 worth of equipment laid out for one player (you DO NOT need a ton of equipment for a quality session) it's just a massive red flag.
The Cost of Private Soccer Training
The cost of private soccer training varies depending on the trainer and their location. The average price for a one-hour session is $60-$80 per hour, but this can be as low at around $30 dollars an hour or more than $200 an hour in some cases (depending where you live, and the experience of the trainer). When it comes to cost, look at the pervious paragraph. Does this trainer tick all the boxes? They can show you players that they have helped, they let you speak to current players that they work with, they have a history of developing? Then would you pick that trainer, who lets say charges $80 an hour, or would you pick one that charges $60 an hour, but is a social media whizz and has everyone fooled? If a trainer is more concerned about getting video of your sessions to put on their social account, thats an issue! I know where my money would be going, put it that way.
You usually get what you pay for, but not always, as I have stated before, it's research research research. A lot of parents will question my pricing and tell me it's too expensive, guess what? They are not the right fit. Once people see the amount of work that goes into each and every session, the onboarding, the long term development player development, the relationships that I have with club, high level college, professional and international teams, the 10+ years I have been training the some of the best players in the world... Then they realize that the value they are getting from our sessions is actually 10x what they invest!
Alternatives to Private Soccer Training
The fact is, a lot of families and people will not be able to make the investment in 1 on 1 training, because it could seem expensive. So what if you cannot, is that it? Are you doomed to mediocrity forever on the field? NO! Here I will go through some alternatives:
Pick Up Games. Playing games of pickup at parks are also good ways for players who want to get extra touches in a competitive environment, AND meet loads of new people who you would never have met before. I live in Los Angeles, and some of my best friends are from all over the world, and I met them playing pick up! I'm learning Spanish because most of my pick up friends are from Spanish speaking countries and I want to educate myself, all because of pick up!
Training on Your Own
This is sometimes the hardest option, because players just DO NOT KNOW what to work on when they go outside to train. I actually see it a lot at our local fields. They just go out to train, but end up doing a mediocre session that they have done time and time again. This is actually one of the reasons that I created our first ever digital training program, The Better Soccer Blueprint back in 2012 (almost 10 years ago!). I was working with a United States Women's National Team (USWNT) and she asked me to write her a bunch of footwork drills because when she trains on her own, she just goes through the motions! I thought 'if one of the best players in the World doesn't know what to do on their own, how on earth do youth players??? So I created that program, it's actually still available on my website for $97!
However, I am aware that not everyone has extra money so I set out to solve that problem as well, and I created the Beast Mode Soccer Individual Development Plan, which is available for FREE if you just click on this link: http://beastmodesoccer.com/idp/
This plan will take you through the steps so that you can truly create an individual plan, that is tailored JUST FOR YOU! And, it's free!
Digital Training Programs
If you check out our training program store, we have some fantastic individual soccer training programs, built from the ground up by myself that are geared toward making you the best player that you can be:
The Better Soccer Blueprint: Over 150 training videos, and planner so you can plan out your development
The Challenge: 5 videos, each with 5000 touches on. Follow the program and you will get over half a million touches in 100 days, do it for 200 days... You get ONE MILLION touches, THAT IS INSANE! It's literally impossible to not improve!
The Soccer Vortex: This is the most complete individual soccer training program on the planet. Nothing else comes close. It covers all bases of Technical, Tactical, Physical, Mental and Social development. It's a lot of work, but being the best is never going to be easy.
The SWAG Mindset: This mental training program takes a lot of work, BUT if you invest in it, do it and see it through, you will have a bullet proof mindset. SO many players have completely turned themselves around from being nervous wrecks who are so scared to make mistakes because they do not want to upset their coach/parents/teammates, into absolute confidence rockets who lead on the field, believe in their ability and actually ENJOY the skirmish of competition!
Yes, all of the above programs do have a cost, but they all cost less than two private sessions, and if you put in the work, you will get 100x back on your investment!
The My Soccer Training App
If digital programs are not your thing, but apps are... then the My Soccer Training App is for you! This app honestly blows my mind. I wanted to create an app that was akin to having a private soccer trainer in your pocket, and I truly think my team and I succeeded. Over 50 FULL sessions, an education portal, an interactive calendar, and the best part, I put brand new sessions on there every month. The difference between my app and the others out there is that I am training players from all ages and levels day in day out, I flat out KNOW what works and what doesn't work and I pass that on to YOU in these sessions. It was also very important to me to make sure that as an app, it's STILL an individually based experience. We do not tell you what sessions to do every day. Why? Because you are UNIQUE! What you need to work on is not what your teammate needs to work on. Cookie cutter sessions are fine when you are starting out, but when you get better, you have to have an individually based, unique program, and that is EXACTLY what the My Soccer Training app is.
The best part is that I have managed to squeeze all that content, and new content each month, all into a world class training app that costs only $19.99 a month, which is a fraction of the cost of one private training session, it's less than a decent pair of shinguards, or a couple of trips to Starbucks (you can do without that anyway!).
In Conclusion
Private soccer training in a one on one setting definitely works IF you pick the right soccer trainer. Do your research, put in the work and yes, the investment is worth it.
The My Soccer Training app is the best way to get world class training at an affordable price. And, you can do it from anywhere in your house or on a soccer field!
