Hey, all. Summer is looked upon as a time to take a break from training, and for the most part that is true. However, it's also a great time for your player to work on little things, like juggling the ball. No, not with the hands. Juggling is keeping the ball in the air for as long as possible using the feet, knees, thighs or head. Aim for getting 1,000 touches on the ball per day. Yes, at first your player may not be able to get more than 2 or 3 juggles in a row and 1,000 might seem a daunting number, but it's really not. About 20 minutes is all it should take. But if he/she keeps at it for just a little time each day, they'll be great at it by the end of summer.
As your player gets better at it, add complexities, such as tapping the ball above the head every 4th tap. Or do 1 left, 1 right, 2 left, 2 right, 3 left, 3 right etc. up to 5 per side. Think of fun ways to change things up.
If you have younger players, like U9 or younger, juggling might not be a good use of time. Instead, have your player stand about 10 feet away from you and gently toss the ball toward his/her feet. Your player should tap the ball right back to you while it is still in the air. Do a bunch to the right, then a bunch to the left. Eventually, toss it to either side without your player knowing where it's going.
Juggling is a great way to work on touch. If your player does this, you'll definitely see an improvement on your player's first touch next fall.