Q&A for How to Improve Your Game in Soccer

First of all, you need to love defending. When you defend, it's more about your mentality than skills. You have to understand when to step up or step back and when to press the opponent or not. You also need to be on the entire game, referencing the ball and your opponents all the time.

When practicing, you want to really know and understand the rules of the game. All the drills that you use in your soccer practices should follow rules the game.

Start by holding the ball in your hands and bending your knees slightly. Practice dropping the ball and kicking it back up again with each foot, alternating sides. Eventually, you can try starting with the ball on your feet and kicking it from one foot to the other.

Practice basic skills like getting ball touches, moving the ball around obstacles, and doing conditioning workouts. It can also be helpful to watch professional soccer players in action and analyze their moves.

The best way to improve at anything quickly is to do lots of practice. Make sure you have the fundamental skills mastered before moving on to more advanced techniques. If possible, work with an experienced coach who can guide you and let you know if your form and technique are correct.

Do squats at home, and as you progress, use different variations to make it more difficult for yourself. Work on your technique too, the power will come with time and practice.

Try some practice drills, such as dribbling around cones, timing yourself and trying to beat your previous score, etc. You can do these drills by yourself or with some friends in your backyard or at a local park. You can also make some of your own drills that best fit your style of the game.

Keep your head up, and try harder. Everyone fails -- it's what you do after the failure that really matters.

Remember that the game isn't about the name on the back of the shirt, but rather the crest on the front. Always have fun. Don't let a loss get you down. You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.

There is no such thing as a best position; every position is equally important to the game, and they must all work together in order to win the game. You should play in the position that you feel the most comfortable and successful in.

Yes, it is helpful to know these skills regardless of your position. It will give you a better insight as to what the shooter might be thinking of doing.

Don't make being better than any particular person your focus. Focus on being the best you can be by practicing hard and learning from the other good players around you, including your team captain.

Some cleats are designed to give you a better grip, although they can be up to $300. Comfortable cleats always win.

Unless you are able to study the specific goalkeeper in advance, it's impossible to know this for sure. Just try to make your shots unpredictable -- middle, left, right, high or low.

If a teammate is on a run and you cannot receive the ball and handle it quickly enough, then settle the ball down and continue at your own pace. Everyone else will slow down with you.

There's certainly a chance. Keep doing what you love -- try harder, never quit. But get yourself on a team ASAP so you can really hone your skills.

Continuous training and good match preparation is the key. You should also focus on analyzing and correcting errors in your game to better yourself, and lastly don't try to retain your form but try to improve on it every single game.

Lots and lots of practice. wikiHow has a few articles with specific tips on developing good dribbling skills and dribbling like a professional player that you can read through to help you.

Consider joining a gym and working on your leg muscles. Increase the weight each week so that you will get muscle. Your body will have more power and thus be able to kick the ball further

Be the best you can in every game. Remember, every match is different, so don't go too hard on yourself if things don't turn out the same in the next game. As long as you concentrate on giving everything you've got, working hard, being a team player and being positive, you'll do great every time.

Try to pass to someone on the outside or in the middle.

If you see the opposing team start to gather around you, you really just need to quickly find one of your teammates and pass the ball to them. Remember to get their attention so they know the ball is coming to them.

It is not about where you buy the product as much as it is about the product itself. Look for what you need, what feels comfortable for your feet and what will hold up well. Some people like thin minimalist cleats that give you good feel on the ball while others prefer thicker leather cleats that can give you a more controlled touch on the ball. If you can find what you need for a cheap price, good for you! More expensive cleats are often more durable, but don't overpay for unnecessary features or brand names.

Bigger people often aren't very quick or agile, so use that to your advantage to get past them. Be confident and don't look at your size as a disadvantage.

The soccer stars have managers, and the managers tell them what to do. Soccer players know what to do, and we may not be at that national point. But we can be more talented. They also pass, but sometimes they get frustrated and just do it themselves, like we do.

You should try running, skipping, or butt kicks. Normal stretches like lunges will take up energy, and that energy can take a long time to restore.

Don't worry about impressing people. Just play your game. Take the game seriously and play.

People think that soccer isn't a contact sport, but it is. You're going to get hurt playing soccer -- it's a fact. Not only from getting kicked, but from blocking shots, shoulder-to-shoulder challenges, and doing headers. So the key is to get used to the feeling of being kicked and realize that it's not as painful as your brain is making it out to be. It's not fun, but it's not detrimental either.

Of course! What I keep in my mind throughout games and even coaching others are three key things to focus on that I chant to remind myself. 1. Do not commit to everything; don't fall for every opening, allow the player to come but know when to make tackles and time them well. 2. If it doesn't work or if you make mistakes, which are bound to happen -- like if you miss a tackle or slip up on marking -- keep focused, run back, and continue following your man. 3. Practice; make sure you spend extra time working on the area you play and try your best to research and keep up with the game.

Everyone makes mistakes. We're not robots. Even some of the best in the world make mistakes. If they're getting mad at you, it's their problem. Plus, no one will remember it the next time you score or make an amazing tackle.