04/07/2024
How to Prepare for a Football Trial
The moment you are invited to a professional football trial is when the real work begins. You will need to step up your training intensity to make sure that you are in peak condition come trial time.
If you’re not already doing so, we suggest training on certain aspects every single day to ensure your game is well-rounded in all areas. No matter how good you think you are, there is always room for improvement.
You should create a personal training and development schedule to work towards your trial that covers the main areas that academies look for:
Technically Prepare
Work individually on basic skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting, close control, and ball manipulation.
Tactically Prepare
One of the best ways to improve your tactical awareness is by watching the professionals. Try to watch games from all over the world, concentrating on players in your position. Observe how hard they work when not in possession, how they communicate with teammates, and how efficient they are with the ball. This will give you an understanding of awareness, positioning with/without the ball, and vision.
Mentally Prepare
Visualize the trial game in your head. Imagine yourself dribbling past a defender, scoring a goal, or saving a penalty. Relax your mind and stay focused. Surround yourself with positive people who can encourage you and keep your mind clear of negativity. Clubs will look for personality traits such as commitment, bravery, being a good team player, a winning mentality, hunger to learn, and resilience in negative situations.
Physically Prepare
This is the time to put in work on your physical fitness. Hit the gym and get the sprints in. Improve your flexibility, speed, cardiovascular endurance, strength, and acceleration to give you the edge over your competition on the day. Special consideration should be given to foot speed, straight-line speed, and speed endurance.
