Okay so last month I was scrolling through soccer forums, y’know, just killing time, and I kept seeing people mention this “Junior Brazil” training for young kids. Honestly? Sounded kinda gimmicky to me. Flashy name, big promises. But hey, I coach my nephew’s U10 team, and some of those kids? Bless their hearts, their ball control needs serious work. Figured, what the heck, gotta try something new, right?
Jumping In Feet First
First thing Monday morning, I dragged my old cones and a bag of balls out to the local park. Only had five kids show up that first session – tiny group, easier to focus. The whole “Junior Brazil” idea seemed to boil down to three things, constantly drilled:
- Touches, touches, touches: Like, crazy amounts. Dribbling around cones super close together, forcing them to use both feet constantly, little toe taps.
- Moving with the ball glued: Making small turns, sharp cuts inside the cones, pretending defenders are there. No kicking it ahead and chasing!
- Super small spaces: We started with maybe a 5-yard x 5-yard square. Felt cramped! But that’s the point, gotta control it NOW.
That first day? It was… chaos. Balls flying everywhere, lots of trips, kids groaning “Coach, this is too hard!” Gotta admit, I felt a bit silly myself.
Grinding Through the Mess
We stuck with it. Every single practice, Monday and Thursday evenings without fail, rain or (some) shine. Same small grid, same focus:
- Started simple: Dribbling freely, just trying to keep the ball close without bumping into others.
- Added pressure: Me walking around, gently bumping them sideways to mess them up, shouting “Protect the ball!”
- Speed it up: Once they stopped crying about how close the cones were, I’d yell “Faster! Move those feet!”
After two weeks? Honestly, barely any difference. Frustrating! Almost threw in the towel. The kids were getting bored, I was getting bored. But then, maybe halfway through week three… something clicked.
Seeing the Darn Magic Happen
Seriously, almost overnight it felt like. Suddenly, little Luca wasn’t just kicking the ball five feet ahead and hoping – he was weaving around cones, little shimmies, ball super close. Another kid, Mia, who used to panic if someone got near, was shielding the ball automatically, spinning away. The improvements weren’t flashy skills, it was pure, solid control and confidence:
- Fewer wild first touches: Instead of booting it or trapping it poorly, they were cushioning it down. Huge!
- Keeping their heads up: Because they weren’t staring at their feet trying not to trip over the ball anymore, they actually started looking around! Saw passes!
- Calm under pressure: In our tiny scrimmages at the end, they weren’t just hoofing it away blindly. Trying to dribble out, or passing with purpose.
Best moment? Watching my usually clumsy nephew actually dribble past two kids in a game last weekend – clean, quick touches. He looked shocked! So did I!
So, Does Junior Brazil Work?
Look, it ain’t rocket science, and it sure ain’t magic. It’s just hard, focused work on the absolute basics: close control, fast feet, comfort in tight spaces. But forcing them to do it CONSTANTLY, in a tiny area where mistakes happen instantly? That’s the key. It takes grit, both from the kids and the coach. Gotta push through the frustration and the messy bits. But seeing those little legs move quicker, seeing the ball finally start to obey them? Makes it worth it. Those kids improved way faster than I ever expected. It really does build the foundation.
