More Than Just Team Practice: A Look at the Full Equation for Success on the Soccer Field

Joe Pennell
May 28
4 min read

Every soccer player has their own journey to navigate as they learn the game we all love. Some kids start young, while others begin later. Some play for just a few years, and others stick with it through their adult years (like us at QTSD™). No matter where your child is on their soccer path, there are key aspects for parents to keep in mind to ensure their athlete can develop as close to their potential as possible. And we’d like to share a simple “equation” to help explain these four important formats of soccer development:

“At Home + Private + Small Group + Team”

This “equation” includes the four key formats of training/development that strong, well-rounded players should focus on. In this article, we’ll explain each part of the equation, what you should know about them, and why each one is important to helping YOUR child grow as a player AND person.

PART 1 – AT HOME TRAINING

At-home training is one of the most important parts of a player’s development, but maybe not for the reason you might think. While at home training helps players “get touches on the ball”, the biggest benefit is actually about building mental strength and motivation.

This is where your child learns to push themselves—to get outside and train on their own, without needing a coach or parent to tell them to. It’s not about doing every drill perfectly or knowing the perfect exercises. It’s more importantly about learning to develop consistency, stay focused, and take responsibility for their own progress.

We understand that not every player is naturally motivated—especially with all the distractions kids face today. And yes, sometimes parents have to encourage (or even push) their kids to train. But true growth happens when your player starts to take charge of their development on their own—even if others help guide them along the way.

PART 2 – PRIVATE TRAINING

Private training with licensed/ experienced coaches (HERE!) gives your child a chance to get specialized coaching with detailed feedback that’s focused just on them. It’s a great way to help them grow in many areas, including:

Technical skills – like creative dribbling, passing, receiving, finishing, crossing, juggling, and volleys.
Tactical understanding – such as making smart runs, moving without the ball, and creating space.
Mental skills – including staying focused, handling pressure, decision making, and self confidence.
Physical development – like improving speed, agility, and quickness.

One thing to keep in mind is that private training can’t fully replace the experience of training/playing against other kids. Some important skills—like attacking and defending in one-on-one situations—are best learned by practicing with others who are the same age and size. Real game-like pressure helps build those abilities more effectively.

PART 3 – SMALL GROUP TRAINING

Small group training gives players a chance to test the skills they’ve learned in private training, but now with real pressure from other players. This is important because even if a player gets really good at individual skills during private training, they need a place to apply those techniques in more realistic, game-like situations.

In small group sessions, players can work on executing technical skills, make quicker decisions, explore tactics, and experience match realistic pressure—just like they’ll experience during their team season.

BONUS - When players do small group training outside of their regular club, they gain additional psychological & social benefits. Training in a professional, non-club setting can help players feel more free to try new skills without worrying about making mistakes in front of teammates or possibly losing playing time. Additionally, training in an environment outside of their club (like the QTSD™ Academy) exposes players to multiple formats/ philosophies of soccer development; helping them truly develop a more well-rounded knowledge of the game.

**We strongly recommend choosing a training program that is truly “club-neutral.” That means the coaches and organization aren't tied to a specific soccer club. In Central Ohio, there are lots of great coaches, but if a trainer is tied to a club (uses a club's training facilities, has a leadership role, or runs a club on the side), it can lead to problems—like favoritism, pressure to join that club, or conflicts about playing time and team selection.

Most coaches mean well, but working with a truly club-neutral coach gives your athlete the best chance to get honest, helpful feedback about their soccer journey—without the extra politics.**

PART 4 – TEAM SEASON

This is where all the training comes together—competing and playing on the team! While the other formats of training help your athlete build ball skill, confidence, and game understanding, the team environment is where everything leads to!

In the team training environment, players work to apply their individual skills and small sided tactics to the larger team formation. Whether playing a specific position (or learning a new one), adjusting to working with similar roles, or learning entire team formations, the learning is much more large group oriented. Additionally, players will learn how to balance their own goals with their coach’s expectations, how to navigate team social dynamics, and further compete in the game they love!

It’s important to know that many times, focusing on individual technical development in a team setting is difficult to accomplish. The main reason is that team sessions require the head coach's focus on team management and the attention required for an individual would take away from the rest of the team—creating additional problems such as distraction, a drop in training tempo, and lowered learning energy.

Team sessions/seasons should largely focus on group dynamics; whether positional roles, formations, team communication, tactics, spacing, and more (while mixing in general technical development age accordingly)!

SUMMARY

While there are other important parts of player development—like psychology, nutrition, and recovery—the training "equation" of At-Home + Private + Small Group + Team is a great way to determine if your child is getting well-rounded development.

In short, the complete development happens when your child is training at home, with their team, and outside of their club with experienced coaches. These different training environments all play a big role in helping your player grow—both on and off the soccer field!

Contact us at info@qtsdsoccer.com for any questions about this article, soccer training options in Columbus, Ohio, and how your athlete can further their development this Summer!