BA Soccer Academy

one way of approaching finishing inside the box

One thing I emphasize a lot with striking technique is the importance of the first touch before the shot.

In an ideal situation, a good setup touch gives you options. It helps your balance, your body shape, and your ability to execute different types of finishes. Placement shots. Curved finishes. Power shots. Everything becomes easier when the setup is clean.

You are not always going to have a great first touch under pressure. But training this detail consistently can make a huge difference over time.

The main focus of this drill is not actually the shot itself. It is the setup touch before the strike.

Why I like training this way

It keeps the ball and body connected
It builds rhythm and timing
It encourages cleaner, more efficient touches

Players stay more active instead of stopping and resetting

Solo Training ⚽️

For most American players I believe that college soccer is the most viable path.

Not because going pro is impossible. But because the options you have to weigh are real. You could skip college, get into an academy system, land an MLS Next Pro contract and get paid very little or sometimes nothing at all. Or you could potentially take a scholarship, get your education, compete at a high level and still have a chance to go pro afterwards. Those are real choices and neither one is wrong.

In the end it is the player’s decision and the family’s decision on what they end up doing if you have the options.

What I will say is that we are actually fortunate in this country. We have multiple pathways. In a lot of other countries the pressure is so high and the system is so narrow that if you do not make it by a certain age the door closes. Here we have options. College soccer, academies, USL, MLS Next Pro. There are more ways to stay in this game and still build a life around it than almost anywhere else in the world.

Would I like the overall standards to be higher across the board? Of course. But this is where we are. And where we are is actually not too bad.

Use the opportunities in front of you. Make the choice that fits your life. That is all any of us can do.