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BA Soccer Academy Bay Area Soccer Academy provides a great training environment for aspiring soccer players trying to reach the next level. Soccer education platform.

Educate, motivate, and inspire the future.

10/22/2026

One thing I believe is non-negotiable when playing the number 8 position is your ability to cover ground.

You can have completely different skill sets as a midfielder.

Some players are excellent at winning tackles. Others are great at keeping possession, breaking lines, or making that final pass.

But one thing they all have in common is the amount of movement required to play the position.

Xavi is one of my favorite examples. He was not particularly fast, big, or physically dominant. But his intelligence, positioning, and ability to keep moving throughout a game were incredible. When he won the World Cup in 2010 he ran the most of any player per game clocking in over 7 miles a game.

He could cover ground without relying on explosive speed. He understood where to move, when to move, and how to position himself to be effective on both sides of the ball.

Other midfielders rely more on speed, power, and athleticism. Completely different profiles, but the demands of the position are similar.

As a number 8, you are constantly moving to create passing options, support the attack, recover defensively, and help your team maintain its shape.

It is not just about how fast you can run. It is about your ability to repeat those movements throughout the game and recognize where you have to be.

For me, that is one of the most important parts of playing the position.

10/21/2026

First touch, passing, receiving, ball control. The essentials of being comfortable on the ball.

I have always believed that if you develop a strong technical foundation, you give yourself a much better chance of competing at higher levels.

As the game gets faster, you have less time and space to make decisions. Your ability to control the ball, adjust your feet, receive into space, and play the next pass becomes even more important.

A lot of this comes from simple, repetitive work.

Getting comfortable with both feet. Understanding the weight of your touch. Opening your body. Keeping the ball moving.

These are things you can continue developing throughout your entire career.

No matter what level you play, there is always value in getting better at the basics.

10/21/2026

One of my favorite simple exercises for improving your first touch out of the air.

Play the ball against a wall, control it with the inside of your foot, turn, and dribble out.

A few things I focus on:

Get your feet moving early so you can adjust to the flight of the ball.

Keep your ankle relaxed enough to cushion the ball instead of letting it bounce away.

Try to direct your first touch into the space where you want to turn, rather than stopping the ball underneath you.

Open your hips, turn, and dribble out with control.

For players who struggle with balls coming out of the air, this is a great way to get more repetition and become comfortable with the movement.

Start with a manageable height and speed. As you get comfortable, increase the difficulty by changing the flight, pace, and direction of the ball.

Nothing complicated. Just spending time working on your touch, controlling the ball, and moving into your next action.

Simple but effective.

10/17/2026

One of my favorite technical exercises for center backs, holding mids, 8s, and 10s.

Passing, receiving, opening your hips 90 degrees, and building rhythm moving the ball side to side.

I like taking my first touch 1 to 2 yards in front of me, creating a little separation and allowing my body to flow naturally into the next pass.

As you get comfortable, increase the speed without losing control of your movements.

For me, it is all about finding that rhythm and flow.

Simple, repetitive work that I have enjoyed doing for years.

10/16/2026

In my opinion, the number 9 is one of the hardest positions to play in soccer.

The pressure to score goals is constant.

What I love about the position is how many different types of players have been successful.

Agüero, David Villa, Haaland. Completely different profiles, but all incredibly effective in front of goal.

You have smaller strikers who rely on movement, quickness, and finding space. Then you have bigger, more powerful strikers who can hold the ball up, get in behind, and dominate physically.

I played the number 9 for most of my career. At 5’8”, I was often told I was not big enough, fast enough, or strong enough to play that position at the professional level.

And that is fine. I did not always fit the profile coaches were looking for.

But put me around the box, and I always believed I could find ways to score.

At the end of the day, when you play the number 9, your goal-scoring numbers matter.

At the younger ages, statistics are not everything, but if you are consistently scoring a lot of goals, that is usually a good sign.

As you move through your career, there will be stretches when you score a lot and others when you struggle to find the back of the net.

That is part of playing the position.

But having that consistent hunger to score goals is something I think every number 9 has to develop.

10/16/2026

One thing I love about the winger position is the freedom to take players on.

At the younger ages, I really believe we have to encourage players in these positions to be aggressive. Take players on. Use your speed. Try different moves. Make mistakes.

As players get older and the level increases, those opportunities become harder to find. Defenders are better, space is tighter, and knowing when to attack becomes just as important as having the ability to do it.

Look at players like Doku and Lamine Yamal. Different styles, but both have the ability to create something individually.

Then you have players like Bernardo Silva, who can play wide, come inside, combine, and influence the game in a different way.

I played as an inverted winger at times myself. I was comfortable coming inside, combining, and playing passes, but I was never the most explosive player at that level.

That is why I appreciate players who can consistently beat defenders in wide areas. It is a difficult quality to develop.

For young wingers, I would love to see more encouragement to try things, even when they fail.

Over time, they can learn when to take players on, when to play simple, and how to become more efficient.

But first, give them the opportunity to develop that confidence and ability on the ball.

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