Juggling Club Information

NDSC has launched the Juggling Club!!

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Juggling club is to establish a fun and creative way to encourage NDSC players to become more technical. It also will inspire them to use their soccer ball on a more consistent basis with a goal in mind.  Juggling is not something that can be used to determine a soccer player’s ability, however, it is a useful tool to help players “own” the soccer ball and to develop a better touch on the ball.

WHY JUGGLE?: Juggling is the art of keeping the soccer ball from hitting the ground by bouncing it off of one's foot, knee/leg, head, chest, back or shoulders (no hands or arms as in a game). Soccer juggling will strengthen a player's overall ball control and game. Juggling is a fundamental soccer skill that is a must in establishing good "touch" with the soccer ball.

HOW TO JUGGLE: Daily juggling at home is best. At first, try to do 10 touches with each body part: the right foot, the left foot; then both feet (alternating from one foot to the other); tops of the thighs (alternating from one thigh to the other); and finally with the head. Increase the numbers as your ability increases.

BENEFITS OF JUGGLING: Gain more confidence on the ball while increasing overall skill. Soccer juggling is the best exercise to develop touch with the soccer ball. When juggling, learning to control the body is very important. Being able to make quick, bodily adjustments with all muscles is developed through juggling. Better balance will enable a soccer player to move to the right, while maintaining balance to shoot the ball to the left, etc. With good juggling skills, players will make better passes, beat defenders more easily, and be able to hold the ball against defensive pressure, because of better touch on the ball.

WHEN TO JUGGLE? The nice thing about juggling is that you can do it on your own. Keep challenging yourself by trying to beat your own score. Juggling is also a great warm-up to do when you get to practice. After a few minutes you will notice your heart rate rises and your muscles become loose.

CLUB RULES: Coaches must witness the juggling feat to qualify.  That's it.  Of course, the ball must be kept in the air for consecutive touches.  Players can start with ball in hand, on the ground, whatever.  No other rules. Once a level is achieved, coach is to email players name, age group, and number of touches to playerrecognition@ndysc.com.  Please include practice field and time and coach’s phone number so the badge(s) can be delivered.

U6 – U11  “FUNtastic Juggling Challenge”

Level	Number of Touches
RED	4 - 10
GREEN	11 - 20
BLACK	21 -  50
GOLD STAR	51 +

U12 – U18 “Juggling Challenge”

Level	Number of Touches
BRONZE	15 - 40
SILVER	41- 69
GOLD	70 – 99
PLATINUM STAR	100 +