Juggling Club (Competitive)

Join the PSC Juggling Club!!

The page is to recognize players that meet certain thresholds of juggling.  We have seen it at other clubs and it comes with rave reviews as it encourages players to work at home.  Players names will be published on the website at the level they have achieved.  This is meant to be fun for all the kids.  Here are the levels we have set up:

Novice (15-25) / Apprentice (26-50) / Skillful (51-100) / Expert (101-150 / Whiz Kid (151-200) / Jedi Master (201-400+)

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Juggling club is to establish a fun and creative way to encourage PSC 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. 

As each player reaches a new level of juggling they will receive a 1" color-coded patch (see below). Players can apply the patch to the right sleeve of their team jerseys.

Click on the soccer ball/patch image below to visit our Juggling Hall of Fame!

The Juggling Club has six levels of achievement. Plus, 500 touches qualify the player for the PSC Juggling Hall of Fame. Names will be posted on our website.E-mail Brian Henchey (brianhenchey@rogers.com) with the actual number of keep-ups achieved and the age group of your team.

Attached is the flyer you can use to announce to your team.  Good luck and please let us know what you think..... 

Tony La Ferrara,

Head Coach, Pickering Soccer Club