How Middle School Beginners Can Learn a Powerful Soccer Shot｜Private Lesson Breakdown

Certified Soccer Home Tutor Coach / Yutaro Noma

About Today’s Student

This Wednesday, I worked with a 2nd-year middle school boy who recently restarted soccer.

He played a little when he was younger, but this is essentially a fresh beginning.

He told his father, “I want to play soccer again,” and that led them to try our Private Soccer Lesson Program.

Like many teenagers who are still rediscovering the sport, he has moments where he’s focused and moments where his mind drifts. But this “in-between stage” is completely normal—it often means he’s right before hitting that moment where things start becoming fun.

How We Approach Training

His father hopes he can develop more determination and “competitive spirit,” but in our Private Soccer Lesson philosophy, we don’t try to force that.

Instead, we focus on:

Helping him find moments of genuine enjoyment first.

When the training menu matches what he wants to do, and when the session includes variety and playfulness, his expression changes immediately—he becomes engaged, positive, and eager to try more. This is always the best starting point.

Today’s Main Theme: Building the Foundations for a Strong Shot

His biggest goal right now is simple and clear:
“I want to shoot the ball harder.”

In our Private Soccer Lessons, we always teach techniques that can be used directly in real games, not isolated drills that stay only in practice.

To develop a powerful shot, the key is not muscle strength but:

Impact (making clean contact with the ball)
A habit of putting the foot forward toward the ball
Timing of the plant step
Body angle and direction

This simple action—putting the foot forward—isn’t just for shooting.

It improves:

Dribbling
Ball control
Defensive approach
Winning the ball
First touch

Today, to help him feel this “forward action,” we used different tools and added playful elements so he could enjoy the process while naturally learning the correct movement.

He tends to lose focus if training becomes too serious or repetitive, so keeping the session light and enjoyable actually helps the technique settle more smoothly.

Summary

Today’s session was all about:

Starting from what he wants → turning it into a technique that works in real games.

This flow is one of the most important parts of our Private Soccer Lesson method.

A clean shooting impact and the ability to put the foot forward quickly are essential no matter the player’s experience level. These aren’t “beginner problems”—they are core elements of soccer itself.

And these skills cannot be fully understood through explanation alone. There are a few crucial “feel-based” points that only become clear when moving together on the field.

What he grasped today is just the beginning. From here, we’ll bring that sensation into game-like situations so he can apply it naturally during matches.

This is exactly the phase where players suddenly start to grow. If you’re curious about this approach or have similar concerns, feel free to reach out anytime.