These are some of Gary's posts that I collected for use in coaching my own teams. I approached Gary and he was gracious enough to allow me to publish them here. Click here and enjoy . Concerning individual skills, I agree that being able to beat a defender 1v1 is probably the most important skill a soccer player can possess. However, stopping an attacker defensively in a 1v1 situation may be the most critical skill if a TEAM is to be successful.
Lateral quickness is one characteristic all good defenders have.
The Ball Set up two flat cones, or shirts, etc. This activity helps improve the side to side shuffling and staying balanced, ready to reverse movement. The defender must not overcommit to either ball as the dribbler can fake going to one ball and reverse dribble to the other. There should be at least 6-10 players per group as this is an extremely fatiguing activity, if early scores are not realized. Be sure to have different opponents.