By Tony Colavecchia, former AZ State Director of Coaching

One of the most essentials skills to teach our young players is the art of shielding the ball in relation to trying to receive and turn with the ball whilst under pressure from an opponent. Many of the youth players that I observe in AZ when they lose possession of the ball have a tendency to lose the ball because when they are trying to turn or dribble without their body between the ball and the opponent. In addition many players naturally want to receive the ball with their strongest foot, the foot they are most comfortable with which often tends to be the foot which is closest to the opponent.