30 Day At-Home Skills Challenge!
- Richard Fehr
- Nov 21
- 6 min read
What is the 30-Day Skills Challenge?
Simply put, it’s an introductory skills challenge designed to help players get started with at-home training and build consistency. It is completely focused on developing ball control and foot sensitivity when using the ball. In this challenge, you won’t be kicking the ball into the air or away from yourself. Instead, the ball stays close at all times, allowing you to train within a controlled, confined space while improving your skills.
Questions you may have!
Why do this 30-Day Skills Challenge?
For a long time, we have wanted to create an at-home program that gives players a real way to challenge themselves and continue their development throughout the cold months. Most of our community lives in a place where there is warm summers and harsh winters, and when the weather turns, outdoor training often becomes impossible. Not everyone has access to an indoor facility—and even if they do, financial barriers can make regular training difficult. Soccer programs can be expensive, but this one is completely free and designed for anyone to use, anywhere.
We genuinely care about our soccer community as its constantly growing. We want to see all our players improving year-round, just like athletes in places where training never stops because there is good weather. Self-training during our off-season is essential—when players return to the outdoor season already conditioned and technically sharp, the transition becomes smooth. But not everyone has access to programs, knowledge, or resources to train on their own. A lot of times it comes down to motivation and being able to commit to a training program. This challenge presented is for anyone, anywhere to do.
The goal is to motivate and empower players in the best way we can. If we can help them get better, enjoy the game more, and build long-term confidence, then this challenge has succeeded.
Why are we doing this as a group?
Because a team that trains together succeeds together. Even when you’re training on your own, you’re not just building your own skills—you’re strengthening the entire team. The more each of us practices, the more we contribute to our collective performance. Many of our players compete at the rep level, and at that level, consistent at-home training is essential to stay sharp and competitive. Everyone has something valuable to bring, and training helps us bring out the best in ourselves and in our team
Benefits of Integrating Futsal into Your Soccer Training
Enhanced Ball Control: Training in tight spaces, like those in futsal, forces you to keep the ball close, improving your touch, control, and comfort under pressure.
Quick Decision Making: The fast pace of futsal demands rapid thinking, helping you sharpen cognitive skills and make smarter, faster decisions on the field.
Improved Agility and Footwork: These drills build more than just speed—they enhance your flexibility, balance, coordination, and overall conditioning, making you more agile in every situation.
Better Creativity and Tactical Awareness: The more you train with the ball, the more your creativity and game awareness will grow, as increased confidence with the ball allows you to think and act freely on the field.
Daily Ball-Control Improvement: Consistent repetition reinforces proper technique, improves precision, and naturally boosts confidence with the ball at your feet.
Enhanced Spatial and Boundary Awareness: Training within taped boundaries strengthens your ability to read lines, maintain proper positioning, and react quickly in tight spaces.
Enhanced Foot Sensitivity and Touch: Using different parts of your feet develops coordination, touch accuracy, and a heightened sense of where the ball is at all times.
Personal Skill Development: Every session directly improves your individual game, giving you transferable skills that benefit both futsal and outdoor soccer.
Equipment and Space Requirements
Equipment Needed: Shoes, a ball, tape (to make your boundaries), and a water bottle
Finding a Suitable Practice Area: Ask your parent or guardian to help you choose a safe place for your training. Make sure the area is free of glass, metal, or any objects that could get in your way. Safety is the priority—choose a space where, if the ball rolls or you fall, there’s nothing nearby that could break or cause injury.
What kind of Ball? Because this is a futsal-focused program, I recommend using a futsal ball if you have one. Futsal balls are designed to have lower bounce and stay closer to your feet, which makes them ideal for tight-space training and touch development. They also help build proper conditioning and foot sensitivity.
If you don’t have a futsal ball, that’s completely fine—you can still do the entire program with a regular soccer ball. Just make sure you’re using the right size for your age and body size:
If you don’t currently have a ball or need help getting one, let me know—I’m happy to help you get one.
Do I have to use tape for boundaries? You don't have to but I would recommend doing it just to enhance the training. Players need to train using boundaries in place so they know their limitations in-game especially in futsal.
Do I use my feet, socks, or shoes? Each option has its pros and cons. Training barefoot can help develop the highest foot sensitivity and ball control, but it also carries the greatest risk of injury. Using shoes is the most recommended, especially with a futsal ball and the drills in this program. Shoes provide cushioning to protect your feet, improve traction to prevent slipping, and give a more realistic feel for game-like conditions. Training in socks is not recommended, as sweaty feet can cause slipping and reduce control.
Structuring the 30-Day Futsal Challenge
Short, effective sessions: Each day requires only 15 minutes, making it easy to stay consistent. You’re always welcome to train longer, but avoid excessive hours—your body needs proper rest to grow
Progressive Difficulty: Plan gradual increase in intensity and complexity of drills.
Variety in Drills: Even though the drills are all focused on ball control, you will be training the different muscles through various drills.
Rest and Recovery: Do not train too long as it can increase the risk of injury and burnout.
How do I start?
Find Your Space & Mark Boundaries: Set up a safe area and use tape or markers to define your training lines.
Review the Videos: Watch the drills to understand proper technique and flow.
Assess Your Drills: Identify which drills feel easy and which challenge you the most.
Schedule Your Training: Commit to 15 minutes per day. You can do more, but avoid long sessions—your body needs rest.
Focus Your Efforts: Start with 4–5 drills and work on each for 2–3 minutes.
Start Slow & Train Both Sides: Begin at a comfortable pace and gradually increase speed. Work on both feet and legs, since soccer requires balance and coordination on both sides.
Progress & Challenge Yourself: After the first week, build on the drills you found easy and introduce new challenges. Keep a mix of easy, repetitive skills (like toe taps) as warm-ups while pushing your limits with harder drills.
Stay Hydrated: Even short 15-minute sessions can make you sweat—keep water nearby to stay hydrated.
Skills and Drills Breakdown:
The drills in this program are divided into two categories: stationary and mobile. I recommend mixing both types into each session, starting with the stationary drills before moving into the mobile ones. This helps your body ease into the movements, warms up your footwork, and prepares you for the higher-intensity, change-of-direction work in the mobility drills. Combining both styles will give you a balanced, well-rounded training session that builds control, confidence, and consistency.
Your stationary drills are designed to help you condition your feet and develop sensitivity to the ball, especially when working in limited space.
These basic stationary drills are perfect for players who are still developing their foundational skills—they can be done almost anywhere: at school, at home, or even while watching TV.
The goal is to become comfortable with the natural feel of the ball under your feet. Use every part of your foot—heels, toes, the inside, and the outside—to build touch, control, and confidence.
Your mobile drills will push you in both speed and spatial control. You’ll be turning, stopping, accelerating, and changing direction over and over, all within tight spaces. These sessions are intentionally designed to sharpen your footwork, quick decision-making, and overall confidence when playing under pressure—one of the core goals of this challenge.
Creativity: At the end of each session, take a few minutes to have fun with the ball. Experiment creatively—practice changing directions, using different parts of your feet, rolling, tapping, and just playing with the skills you’ve been training. This not only makes training more enjoyable but also helps you apply what you’ve learned in a natural, game-like way.
How to Access The Videos:
We have embedded the videos into this blog below. You can also find them on Instagram and our Facebook page.
Stationary Drills:
Mobile Drills:
Tracking Progress and Staying Motivated
Personal Reflection:
Track growth by observing your individual play.
Before starting, reflect on your current ball control and confidence.
Check in with yourself regularly over the next few weeks.
At the end of the challenge, reflect on your improvements.
Notice progress week by week, especially in games.
Possible improvements: smoother turns, faster boundary recognition, less ball-watching, greater game awareness.
Small gains add up to big improvements over time.
What You Will Achieve After Completing the Challenge
Noticeably Better Ball Skills: Improved touch and control during matches.
Sharper Decision-Making: Ability to react quicker under pressure.
Increased Confidence on the Field: Enhanced creativity and comfort in small spaces.
Improved Fitness and Agility: Better endurance and quickness relevant to soccer.
Greater Enjoyment of the Game: Renewed passion through skill development and creativity.
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