Any international sporting event will bring renewed interest in the sport and whether your kids have been mad for soccer for years or have had their interest piqued by the World Cup, you might want to get them involved with soccer.
Fortunately, for those in Sydney, there are plenty of places where kids can learn how to play soccer and lots of different ways for them to start playing. One of the best ways to learn how to play or get better at soccer is with coaching through soccer academies and clubs.
In this article, we'll look at where you can find soccer coaching in Sydney and the different ways to get better at the sport.
Soccer Academies and Coaching in Sydney
As we mentioned, academies and coaching are among the best ways for kids to get better at soccer. Here are some of the most popular soccer coaching academies in and around Sydney.
Naturally, this isn't an exhaustive list, but they should offer a good place to start your search for you and your kids.

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Elite Football Coaching
Elite Football Coaching is an organisation that offers private soccer coaching around Sydney. The head coach David von Dinklage has decades of playing and coaching experience as well as being qualified in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of Sydney.
Like many of the other academies you'll see here, Elite Football Coaching offers one-on-one and group sessions.
FAST Football Academy
FAST Football Academy offers childcare and after-school programs for kids to play soccer. The childcare program is for children aged between 3 and 5 years old and is a great way to see if this is something they enjoy doing.
The after-school program is for children aged between 6 and 12 and FAST Football Academy has coached thousands of young children during the last decade.
Goal Soccer Academy
Goal Soccer Academy is an award-winning soccer academy with a year-round program. They offer weekly classes, holiday camps, one-to-one skill training, 5-a-side tournaments, goalkeeping courses, and team training.
They also have locations in Canberra, Cromer Park, and Port Stephens.
Justfootball Academy
Justfootball Academy operates in Ryde and the Lower North Shore offering academy and holiday programs that focus on personal, technical, and tactical development.
Their junior programs are for children aged between 4 and 9 years old, but they have development programs for older kids and advanced programs, too.
There are multiple groups and brackets within these programs so kids are likely to find a group that's a good fit for them and their abilities.
Kickeroos
Kickeroos offers a range of soccer coaching programs in Centennial Park, Queens Park, Steyne Park, Lower Cooper Park, Waverley Park, and Moore Park.
Programs include weekly sessions, holiday camps, private one-on-one sessions, and birthday parties. Classes for children from 18 months upwards.
Nick Rizzo International Football Academy
Nick Rizzo is an Australian soccer player who had spells at Liverpool and Crystal Palace in the late 90s and also played for the Australian national side in a match against Croatia at the age of 18.
Rizzo moved from English soccer to Ternana in Italy, but injury plagued his time there. He would return to England to play for Milton Keynes Dons for three seasons and eventually return to Australia, spending time at Perth Glory and Central Coast Mariners.
Now, his academy runs programs for children aged 5 and upwards with programs aligning with New South Wales public school term dates. The academy also offers holiday camps during the school holidays with 2-hour sessions.
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Play Easy Brazilian Academy
The Play Easy Brazilian Academy aims to bring Brazilian football to Australia with academy programs, one-on-one coaching, and holiday camps.
The academy programs are for kids aged between 5 and 16 and are arranged into 10-week terms. Prices vary according to whether you pay for the year or the term.
Project 11 Football Academy
The Project 11 Football Academy is based in Guildford and offers programs across 4 terms a year during the public school terms in NSW. They have programs for kids from ages 4 to 16.
Sydney Lions Soccer Academy
The Sydney Lions Soccer Academy offers football development programs for kids aged from 18 months to 16 years.
The sessions are charged as a monthly subscription and there are lots of options for different ages and abilities.
Their Mini Lions Academy focuses on very young children aged between 18 months and 5 years, with the very youngest requiring parental assistance.
The academy also offers birthday parties.

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Other Ways to Learn How to Play Soccer
While academies and coaching companies are a great way for kids to start playing soccer or improving in the sport, it isn't the only way for them to be involved and there are several other things they need to be doing if they want to get the most out of soccer.
Here are some of the other ways they can learn to play soccer or get better at it.
Get Feedback
Feedback is essential for any skill. Make sure that no matter how your child is learning to play soccer, they're getting useful and constructive feedback and criticism.
Feedback needs to be actionable for it to be useful so make sure they know what they're doing wrong and what they need to do to improve.
Get Involved with the Soccer Community
For many, soccer is a way of life and there are many passionate soccer fans in Australia and around the world. Kids can learn a lot about soccer by being involved with the community and attending events.
The site Play Football Australia is also a great resource for finding clubs and academies for adults and children.
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Practise Regularly
Practice makes perfect and the same is true for soccer. While regular coaching sessions at an academy or with a private coach are excellent ways to get better, if you don't practise, you won't enjoy the full benefits of your coaching.
Outside of coaching sessions and matches, make sure that your kids are practising regularly. This doesn't mean that they need a strict training schedule and it's important you make sure that the drills are enjoyable and useful and make sure they have fun with them.
Stay in Shape
The maximise performance, a healthy lifestyle is essential. Naturally, this means different things for different age groups, but a good diet, exercise, and the appropriate amount of rest work for any age.
Don't undo their hard work during soccer training by feeding them junk or letting them spend the rest of their time doing nothing.
Study Soccer
To get better at soccer, you need to know how it works. Your kids will become better players if they study the sport as well as play and train regularly.
With any decent academy, they'll learn about tactics and study the game, but it doesn't hurt to study soccer with them to ensure they understand the game.
Track Your Progress
Tracking progress and rewarding achievement is a great way to encourage your kids to get better at soccer. Remember to celebrate the wins, move on from the defeats, and make sure they're moving in the right direction.
Watch Matches
One of the best ways to study soccer while also getting involved with the soccer community is by watching and attending matches. If you can attend local games, that's great, but if not, you don't need to worry too much because there are plenty of ways to watch soccer from all over the world.
Even if you can't watch full matches, there are plenty of videos of tricks, skills, and highlights on the internet and also video tutorials for skills and drills.

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Get Private Soccer Coaching
While kids can get one-on-one coaching sessions from academies, you can also go directly to private soccer coaches on platforms such as ours. Just search for soccer (or football) and you'll find soccer tutors.
While soccer is certainly a team sport and it pays to train in groups, there are also plenty of advantages to working one-on-one with coaches.
Firstly, a private coach can make sure that they're working on the skills needed to progress and using an approach that works for the player.
Private coaching also gives you more choice when it comes to the cost as you can compare different coaches and pick the one that's right for you and your budget.
Beyond soccer, you can also find private tutors and coaches for nutrition, sports psychology, and other skills that can help with playing soccer.
With a lot of tutors offering the first session for free, you can also try out different tutors and coaches before choosing which one is right for you or your child.
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