Illinois Skill Schools Brings World's Best Skill-Specific Soccer Training to Lake Forest

While living in his native England and working as the Head Football (Soccer) Coach and a Soccer Coaching Tutor at Manchester College, Illinois Skill Schools Director Kyle Jones focused his studies on soccer skill development and on the various training methods used in countries such as Brazil, Spain, England and the Netherlands.   

With over ten years of skill-specific coaching experience, as well as four years playing for Cornell University’s soccer team, Jones had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the finest English Premier League Academy Coaches. After two years of collaboration on curriculum and program development, Illinois Skill Schools was founded.  

Illinois Skill Schools training sessions utilize a number of unique methods, including:

·       Futebol de Salao, which is a Brazilian skill game that uses a size two skill ball with only 20 percent of the bounce of a regular ball. It encourages individual skills as well as quick, short combination play, and it is sometimes played to Samba music.

·       “The Skill Band Challenge.” The 50+ ISS skills are grouped into “bands” based on the level of difficulty and type of skill. Based on the martial arts belt system, players are rewarded with a different colored skill band when they master a specific group of moves. This helps develop both freedom and focus for young players.

·       “The numbers approach.” The methodology starts with one player: the individual. Each player is guided toward complete mastery of the ball, encouraged to make decisions of his or her own, and equipped with over 50 individual skills to help win the individual competitions that take place during each game. Players are then added to the practice progressively (2 players, 3 players, 4 players) to recreate the small numbers situations that take place during games. This approach culminates in the 4 vs. 4 model, which has been adopted by the youth academies of the world's finest professional clubs.  

The Illinois Skill Schools program combines the best skill development methods from around the world and is endorsed by some of the biggest names in soccer.  Phil Jagielka, Everton Football Club Captain and defender for the England national team, says, "I wish this type of coaching was available to players when I was growing up. The Illinois Skill Schools could improve the next generation of soccer players."  

Illinois Skill Schools is now offering programs on the North Shore. They will hold soccer camps in Winnetka from July 22 to 26 and in Lake Forest from July 29 - August 2 for 6 to 14-year-olds.  

Illinois Skill Schools also offers a Friday evening Footskills and Free Play program for 6 to 14-year-olds and a FUNdamentals program for 5 to 6-year-olds.

To register for Illinois Skill Schools and to learn more, please visit IllinoisSkillSchools.com.