In just a few weeks, the biggest sporting event on the planet rolls into our backyard. Starting June 14, NRG Stadium — temporarily renamed Houston Stadium — will host seven 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, including a Round of 16 fixture on July 4. That is more matches than nearly any other U.S. host city. For our young athletes, this is not just a chance to watch greatness. It is a once-in-a-generation chance to get inspired, lace up the cleats, and chase it.

At Be Someone Sports, we have seen what a moment like this does to a kid. They watch a defender slide-tackle a ball clean off the line, then sprint to the backyard to try it themselves. That spark is gold. So let’s turn it into a plan. Here are five soccer skills every young Houston athlete should be sharpening right now — whether they play competitive club ball, rec league, or just love kicking a ball around with their friends.

1. The First Touch That Buys You Time

The pros make it look easy because it isn’t easy. A great first touch is the difference between a hopeful pass and a real chance. The good news: it’s also the most coachable skill on this list.

Have your athlete stand 10 feet from a wall. Pass the ball, receive it with the inside of their foot, and try to “kill” it dead within a step. Switch feet. Then try cushioning the ball with the outside of the foot, then the thigh. Five minutes a day, every day, will transform a young player in a single season.

2. Dribbling With Both Feet (Not Just the Dominant One)

Watch any World Cup midfielder and you’ll notice something: they are equally dangerous with either foot. Young athletes naturally favor one side, but the kids who break through to the next level train the weak foot until it stops feeling weak.

A simple drill: set up six cones in a straight line, five yards apart. Dribble through them using only the left foot. Then only the right. Then alternate every touch. The first few times will feel awkward. That awkwardness is exactly the point.

3. Awareness — The Skill You Cannot See on Highlight Reels

Here is the secret of elite soccer: the best players know what they are going to do before the ball arrives. They scan the field constantly — shoulder check, shoulder check, shoulder check — so they can play one-touch passes that look like magic.

Teach your young athlete to glance over both shoulders every time they are within 15 yards of the ball, even when they don’t have it. It is the most underrated habit in youth sports, and it carries into every other game they’ll ever play.

A quick drill for parents and coaches

Play “color call.” While your athlete dribbles toward you, hold up a colored cone (or just shout a color you’re wearing). They have to call it out before they reach you. It forces their head up.

4. Speed of Decision Over Speed of Foot

We love a fast kid. But speed without thought just means you arrive at the wrong place faster. Young Houston athletes who are headed to club soccer, middle school tryouts, or the high school varsity squad need to train decision-making the same way they train sprints.

Small-sided games — 3v3 or 4v4 in a tight space — are the gold standard. They force constant decisions: pass, dribble, shoot, drop back. If you can’t find a small-sided pickup game, set up a 15-by-15-yard square in the backyard with two mini-goals and play to five. The volume of decisions in one of those games beats an hour of cone drills.

5. Resilience When the Game Doesn’t Go Your Way

This one isn’t a foot skill, but it’s the most important on the list. Soccer is a low-scoring sport. Your athlete will miss chances. They will give up goals. They will lose games they thought they had won.

The young athletes who keep growing are the ones who learn to reset between plays — to take a breath, look up, and play the next ball instead of replaying the last one. That mental skill is the same one our coaches preach across every Be Someone Sports program, from flag football to volleyball to cheer. The World Cup will showcase plenty of brilliance, but watch closely: the players who handle the missed penalty, the bad call, the late goal — those are the ones lifting trophies.

Make This Summer Count

The 2026 FIFA World Cup arriving in Houston is a gift to every young athlete in this city. Use it. Watch the games together as a family. Talk about what you see. Then get out in the heat — safely; hydrate, sunscreen, early-morning sessions — and put in the work.

If your child is ready to take the next step in their athletic journey, Be Someone Sports has summer programming designed exactly for moments like this. Our NFL Flag League, GOATS Volleyball, Rush 7on7, and Be Someone ELITE training programs build the same five skills — first touch, two-sided coordination, awareness, decision speed, and resilience — across every sport we coach.

Explore our programs and register today. The World Cup is coming. Make sure your young athlete is ready to be inspired — and then ready to put in the reps.

Share this post with a parent, coach, or young athlete who needs to see it. Let’s make this the summer Houston’s next generation of athletes catches fire.