Parents, Make Sure Your Son Or Daughter Is Training Properly. Do Not Be Fooled By TikTok

A lot of young players are training the wrong way.

And one of the biggest reasons is social media.

Players are watching TikTok clips, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, then copying the training that looks exciting instead of the training that actually helps them improve.

Top corner goals. Free kicks. Long-range shots. Flashy finishes. Tricks that look good on camera.

There is nothing wrong with enjoying those clips.

But parents need to understand this clearly.

What looks good online is not always what your son or daughter needs.

Social Media Rewards The Wrong Things

Social media rewards moments.

The top corner finish. The skill move. The free kick. The outside-of-the-box shot. The clip that makes people stop scrolling.

That does not mean the training is wrong every time.

But it does mean the training can become unbalanced.

If a young player only copies what they see online, they can spend too much time on the least common parts of the game and not enough time on the actions they actually need every week.

That is where parents need to be careful.

A player might look busy. They might be training hard. They might be filming clips and hitting nice shots.

But the real question is this:

Is the training helping them become a better footballer?

Do Not Confuse Entertainment With Development

Football clips are made to entertain.

Development is different.

Development is built through repeated actions that transfer into games.

For attacking players, that means realistic finishing positions, first touch, movement, scanning, body shape, reaction, timing, and decision-making.

A lot of goals in football come from inside the box.

That means young attackers should spend serious time learning how to finish from realistic areas, not just smashing balls from 25 yards because it looks good on a reel.

Parents do not need to know every technical detail.

But they should know the difference between a session that looks impressive and a session that actually prepares a player for the game.

The Question Parents Should Ask

If your son or daughter is doing extra training, ask one question:

Where does this happen in a match?

That question cuts through a lot of nonsense.

If they are practising a finish, where does that finish happen in a game?

If they are doing a touch, what pressure does that touch prepare them for?

If they are doing a skill, when would they use it?

If they are taking 50 shots from outside the box, how often are they getting that exact chance in a match?

This does not mean players can never have fun or try things.

They should love the ball.

But if they want to improve properly, the training needs to connect to football reality.

Proper Training Is Not Always Flashy

Some of the best training does not look viral.

A clean first touch into space.

A simple finish from inside the box.

A bounce pass with the right weight.

A scan before receiving.

A movement across the defender.

A reaction touch away from pressure.

These details might not blow up on TikTok, but they win games.

Parents need to value the boring-looking work because that is often where real development happens.

If your child wants to become a better player, they need more than highlight moments.

They need habits.

Attackers Need Realistic Finishing Practice

One of the biggest mistakes young attacking players make is spending too much time practising finishes they rarely get.

Of course, scoring from outside the box feels brilliant.

But most attackers need to be ruthless in and around the box.

Six yards. Twelve yards. Across the goalkeeper. First-time finishes. Touch and finish. Reactions. Cutbacks. Low driven finishes. Calm side-foot finishes into corners.

That is the work.

The best finishers are not just powerful shooters.

They are calm. They understand angles. They open their hips. They pass the ball into corners. They train the actions they know will appear in games.

Parents should encourage players to study that.

Not just the spectacular goal.

The repeatable goal.

Training Should Solve Match Problems

Good individual training should solve problems from the game.

If a player keeps losing the ball under pressure, train first touch and body shape.

If they panic in front of goal, train realistic finishing with pressure and repetition.

If they never scan, build scanning into simple receiving drills.

If they struggle to beat a player, train change of direction, timing and acceleration.

If they are a winger, train receiving wide, driving inside, crossing, cutbacks and finishing from realistic angles.

If they are a striker, train movement, reaction finishes, close-range finishing, hold-up play, and first touch around the box.

The position matters.

The match problem matters.

The training should match both.

Parents Can Help Without Becoming The Coach

Parents do not need to run the session.

They do not need to stand there shouting technical instructions.

But they can help by asking better questions.

After training, ask:

• •What were you working on today?
• •How does that help you in a match?
• •What position-specific action did you practise?
• •Did you work on something you struggle with, or just something you enjoy?
• •What will you repeat next time?

Those questions help young players think properly.

They shift the focus away from just doing more training and toward doing better training.

That is the key.

The Warning For Parents

Do not be fooled by TikTok.

Do not judge a training session only by how good the clip looks.

Do not let your child spend all their extra time copying viral football content if it does not match what they actually need.

A player can hit worldie top-corner goals on camera and still struggle in a real game because they cannot receive under pressure, scan, use both feet, or finish calmly from realistic positions.

The goal is not to train for the algorithm.

The goal is to train for the match.

The Bigger Lesson

Any training is better than no training.

But proper training is what moves players forward.

Parents, make sure your son or daughter is not just copying what looks good online.

Make sure they are training the actions that actually happen in football.

First touch. Scanning. Movement. Position-specific detail. Realistic finishing. Reactions. Decision-making.

That is what builds players.

Watch the full video here: You Are Training Wrong. You Are Being Brainwashed.

If you want proper training ideas for your child, the Joner Football App has drills, programs, and coaching detail for players, parents, and coaches.

Do not train for TikTok.

Train for the game.