Howard County is home to a soccer culture that punches above its weight. The clubs, leagues, and high school programs in Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Fulton, and Elkridge produce competitive, technically capable players who go on to play at high school varsity level, college programs, and beyond. This is a county that takes youth soccer seriously.
That means the standard for what “good” looks like has gotten higher every year. Players who were standouts three years ago may find themselves squeezed out of starting spots as the talent pool deepens. The players who stay ahead of that curve aren’t necessarily more gifted, they’re the ones doing the individual technical work that team practices don’t cover.
Touch Lab Soccer Training provides one-on-one soccer training throughout Howard County. Coach Paul Jackiewicz, a USSF-licensed coach, specializes in helping players identify and fix the specific technical limitations that are holding their game back and building the strengths that make them impossible to leave off a roster.
Position-Specific Development for Howard County Players
One of the things that distinguishes one-on-one training at Touch Lab from generic private coaching is the emphasis on position-specific development. Every player on the field has different technical priorities. A center midfielder has completely different needs from a winger or a center back. Treating them the same is a waste of their training time.
Coach Paul builds sessions around what each player’s position demands:
Central Midfielders — Receiving on the half-turn, playing through pressure, quick one and two-touch combination play, switching the field with driven passes.
Wingers and Forwards — Explosive dribbling, 1v1 moves at pace, receiving and finishing with both feet, creating separation from defenders in wide areas.
Center Backs and Defenders — Aerial dominance, stepping to intercept, jockeying technique, reading the game early, playing out from the back under pressure.
Attacking Midfielders — Tight ball control in space between lines, dribbling combinations, creating angles, composure in front of goal.
This level of specificity is only possible in a one-on-one environment. In a team practice, a coach can’t run separate position-specific technical drills for 15 different players at the same time. One-on-One Soccer Training in Maryland is the only format where this kind of individualized, position-first coaching actually happens.
The Howard County Training Environment
Howard County’s youth soccer ecosystem is well-organized and highly competitive. Players here benefit from strong club infrastructure, but that same infrastructure means the roster competition is fierce. US Youth Soccer guidelines emphasize the importance of balancing team training with individual skill development, and Howard County families who take both seriously see the results.
Touch Lab serves players throughout Howard County; Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Fulton, Elkridge, and Jessup. Sessions are held at locations convenient to the player, minimizing travel time and maximizing training time.
New to Touch Lab? Start with a Player Evaluation
Player Evaluation Session — $65 (one-time per player)
Not sure where your player stands or what to focus on? A Player Evaluation Session is the best way to start. I’ll assess first touch, ball control, decision-making, and comfort on both feet, then walk you through exactly what I see and recommend a clear path forward, whether that’s a training pack, group sessions, or focused work at home.
One evaluation session per player. After your evaluation, one-on-one sessions are priced below.
One-on-One Soccer Training Session Pricing
(Note: Sessions located 30 to 45 minutes from Upper Marlboro, MD include a $25 travel fee. Sessions 45 or more minutes away include a $35 travel fee. Please also note that scheduling availability is limited and subject to change. Clients who commit to recurring weekly sessions or multi-session packages receive priority scheduling and guaranteed time slots. Single session availability cannot be guaranteed week to week.)
1 hour session = $80
Save when you commit to a package:
4 session package = $300 (save $20)
8 session package = $560 (save $80)
Package sessions must be booked in advance and are non-refundable. Clients on packages receive priority scheduling over single session bookings.
Know someone who would benefit from private training? Refer a friend and receive $15 off your next session when they book.
Book One-on-One Soccer Training in Howard County Today
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Frequently Asked Questions: One-on-One Training in Howard County
My child doesn’t know their best position yet. Can sessions still be position specific?
Yes. If a player is still figuring out where they fit, Coach Paul builds early sessions around broad technical skills that transfer across positions, receiving, ball control, and decision making, while paying attention to where the player naturally excels. Once a clearer position picture emerges, whether from team play or the training itself, sessions shift to the more specialized work described on this page.
Howard County club soccer is known for being competitive. Does that change how you run sessions here compared to less competitive areas?
To an extent, yes. Given how deep the talent pool is across Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Fulton, and Elkridge, sessions with Howard County players tend to move faster into position-specific and game-speed work, since many players already have a solid technical base from strong club programs. The goal shifts from building fundamentals from scratch to sharpening the specific edge that keeps a player ahead of a deepening roster.
My child plays more than one position for their team. Can training cover both?
Sessions can absolutely cover more than one position, especially for younger players or those still being tried out in different roles by their club. Let Coach Paul know both positions when booking so training time can be split appropriately, though players working toward a specific long term position often see faster results by concentrating most of the session there.
Do you train at Sofive in Columbia, or only at outdoor parks and fields?
Coach Paul currently leads the Skills Institute program and has served as Lead Coach for the Manchester City Soccer Academy at Sofive in Columbia, so he’s very familiar with that facility. One-on-one Touch Lab sessions are typically held at outdoor parks and fields around Howard County, but indoor sessions at a facility like Sofive can be arranged, which does raise the price due to facility rental costs.
My child is trying out for a competitive club team in Howard County. How far ahead of tryouts should we start training?
Generally, the earlier the better, since technical improvements and new habits need repetition to become reliable under tryout pressure. Many Howard County families start six to eight weeks out with weekly sessions or a package to build noticeable improvement before tryout day, though even a few focused sessions closer to tryouts can sharpen specific weaknesses.
Does Coach Paul work with players who are already part of the Manchester City Soccer Academy or Skills Institute program?
Yes. Some families use one-on-one Touch Lab sessions to supplement their child’s time in the academy or Skills Institute program, focusing on individual weaknesses that group academy sessions don’t have time to isolate. If your child is already in one of those programs, mention it when booking so sessions can complement rather than duplicate that training.
Which Howard County communities does Touch Lab serve, and are there travel fees?
Touch Lab trains players throughout Howard County, including Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Fulton, Elkridge, and Jessup. Sessions within 30 minutes of Upper Marlboro carry no travel fee. Locations 30 to 45 minutes out add a $25 travel fee, and locations 45 minutes or more add a $35 travel fee.
