Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Importance of Soccer Pre Game Warm Up

Soccer warm up exercises are the most frequent in pre match situations and training. there's no other type of exercise that a soccer player will spend more time with then with warm up. Professional teams usually spend around 30 minutes of their training sessions on a quality warm up, because this has three major effects on players, effects that we will discuss in the following paragraphs.

-Soccer Pre game Warm up - Avoiding Injuries

Our muscles and tendons can easily cause problems if they are used at their fullest without a proper series of soccer warm up drills. The muscles work on the same principle as an elastic string would. Pull it slowly and the elastic will be able to stretch without problems, but if you pull it in one quick motion, there's a risk it might snap. Ok, your muscles won't just "snap" if you use them intensely without the proper warm up, but there's a good chance you might strain them or develop other injuries.

That's why a good part of soccer warm up drills includes stretching exercises, which slowly get your muscles used to the effort.

-The Importance of Soccer Pre game Warm up - Higher Performance

It's not called warming up for nothing: when performing these exercises, you actually warm your muscles and entire body, allowing it to be ready for effort. By performing soccer pre game warm up exercises, you set your muscles, heart rate and breathing to the same levels you will be using in the match, so you can easily accommodate to the variables that the match brings.

Try this very simple exercise to test this theory: warm up for 30 minutes thoroughly, using a wide range of soccer warm up drills that work with your entire body, not just your legs. After you're done, do 5-10 sprints on the width of the soccer pitch and measure your heart rate and the general difficulty of each sprint.

Now, come back in another day, do a couple of stretching exercises so you don't develop any injuries and simply start sprinting (the same number of sprints as the day before), without getting a proper warm up beforehand. You will notice that you will have harder time breathing throughout and between the sprints, they will be harder to perform and at the end, your heart rate will be much higher than yesterday, meaning that your body had a harder time adjusting to the high level of effort.

-The Importance of Soccer Pre game Warm up - Concentration

This is strictly related to the other two benefits of a quality warm up. Knowing that you're fully prepared for the match/training session and that there's no risk of injury, you will be a lot more focused on the game and on doing your job right. Soccer warm up exercises will also get your body ready for the effort as I explained above and this has a positive effect on concentration. When you're not focusing on having to breathe right or stopping to catch your breath, you can, again, concentrate on your job.

These should be enough reasons to convince you of the importance of soccer warm up exercises. If you're a player that wants to give his or her best on the soccer pitch, your first concern will be giving your best in the soccer pre game warm up drills.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

What You Need To Know To Effectively Coach Soccer

Before a person decides that he will become a soccer coach he should have a full understanding of what the game entails and the importance of the game. What was once just an all American sport has diversified into one of the most popular game on a global level. There are not many countries that have not embraced a soccer team and are enjoying the sport. There is a very interesting history surrounding soccer for it has been around since the Chinese and Japanese dynasties introduced it in the 1500's. Rome also has something very similar to soccer but it does not go by that name. However there have since been many sports that are similar to soccer and require a ball to be kicked across a field to score a goal.

In 1863 the rules that are followed still today on an international basis were revised. These rules and regulations that were set forth are what have made the sport grow in such popularity. As a matter of fact, the sport of soccer has become an international event where the greatest achievement is to win the World Cup. The basics of soccer are to begin with two teams that each have eleven players. The playing area is a rectangular piece of grass and the players will use a soccer ball while using only their feet and objectively move the ball across the field in an attempt to score a goal. At each end of the field there are goal markers which are guarded by goalies whose main job is to guard the net so no balls can enter. The ball is in constant motion at all times. Soccer comes with what is referred to as the "Laws of the game." These consist of seventeen major rules that must be abided by in an official soccer game. Although some referees may be a bit more flexible than others, the concept and integrity of the game must always be followed. These rules are designed to keep the game fair. Soccer is a game that has evolved through out history and throughout people has flocked to watch the game. The game of soccer is as strong now as it was centuries ago.

The basic equipment that is worn during a game of soccer is a jersey, a pair of shorts, shin guards, stockings, and adequate footwear. Goalkeepers wear colors that differentiate them from the other players. In order for a goal to be scored the ball must pass over the goal line, between the goalposts, and under the crossbar.

Free kicks are awarded at the discretion of the referees. These would be equivalent to a penalty shot in another sport such as hockey or basketball. These are usually granted when there is inappropriate action from someone on the other team such as kicking or an attempt to kick an opponent, trips, jumping, charges, strikes, or pushes from an opponent. Another reason that a referee may offer a free kick would be if an opponent tackles to gain the ball, holds or spits at an opponent, or if they were to handle the ball on purpose.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Taking Part of the High School Soccer Standings

Aspiring high school football fans from all walks of life want to play for their campus team and see themselves at the high school soccer standings. But making such a goal possible requires a series of crucial processes. It is a better thing if the aspiring soccer enthusiast already has a rich background of the game. However if the young player has just started learning the sport, then it's another story.

A young athlete who wishes to become a player for a competitive soccer team has to have the support of his or her parents. This is an important factor in the sense that motivation should come from the home. Simple words of encouragement from both parents are a great help and can energize the aspiring young player to learn more and stick to the game for the better. The parents are usually the ones that the young people look up to so that without their motivation and support the young ones will really have difficulty in putting a direction in their lives.

Soccer is a game that requires regular schedules. For this reason, the young people especially high school students should learn to manage and balance their time. Being a part of the top team in the high school soccer standings may be a priority for aspiring young football players but they must also think about their academic performance. This should not mean however that the student will have to abandon one for the other. The important thing here is to impose in oneself the responsibility to do well at two or more priorities at the same time.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

How To Find The Best Soccer Coaching Method

If you’ve always fancied yourself as the next Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho, maybe you’re already involved in playing or coaching football. Maybe you’re considering football as a good way of keeping fit, and want to know more about tactics and techniques. Perhaps coaching your child’s school team isn’t as easy as you thought, or maybe you just want to improve your own playing skills. Whatever the reason, there are many ways of learning how to play soccer, and becoming a better player or coach.

Summer soccer coaching courses in the UK are usually intensive and over a week or longer, and are often run by football clubs. Sometimes the course is staffed by former players, or players coming through the ranks and current players may make a guest appearance. Skills covered range from goalkeeping to shooting, and utilise soccer drills and other coaching methods. Soccer coaching courses can be expensive especially for a family with more than one football playing child and the best ones may not always be local.

Watching a lot of football, and hopefully picking up some skills from favourite players is useful, but not the same as learning how to play soccer from a professional qualified soccer coach. Imagine thinking you could learn to drive by watching a Grand Prix, or that you could learn to be a doctor by watching a TV medical drama.

Learning from books written by players or managers is another way of learning the necessary skills and techniques, but are not always practical on a soccer pitch. Books can be invaluable for the management side of football, and what better way for a new manager or coach to learn than from some of the most successful managers ever. It is difficult, however, for a team to sit round a book to learn a technique for example. Providing a book for each player could prove to be expensive, and may not be the best use of resources.

Using videos can be very effective to analyse all aspects of a match, including evaluating previous performances, identifying potential transfer targets, working out the best tactics and which techniques to work on. Videos can also be used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of opposing teams, and can even be more valuable that a scout’s report. Videos can be shown in a classroom environment so that the whole team can watch and learn. Being able to watch the video again and again, and watch it in slow motion can also be beneficial. The coach or individual players can watch the video independently, and see which areas could be improved.

Websites can combine video, text and images making it ideal for sports and academic learning. There are many online resources aimed at coaching football, and so finding the best one to meet your needs can be daunting. The level of the coach and/or players should be the main deciding factor. A site aimed at people who have no soccer coaching or playing experience will probably not be suitable for a professional club looking to prevent injuries or improve the mental performance of a player. All sorts of lessons can be found within these types of websites, including training plans for children of different ages, soccer drills, how to treat common injuries and much much more. As the player progresses, the techniques become more difficult, and the fitness and stamina will improve.

These types of soccer coaching websites provide a great deal of information and resources, and some sites are endorsed by a well known former player or manager. Learning how to play soccer from a professional coach or player, and being able to see techniques performed properly in real time by professionals, as well as explained in great detail by qualified coaches was previously only available via coaching courses. Now online soccer coaching is becoming popular, it can be invaluable, especially to younger players, who may learn better from watching than by reading. Football coaching websites may also offer help with working towards recognised professional football coaching qualifications As well as techniques and tactics, these websites may cover fitness training, recovering from injury, and sports psychology.

Whilst traditional methods of learning and coaching are still very popular, the rise of the soccer coaching website means that people all over the world now have access to the best coaches, football coaching methods and information, at any time. Professional clubs and players, as well as those at grass roots level can benefit from an internet based football academy. Just think, the club you play for or coach, could now be using the very same soccer coaching methods as the club you support!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Soccer Drills - Two Advanced Drills to Improve Your Soccer Game

After practicing some basic drills and having an understanding of the game incorporate more advanced drills into a practice. Here are two advanced drills to help with game situations.

Power and Finesse. - This drill will stress using both feet for a power, and finesse shot. Finesse shots should be soft, accurate, and well placed. Power shots should be hard, accurate, and well placed.
Start by having a group of players form two lines outside the eighteen box. One line five feet to the left of the half circle and the other five feet right of the half circle.
Each player will be taking two shots. One at the eighteen box and one at the six box. If a player makes one of the two shots they go to the end of their line. If a player makes both shots they challenge another player from the other team, and that player must make both shot or they are out.
If a player misses both they are out of the drill. Have two passers on either side of the goal with a pile of balls. The passers make two passes per player.

Juggling - This drill will focus on soft touches resulting in better ball control. Start with a soccer ball in hand, and drop it to your feet. With both feet try to keep it from touching the ground as long as possible. In order to do accomplish this lightly kick the ball upwards. Slant your foot to the sky, and make contact with the laces of your foot. Keep the ball below the waist. Kick the ball with a light upward snap of the foot.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

How To Teach Aggressive Soccer Play

It is rough to win these if you are fearful of contact. The most hard squad might typically "win" most of the 50/50 balls and might generally gain the match. It is decisive that your defenseive players be rugged and not fearsome of full contact. If a player is cowardly of bodily contact, you might spare several goals if you play him or her at Fullback or Sweeper. Any player who is cowardly of full contact is at a disadvantage. Ideally, you desire to Teach your players to not only be brave and unafraid of bodily contact, but also to move fast and be strong about moving to the ball and to gain open balls. This is usually not easy to Instruct. A few children are by nature cautious and most young youngsters have been instructed that boisterous or aggressive play is bad because someone can get wounded. We are often asked how coaches can Instruct players to be more hard. We think that getting into the game and tough play are two of the most crucial affairs you can Instruct. Merely expressed, the players who get rough and play aggressively might have more gratification and enjoyment from playing than those who do not.

Now, we are not talking about encouraging dirty, unsafe or unfair play, we are only talking about supporting players to hustle, be dauntless and do their best. Some of my favorite Fullbacks were small players who lacked skill, speed or much athletic ability, but they were hard and dauntless and would not back down from anybody. The following are A select few ideas for your circumstance and Practice Games that Teach hustling and tough play:

Instruct your players that it is safe to be dauntless, rugged and strong. One of the virtually all significant affairs you can do is to promote your players and congratulate them While they are brave and hard. Try to do so in a confirming way, such as: "Way to get rough Mary!" or, "gain the ball Matt, you can do it!" or, "Way to battle for the ball Tommy!" One idea that Soccer Coaches have had skillful luck with is to generate honors for tough, fearless play. For example, ask several of the moms to cut stars out of gold, silver or red iron on fabric and supply them to the players who play rugged. The players can iron the stars on their jersey sleeves. Or even, supply out small-scale iron on soccer ball patches Or anything you conceive your players will like. almost players enjoy to pull in these sorts of benefits.

Premium Drill Games That Teach getting into the game, Tackling and hard Play:

about all Drill Games involve contention and pressure. In these regards, Practice session games model real "match" circumstances and promote players to get rough and perform soccer actions under pressure at "game fastness". There are many Premium drill Games that Instruct hustling, aggressive play and how to "dispossess" the "onball attacker" of the ball First, attempt the "Shoulder Tackle and Strength On The Ball match." Shoulder tackling" and "strength on the ball are two super important matters to Teach. This match will get your players used to full contact and Teach them how to tough contend for the bal). Then, try out "Attack and Defend Ball Tag", "Across and Back Ball Tag", "Dribble Past defenders ", "Double Dare Attack and Defend", Dribble and Tag and Reverse", and "Sharks & Minnows". Two other games that can teach your players to be aggressive are "Defend The Goal & Clear match" and "Corner Kick Simulation" These 2 also teach Some other useful matters.

We powerfully advocate teaching Coaching Rules. It teaches your players how to position themselves to defend and win the ball on your opponent's throw ins, goal kicks and punts.

We also powerfully advocate you play the "Dribble Across A Square game" three times to begin every drill and call for each player his or her grade at the end of each game. This might let you supervise each player's progress. This is the single best game you can play. I assure you that your players may develop striking dribbling skills and outstanding field vision and field consciousness if you play this match a lot. It is not the almost fun match, and your players can sound off a little, however it is worth it. As your players see that the match is causing them to improve, they may not sound off about it. You may see spectacular improvement after four or 5 drills. Being able to dribble and shield the ball is critical. Your players will have a lot more self-confidence and will play with more enthusiasm if they realize they can dribble and protect the ball. One of the peachy items about the "Dribble Across A Square match" is that it is self teaching and playing the match teaches players how to control dribble, fastness dribble, shield the ball and twist.

In short it just makes sense to teach aggressive play and your squad will thank you for it.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Men's US National Soccer Team

The Men's U.S. National Soccer team has been one of the less popular soccer teams today in men's category. Coming from a country that enjoys and ravels with different variations of sports that are made and invented in their country, soccer has not been a nationwide success in all of America. Thus soccer team of the U.S. has been considered as the less recognizable teams in all of soccer. The United States has basketball, American football, hockey and baseball among any other else. Soccer is one of the least interesting sports for most Americans.

Currently, U.S. National Soccer team ranks 30th in the most recent World Rankings of FIFA. For five times in a row, this team has made their presence felt in the FIFA World Cups. The current roster of the team is composed of: Chris Seitz, Dan Califf, Carlos Bocanegra, Michael Bradley, Oguchi Onyewu, Drew Moor, Eddie Lewis, Danny Szetela, Brek Shea, Sacha Kljestan, Heath Pearce, John Thorrington, Chad Barrett, Chris Rolfe, Jay DeMerit, Freddy Adu, DaMarcus Beasley and Brad Guzan.

The lack of the team's success has made them a less notable group in the whole of sports today. When it comes to international competitions especially during the World Cup, the teams from Germany, Brazil and France are the ones who acquire the most attention and following. The team who represents the U.S. was the less favored ones due to their lack of great showing and unforgettable performances. It's hard to tell when Soccer will be much loved sport in the U.S. But if they eye to be one of the best in the world they should love the game even more.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Soccer Practice Plans - Get Advice for Your Practice Plans

The investment of time is required to plan out an effective soccer practice schedule. That is, if you have the required knowledge about the game to complete the task. The best coaches have a plan for what they want to teach their players, as well as a vast supply of drills to draw from that helps them to cover each particular topic. Those stuck without drills are stuck with a good practice plan, and their team stands no chance.

Most coaches have a busy family and work life, so it would follow that many youth soccer coaches could would directly benefit from a resource that time and make coaching a little bit easier. Enter Soccer Season Outsourced.

If you need informative soccer practices that will progress the play of your semi-competitive or youth soccer team, I have put together a manual titled Soccer Season Outsourced, designed specifically to give you everything you will need as it relates to training your team effectively.

My practice plans will start your team at the beginning and build a solid foundation. Skills drills and short sided games will force your players to work on the skills of dribbling and trapping and apply them into a game like situation.

Using small sided drills will allow your players a high number of touches on the ball under heavy pressure. I estimate that at most practices they will get over 2000 touches on the ball. This formula will improve their ball skills and game understanding. If you are a coach without a plan for training, my soccer practice plans will help you along.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Soccer Kick

Good soccer kick matters a lot in winning a game. Playing football is the most favorite past time of the millions of people and enthusiasts. They want to play ball just like their idol superstar players. In order to play well in this game, there are certain skills you have to master. Exciting soccer action is what fans are looking for. Die hard fans cheer and yell for their various soccer icons. It is probably the most famous sport ever played in human history.

A lot of football fans love to play the game with all the skills and game techniques they see during games. Learning this sport is not that difficult. The skills and techniques in maneuvering the football are not too hard as they seem but it takes a great deal of effort to master them. Patience is very important so that aspiring players can acquire the skill they want to learn. Determination is one essential factor to recognize when mastering the skills. A game might not run smoothly as you want it but through time and strong will power you will certainly play strong ball.

An outstanding soccer kick is one factor that keeps the opponent away from gaining control of the football and eventually scoring a goal. Long hurdles and hustle over the ball can be a bit tiring and may require much agility and strength. A good kick can be enough to take the audience to the edge of their seats. Various stunts during a soccer game can be done with a kick of the ball. It can be very amusing since it takes a lot of effort and training to achieve such a level.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Tips for Mental Soccer Training

It's common knowledge that soccer is just as much a mental game as it is a physical game. Even if players have the best grasp of fundamentals and the best soccer training, it's worth nothing if they crack under pressure, or if they have mental, emotional and lifestyle issues outside of soccer that mess with their head in-game.

Bouncing back from a poor performance or handling negative emotions is something that comes from having your head on right, not just practicing drills up and down the field. If you want to get ahead of the game, you should spend as much time training your mind as you do your body.

By learning to manage stress, anxiety and other psychological aspects of the game, you can excel faster than your peers who just focus on the mechanics of soccer. Here are a few soccer training tips to help you do just that.

Soccer tip #1: Visualize the ball

Sure, you kick the ball around every day. But do you imagine yourself doing it, or do you just do it? Even when you're not on the field, use mental imagery to "practice" your soccer training. There are two ways you can do it: external visualization, where you imagine watching a movie of yourself playing soccer, or internal visualization, where you imagine playing as though you are actually doing it. This concept will help familiarize you with your task until you could do it half-asleep, with both hands tied behind your back.

Soccer tip #2: Relax, chill out, and calm down

Everybody gets nervous before something like a game or a performance. Unfortunately, anxiety can also muddle your thinking, which can cause you to make bad judgments on the field. If you're alert, but relaxed, you can make decisions better and faster when you're under pressure. Controlling your anxiety will go a long way to making you feel more confident in your game, because you'll know that it won't affect your performance. Take some time to relax before each game, and you'll find yourself a lot less stressed.

Soccer tip #3: Focus on your goals

Having both short-term and long-term goals for your soccer training will motivate you and give you something to strive for. If things don't seem to be improving and you don't have any goals, it's easy to get discouraged and consider quitting. The goals shouldn't be impossible, but they should definitely challenge you and force you to step up your game. Challenging yourself is the only way to consistently improve.

Soccer tip #4: Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate

Yes, it's easy to get distracted during a game. However, part of being a good player is overcoming that. Concentration drills can help you to improve your concentration and focus completely on the game. Not every drill works the same for everybody else. Some people are visual learners, some are audial learners. Find a drill or a pre-game ritual that works best for you.

By mastering your mental game, you can reduce your anxiety, overcome negative emotions, bounce back from a bad mistake, and make playing soccer a more enjoyable experience all around. The mental soccer training is just as important as the physical, so don't neglect it. You may be surprised at how you improve.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Fitness For Soccer - How to Do Agility Drills

If you're interested in the demanding game of soccer, you must prepare your body through exercises that can increase your fitness for soccer. This will take much time and effort to get your body in the optimum shape to allow you active participation in this sport.

Are you aware that, as well as soccer, football training is one of the most demanding sports on the body? So, you really need to be excellent shape to be good at either of these sports. There are many football drills that are very similar in nature to soccer drills, and you can expect them to be just as excruciating.

Football coaching, just like soccer coaching, demands a tough skin in order to effectively lead and guide your team to victory time again and again. It's not always an easy task to force your team to do as you say, so be prepared.

Due to the intense nature of fitness for soccer, it's imperative that you do all you can to ensure your team follows through with some effective agility drills. This can really be beneficial in whipping them into soccer shape.

Listed below are some great agility drills to use on your team:

1. Ground marker drill - In this drill, you should place four ground markers in a straight line, approximately three feet apart. Next, in between these place another marker three yards to the left. Players should bend down to touch each marker with their hand. Then, make certain the players take quick steps, rather than facing the markers. This helps build quickness.

2. Teammate chase drill - Make out an area of 20 x 20, pair up teammates and have them run randomly in the area. Make certain they keep two yards distance between them, with the teammate changing direction constantly.

3. Shuttle take-off drill - Place two markers 20 feet apart, place marker in the middle only three yards to the side. Next, start from the middle marker and sprint 10 yards, then turn and sprint 20 more yard, the other end, and then back t to the start. Lastly, turn on a different foot at each marker and try to touch the ground with your hand.

These are some fantastic agility drills that can dramatically improve the overall performance of your team. In fitness for soccer, the abilities to start, stop, cut and sprint are essential to the game. The better you are at doing these quickly, obviously the better player you will become after practicing these on a daily basis. Another important element as well as using the above drills is to be certain that you practice them often to increase your agility.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Soccer Drills For Kids - Teaching Kids to Play Soccer

Soccer drills for kids can help them to better understand the fundamentals of the sport soccer. Kids are sometimes more difficult to handle than adult players since it is their nature to be playful and less attentive for things that does not interest them. Different method should be used when training these children into sports.

You must be gentle and as much as possible never raise your voice in an angry tone because this will be discourage them to come for training and might never involve themselves in the sport.

The best technique is to create soccer drill for kids that are more fun and enjoyable for them as if they are just playing. As much as possible, drill time should be short with lots of variations so as not to make them bored and exhausted. In this way, you are teaching them the basics without them knowing it while they are enjoying what they are doing.

Dribbling - Kids love to dribble balls so make it as an advantage. Dribbling will help them to get the feel of the ball. Divide the team into two and provide one ball for each team. Line them up and allow them to dribble alternately from other team members. You can think of other variations to make it more exciting for them.

Passing and Catching - These are the basic skills for the sport. First teach them the proper position for a good catch. Create a sort of a contest in catching and passing. This will make them excited and would like to win over their opponent.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Soccer Practice Ideas - Scrimmaging with Touch Limitations

Limiting the amount of consecutive touches players can take during a practice scrimmage is one of the oldest coaching tricks in coaching. Touch limitations are a great way to guide your players play towards specific ends while they may not even realize it. By limiting the amount of touches players are allowed to take, you essentially accomplish a few valuable objectives:

First, by limiting touches, you force players to make sure their first touch is a good one, because they have no touches to waste. Over time, this will improve their trapping and ball handling skills.

Next, touch limits force players to think about what they are going to do with the ball before they receive it. If they only have 3, 2 or even 1 touch to control the ball and get rid of it, they will be paying attention more attentively and their quick thinking skills and decisions under pressure will improve, which is essential for anyone who is serious about improving their soccer skills.

Finally, when you run a full sided scrimmage, some players get involved more heavily in the game and get more touches on the ball. By limiting the number of touches, you can assure yourself that players pass the ball more often, which leads to everyone getting more touches on the ball, an essential goal of your soccer practice plans.

Spend time scrimmaging at practice with touch stipulations. Your players trapping and thinking skills will develop further, and their decisions of what to do with the ball will improve. These soccer practice ideas will give you plenty of drills to work on with your team.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Soccer Training Sessions - 3 Methods to Get the Most Out of Them

If you hope to get in the best soccer shape of your life, then you should look forward to some soccer training sessions. These offer various methods to aid you in your quest to be the best player you can be. If you wish to play soccer then you can expect a lot of soccer fitness training to help you get in the best shape possible. There are many fitness exercises that can really help you get in the best shape you can possibly get in. If you've ever had any football coaching, then you'll be a step ahead of the game. By having played football, you'll be much more equipped to play soccer because they are both very demanding sports that require you to be in the best psychical shape you can possibly be in. You most likely have been involved in football drills if you've played football and this is something that can help you as well in your soccer training sessions. By having completed these football training drills, it signifies that you are a step ahead by being in good psychical condition, and this is the key to making it through a soccer game.

Listed below are some of the ways to aid you in improving your game:

1. Speed. You've got to be able to move fast and be quick in the game of soccer. By being able to sprint and run quickly, you can become invaluable to your team, and this is a big characteristic of being a great player. So, you should expect to do lots of sprinting to build your speed.
2. Strength training. You've also got to have strength and endurance to be able to perform all the moves that are involved in playing soccer. There are many that you will be required to do, and you should have your muscles as strong as they can possibly be. This can be accomplished through weight lifting. You should aim to increase the amount you can over a certain period and plan to do a certain number of reps with each workout.
3. Flexibility. You will need to move you body in all sorts of ways while you are playing soccer. So, you should be prepared to do so by being flexible. There are numerous exercises which can increase your flexibility. Also, in order to really be as flexible as you can be, you should seriously consider adding Yoga, which can really help you.

Lastly, if you begin to prepare your body ahead of time by working on the areas above, you should be in excellent shape to begin your soccer training sessions and also be prepared to get the most out of them. You can look forward to an improved game as well as a very fit body at the end of the program.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Hallmark of Soccer Goalie Drills

I am a newly graduate of soccer goalie drills of my team. I was "the chosen one", as my coach would address me, to be the teams' goalkeeper. I was at first irritated when my coach passes on the ball to me and said: "Spend your next eight hours with your new best friend on the team". I told myself that as a player I should be cooperative with my coach but at that moment my blood rushes up through my and I wanted to yell at him. But then I controlled my emotions and looked seriously into the ball.

Soccer goalie drills is not a one step ladder as what my coach would tell me. It is a great task given to a competitive player. My task is completely pro team and anti opponents team. Even if my teammates fail to get on the lead of the ball, we could still score for a point if I make my move marvelous that is, not letting the ball pass the goal cage.

My first drill was the complete familiarity of the ball. You may say it is quite simple but you are mistaken. I must learn to juggle the ball with my hands, wrists and forearms to be able to build my strength and vigilance in ball handling. Alertness is very much needed because we always give the opponent that single chance to score and me, as a goalkeeper must be vigilant to compensate for my team.

Footwork soccer goalie drills were also part of my training. I need to run and embrace the ball before it turns to be a point in favor of our opponent. I have been able to develop my field vision and precision of the soccer field.

The hallmark of it all is what my coach told me as the golden rule of goalie drills. With me as the goalkeeper of the team must first set the goal in the mind of the attacker who holds ball and secondly on the goalpost.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Manchester United Soccer Team

Manchester United, arguably the most popular soccer team in the history of the sport, is based out of Old Trafford, United Kingdom. The Red Devils, or "The Reds", as their fans affectionately call them, is the most profitable club in the world, thanks to their huge fan base. In addition, they are the richest and most valuable soccer team in the world, according to Forbes List. While hosting such players as David Beckham (Cristiano Ronaldo) and Wayne Rooney, popular players aren't the only things that make Manchester United such a great team.

They are currently ranked as number one in the Premier League, the highest division of soccer in England, with 87 points. To put this into perspective to those readers who aren't familiar with soccer scoring, the United States' highest ranking professional soccer team had a total of 55 points for the entire season. The Premier League, of which Manchester United is number one, is also in the top five national leagues in the world. Since 2004, Manchester United has played a total of 151 matches. In that time, they scored 160 total goals as a home team, and 131 goals as an away team. The average number of goals scored has been 1.89 goals per game. The average for all teams combined within the league was 1.2 goals scored per game, meaning that Manchester United scored more goals than the average team.

Manchester United has been around since 1878. It was first called Newton Health L & YR and was sponsored by a health club. Since then, the team has won five European trophies, including 2 European Champions Cups, one Cup Winners Cup, one European Super Cup, and one International Cup; 15 domestic championships; 16 Premier League Cups; and 12 domestic cups, including 11 F.A. Cups, one UEFA Cup, and two League Cups.

It's easy to see that Manchester United, though extremely popular, doesn't sacrifice their skills for the popularity contest in the world of sports!

Friday, January 29, 2010

How to Play Soccer - The Fundamentals

Bill Shankly (the former Liverpool manager) once said

"Soccer is a simple game based on the giving and taking of passes, on controlling the ball and making yourself available to receive a pass"

It sounds quite simple really doesn't, but:

What are the rules of soccer?
How do the rules of soccer influence how to play soccer?
What specific skills are required?
What tactics should be employed?
What are the physical attributes needed by soccer players?
Do soccer players need specific fitness requirements?
What should I learn first?
What formation is the best one for a team to use?

What to do First

When you are learning how to play soccer, then the very first thing that you should do is ensure that you develop great technical skill.  Getting technical skill can only be done through a lot of practise and repetition of various soccer drills.  Whilst teamwork and tactics play a huge part in the way a team plays, the teams performance will be limited based on the technical ability of the players and the level of skill that players have.

The basic skills that are required for soccer player are:

Ball Control
Dribbling
Passing
Shooting
Heading
Defending
Goalkeeping

To ensure that you have good soccer skills, a great deal of practice is required to develop good soccer skills a great deal of practice and commitment is required. The key to developing great soccer skills is repetition.  I recommend that players do at least 30 minutes a day of solid practice to develop these skills, including juggling a soccer ball to ensure that their technical ability is of an adequate standard.

Tactics and formations

Teamwork is vital in playing soccer and having a good understanding of how to get into goal scoring positions and conversely how a team can defend against the opposition requires an intimate knowledge of the game and of how to get players to play using different soccer formations.

Soccer Fitness

Being Fit for Soccer does have a major impact on how to play soccer.  I was in a team once that had limited technical ability compared with the majority of teams in our league, but guess what we were runners up in the league purely because we were the fittest team in the league and often won games in the dying minutes, because we were fit enough to "run the opposition off their legs".  So never underestimate the impact that fitness will have on your game.

Rules of Soccer

There are various forms of soccer, ranging from micro soccer (3 a side) to the standard game of 11 a side. FIFA are the worldwide governing body for soccer, and it is FIFA who control the laws of the game that dictate how to play soccer from a rules perspective.  Understanding the laws of the game does have a bearing on what you do, and all players should make sure they understand the laws of the game.

A combination of learning the soccer skills described here, team tactics and team formations, soccer fitness and an understanding of the laws of the game constitute the basics of how to play soccer.

See some more of Nigels articles, or his website for more details information on how to play soccer.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

My Favorite Puma Soccer Balls

Puma Soccer is one of the most widely used brands in football. It may not be as popular as Adidas and Nike but what makes it stand-out is because of its affordable price. Puma has a lower price than any other popular brands but it still has the same features and it is also very durable as well. It is very important to use such balls to ensure that there is no leakage or any undesirable effect.

Puma has six models of soccer balls available in the market. The Puma Cellerator Zero, Puma King SL, Puma King NFHS, Puma MLS Match Ball, Puma Tourada and Puma Attacante. This Puma soccer balls are very well designed and they are approved by FIFA. It has three sizes available a 5, 4 and 3. They are even designed Puma Attacante for kids.

Indeed these balls are very much affordable and you can find them in any online shops on sports accessories. There are also bargains or discounts available on these brands. Puma King NFHS is my most favorite of them all because aside from its affordability it also has good features like protection for air leakage and it has also a cool color and simple design.

It is good to know that Puma has designed balls for kids, teens and adults. The best part of it is its affordability and it can be easily purchase. This is good to use on trainings, camps and during practice. The ball may look simple but it is elegant and has good designs too.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

How to Play Soccer - Juggling a Soccer Ball - Why Bother?

Learning to juggle a soccer ball takes a lot of time and practice, is very entertaining to watch and appreciate someone with great soccer ball juggling skills, but why do players bother?  If you are learning how to play soccer, shouldn't you focus on skills that you will use in the game?

Well there are two reasons, the first is that it is fun and challenging, and learning a new juggling move, or beating your previous record is something that you can do on your own, in a small space and you only need a ball! When you can finally keep the ball in the air get past the elusive 100 barrier, you will have kept yourself entertained for some time and have great bragging rights over your friends.

The second reason is more soccer related and is that being able to juggle a soccer ball, whilst not used a lot in a soccer game is the best way to improve that all important first touch and give you great confidence when receiving the ball. As a player, you are normally in one of three situation.

1 You do not have the ball and need to get it.

2. You have the ball and need to do something with it.

The transition between 1 and 2 is where learning how to juggle will help give you an advantage over your opponents. That transition is ,of course, when you are receiving the ball.

When you receive the ball, whether from a team mate or opponent, your main decision is

"What do I want to do with the ball next?"

After you decide what to do with the ball next, you need to get the ball into the best position for that, and that is exactly where juggling will help you!

Being able to receive the ball effectively and get the ball under control and where you want it is just one aspect of the game, but is vital to give you the edge over your opposition.

It will take time, and repetition is the key to success, so the sooner you start, the sooner you will have developed a great first touch, and juggling is a vital part of learning how to play soccer.

So, get out there and learn How to juggle a soccer ball.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Secret Life Of A Soccer Mom

What is "The secret life of a soccer mom?" Why was it created?

The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom is a brand new television show series being aired now. This show focuses more on women who have given up their careers over staying at home, building a family and taking care of the kids and her husband. This reality series asks Moms "What if she had been given the chance to secretly live the life she left behind before she decided to take her marriage vows?"

We all know for a fact that being a mother is like having a full time job with a lot of overtime work; it is an all-consuming career. Some women, however, enjoy being one while others still think of the life they could have been spending if they were plain housewives. 

The one hour long show tackles on the story if a mom experiences how her life would have been if she had chosen to go on with her career and raise a family as well. The show would let Mom get back to the career she left behind without letting any of her family members know that she is doing it. This would go on for a week. Nearing the end of the episode, Mom would reveal to her family that she has been secretly living the life she had left behind. Then she would be asked if she wanted to pursue her new life or return to her family and happily take care of them knowing for a fact that she has made the right decision. 

The show was therefore created to let moms find out if they would still want to return to the life they have left behind or go on with their present life.

So, the next time you wanted to know the secret life of a soccer mom, browse through the channels of your television and look for the show.

Monday, January 25, 2010

How to Develop Soccer Juggling Skills

Juggling is one of the most entertaining skills in soccer but ironically, a player rarely gets the chance to juggle, or have the reason to do so, during the match. A basic rule of soccer says that if you want your team to keep possession for as long as possible, and today’s game is based around prolonged possession, the ball must stay on the ground as much as possible. Obviously, while juggling you would have to lift it from the ground, which is why the skill itself isn’t very useful in itself.

That’s the reason why a lot of coaches tend to dismiss it or overlook it in training sessions, thinking that they’d rather train the players to something that has practicable use in a match. And that’s what I believe to be one of the biggest mistakes in coaching, especially in youth coaching: ignoring soccer juggling training.

To back up my claims, I’m going to show you exactly why soccer juggling is so important and also tell you how to juggle properly and a couple of ways to train it individually, with a teammate or in a group.

Soccer Juggling – Why is it Important?

You won’t find yourself juggling in almost any situation on the pitch (unless maybe if you want to humiliate your opponents or the likes), but that doesn’t mean soccer juggling shouldn’t be trained. In fact, it’s one of the skills that are amongst the easiest to train and not only that, but you’ll also see the results very quickly.

Juggling affects an array of peripheral skills and most importantly, it’s fun! Learning and developing as a soccer player with exercises that are hard or boring isn’t the best way to do so, but if you can train and have fun at the same time, that’s a proven golden recipe. Here are some of the skills that are most visibly improved with the help of juggling:

Ball Control – Probably the skill that improves most with juggling is ball control. Doing constant juggling exercises, you’ll learn exactly how strong to tip the ball with your foot to stay within your range, which is basically what ball control is all about.

While juggling, you also get what I like to call “foot confidence” and you’ll soon learn to control the ball without actually having to focus on the trapping itself. This is extremely important since it permits you to control the ball naturally, allowing you to use those extra 2 seconds you would need to focus on receiving the ball, to already look up a player to pass it to.

Agility – While juggling, you will have to make quick adjustments to your body in order to keep the ball in mid air. In the long run, this improves your agility and you’ll be able to gain control of the ball faster in a match, in situations where lightning reflexes are needed. It also helps you with performing faster direction changes, which is great to have when dribbling the ball past an opponent.

Trapping and Receiving – This applies especially for balls coming at you in mid air that you need to gain control of. Soccer juggling allows you to quickly judge how soft or hard you need to hit the ball, in order for it not to get out of your body’s reach. Although having to trap a long ball with your thigh or foot won’t be the same as having to juggle a ball at the same height with your thigh or foot, it’s still a good basis to learn how to perfectly execute these moves.

These are the skills that can be worked out with the help of soccer juggling that have the most visible effect, but obviously, juggling affects a lot of other skills to a smaller extent. So now that you know how important juggling is, let’s see how you can train it and how to juggle correctly.

Soccer Juggling – How to Juggle Correctly

The fun thing about soccer juggling is that there’s no real “right” technique to do it. You can juggle with your instep, outside or inside of foot, back heel, head, hip, thigh or shoulder, as long as you keep the ball in the air, it’s correctly done. However, if you want to focus on improving the skills I mentioned above, it’s a good idea to try to follow a few juggling patterns.

Start off by juggling with your strong foot. When you can 50 to 100 juggles just using your strong foot without too much of a hassle, start the same process, but this time use your weaker foot. Again, once you’re confident you can do 50 to 100 juggles with your weaker foot, start alternating between them.

When you can do 100 or more alternative juggles (meaning that there’s no left-left or right-right juggle combination in that 100 or more), start practicing with your stronger foot’s thigh, then your weaker foot’s thigh and finally, your head.

Once you get a good grip of all these sub-exercises for juggling, simply play with the ball and juggle it with whichever body part comes comfortable. If you’re at this stage in juggling, where you can seemingly juggle forever and not drop the ball, you’ve already improved your other skills a great deal, so those hours of practice will finally pay off. It’s getting here that’s the hard part though...

Soccer Juggling – Drills

I covered how to juggle individually in the section above, so if you’re willing to spend some extra time off the training hours to improve yourself and your soccer juggling skills on your own, you should follow up that routine. As a coach however, you’ll want to have your players working on juggling during the practice sessions as well and it’s best if you combine allowing them to juggle individually, with working in pairs and/or groups.

In order for them to practice their soccer juggling skills in pairs, you should try to hand pick the pairs with height and juggling skill in mind. You’ll want players with close heights to work together and not pit someone that’s a foot taller against a smaller teammate because it might disrupt the exercise. You’ll also want to have players with close juggling skills working together, pairing up less skilled players to allow them to work on their juggling skills without hindering another player’s exercise.

Think of what would happen if a less skilled juggler would be paired up with a highly skilled one…obviously, the highly skilled one would hardly improve his own juggling technique, since he would constantly have to wait for the less skilled teammate to catch up.

The pair exercise is simple. The players will have to pass the ball onto one another, in mid air, being allowed a maximum of three touches of the ball. Encourage them to pass the ball with different parts of the foot, their thighs and head, so they gain ball control with all of these areas.

You can also spice things up by offering small rewards and “punishments”, for example the pair that manages to keep the ball in the air longer, gets some sort of reward, or each time a player drops the ball to the ground, he should do 10-20 push ups, then continue with the exercise.

Also work on your players’ juggling skills in groups larger than a pair. You can accommodate the windmill exercise to juggling training to some extent. In a windmill exercise, 4-6 players sit in a row, with another 4-6 in front of them. The first player from row A passes the ball to the first player from row B, then quickly moves to the back of the row. The receiving player from row B passes the ball back to the next player in row A and moves to the back of his own row, and so forth.

It’s a very dynamic exercise that involves several of your players at the same time, so if you want to accommodate it for juggling, tell your players to pass the ball in mid air instead of on the ground, with a minimum of two touches and a maximum of three. Not only will this improve your players’ juggling skills, but it will also simulate how you would use your juggling skills in a real match scenario, where the ball is coming in mid air from a teammate or an opponent, unlike when you’re juggling individually and the ball comes at you vertically.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Soccer Coaching - Training

Soccer Coaching involves so many techniques and training gimmicks that you as the soccer coach must write everything down in order to keep track of it all. You must have organizational skills!

Keep files on each player. In that file along with information over his or her skills you must include what will motivate this player to bring about optimum results. With this information in your hands you are able to continue with the training part of your soccer team.

How many drills or skills will you as the soccer coach hope to achieve in one practice session of 90 minutes? How many of your players can run for 90 minutes straight? Endurance drills will be necessary in order to bring your team up to the best of their ability.

How many drills do you have prepared to train your team? There are at least 250 practice drills just for passing the ball, receiving the ball, or heading the ball. Are your players able to twist while running? How high can they jump? What will you as their training soccer coach offer in order to give them the best chance to win?

Soccer training is about winning. You train to build up the endurance necessary to have the stamina to outrun or outplay your opponent. So here are a few tips to help you get organized and ready to win!

1. Get organized! As I said above it is vital to the team's success that the coach be organized. Keep a file on each player. Have a list of endurance drills ready to build up strength and stamina. Have a list of drills ready to improve the player's ability with the ball. It won't bring anything to the table if the players can run for 90 minutes but can't pass a ball.

2. Train your players to succeed! Motivate your players by letting them know you expect the team to win. But don't let them think it will be easy. They must be willing to work! Have each player write down on a small piece of paper what they hope to achieve first as a player and then as a member of the team and what they hope the team as a whole can achieve and tell them up front to think about it in depth. Everybody wants to win but the players should know themselves well enough to know what their strengths and weaknesses are and how that can affect the team. When the players are ready to think about that and give reasonable answers in return then you as the soccer coach have a good chance to motivate and train your players for success.

3. In return you as the soccer coach should also sit down and write what your goals are and how they will affect the team. What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? How will you as the coach work on your weaknesses. What help do you need in order to bring your weaknesses to a minimum and position your team into the winning row? Answer these questions honestly and with respect. You might be surprised.

Good luck with your soccer training and best wishes for a winning year on and off the pitch.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Soccer Corner Flags - Yes There Are Choices

Would you believe that you have different choices for soccer corner flags?

Different choices? Yes. But there is one thing standard about soccer corner flags. Their height. The standard height is 5 feet, or 60 inches, or 1.42 meters.

However, that is where the consistency of soccer corner flags ends. Let's look at what is available by working our way up from the ground:

Grounding

There are different ways to secure the flags in the corners of your soccer field. The type of field will help to determine what type of base that you need.


Straight in screw type stake. Just stick it in the ground. Good for hard or soft ground. The only issue being that they can easily fall over if you run into them.
T-type stake. This provides two separate prongs shaped like the letter U to push into the ground. Will provide a little more stability than the single screw type.
Angled type stake. This provides a couple of inches of offset between where the stake is stuck in the ground, and where the pole starts its vertical rise. It allows the flag to be right on the corner, but the stake to be outside the field of play.
Spring loaded. Contains a spring at the base for added flexibility.
Hollow plastic base. Can be filled with water or sand so they stay put. Good for indoor and outdoor use.
Weighted base for fields where you cannot insert anything into the field.Corner flags come in sets of 4 but can be purchased individually if you need to replace only 1 or 2. They can also be purchased in multiples of 4 if you need to outfit an entire soccer club or city soccer fields.

The Pole

Poles are usually made of plastic. There are 2 types of plastic that are normally used:


PVC plastic. Lightweight but breakable.
Acetate plastic. Will not break or shatter.Pole diameter can range from 1/2 inch right up to 1 1/2 inches for a World Cup quality corner flag set.

Carrying full size corner flag poles can be a real pain sometimes, even if you have a corner flag carry bag. So most manufacturers offer 2 piece and 3 piece poles as well. These 2 and 3 piece poles come with an internal shock cord so the pieces never leave each other. You don't have to worry about losing a piece of the pole.

Colorful Flags

Flags are always either triangular or square in shape. The flags are always bright, even neon in color. They come in a variety of colors with the most common being:


Red.
Yellow.
Red and Yellow checkers.
Black and white checkers.
Red with a diagonal white stripe.Do you even remember what color your home field uses?

Friday, January 22, 2010

Utah Youth Soccer - Serving the Needs of the Youth Soccer

Utah Youth Soccer Association is a non profit organization established to serve for the welfare of youth players. It is a non profit organization which serves as the governing body for youth soccer specifically in Utah. The association boasts its status as one of the largest organization for the sport. Since the organization is a charitable institution, the Board of Directors is composed of dedicated volunteers.

It is the objective of the Utah Youth Soccer Association to provide players of all ages the opportunity to develop their talents by providing support in terms of educational program and financial assistance for the deserving children. In addition, it also supports recreational programs for kids and teenagers. Moreover, competition programs are offered for the more advanced players in which they become part of the Olympic Development Program or ODP. This program aims to discover the best players available which can contribute in the success of the national team. Through this program, these players are given the chance to represent the state in regional and national competitions. Those players who were able to graduate from the program are entitled to become official member of the US National Team and take part in the World Cup championship games.

Through the untiring effort and commitment of its management and staff, the association continues to expand its membership and made numerous achievements for the welfare of the children in Utah. It was able to produce top caliber players and continues to search for more potential players and strengthen its national team.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Goal Setting For Soccer, Part 4 - Making a Schedule

You've got your SMART goals and you are well on your way. You've done more than 95% of soccer players (or athletes) have done. Yet there still are things you must do to help insure your success. The most important one is to monitor how you are doing. There are two ways to do this.

Making A Calendar

A calendar is the easiest and most important step. Let's say you have decided that you are going to run 10 x 100 sprints every day of the week for one month. You have set this goal so that you can be faster and in better condition for the upcoming season. You also decided that every night you would do 50 push-ups and 50 sit-ups.

You would make a chart, that would have eight columns across and three rows down. The first column would be for your goals. The top row is for the days of the week.

In the first column write your exercises.

It would look like this:

Exercises Mon Tue Wed Thr Fri Sat Sun

Run
Pushups
Situps

You would need four more calendars, one for each week of the month.

Keep this schedule where you can see it and it's easy to get to. On the refrigerator works as does in a place in your room where you can see it.

Each time you workout, you put an X in one of the boxes. You could also record the number of exercises done.

Grading Your Progress

Just recording how you are doing is great. I have found that kids (and adults too) tend to overestimate what they are capable of and willing to do.

In this case, there are 21 opportunities to workout. That might not be possible. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. So the next step is to decide how many would be worth an A, B, or C. I believe in being an easy grader, so let's say

A = 16
B = 14
C = 12

Of course, you can choose any percentage you want. I don't believe in going lower than a C. If you're not doing at least a C level, then it's time to reevaluate your goals and motivations.

Making a schedule like this is crucial to keeping you on track for achieving your goals. Try it for one week or one month and see how you do. I guarantee you'll see positive results.

Be sure to read the next chapter on setting soccer goals.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Soccer Coaching - Soccer Coach

The good old days where the soccer coach can just go out onto the field and run some drills are long gone. With today's technology and techniques it is important to deliver a more organized and complete package to your team. This means a lot of work. This is especially so if you are new, or have not coached in a long while. So pull up your socks and get ready for a whole new adventure. In this report you will find a few tips to help you get ready to be the best you can be.

1. First on the list has to organization. Get an assistant or two if possible to help compile all the information needed. You can also use any extra help you can get from parents. They have sat and watched game after game and sometimes know the players better than the coaches. So ask for help! With all the extra hands you can also set up more drill rounds for the team.

2. To ensure the best players are on your team have them participate in a fitness test. Find out where the weaknesses are and what has to happen to correct or camouflage the problem. If there is enough practice time then you can work on the skill at a more personal level. Remember the team is only as strong as the weakest link.

3. How are your motivating skills? Are you able to bring your team out of the losing rut and into the winning zone? Have you asked your team what they hope to achieve both personally and as a team? Do they know their weaknesses? Strengths? How about you as the soccer coach? Are you aware of your strengths and weaknesses? It is the soccer coach's job to have both a mental and intuitive knowledge of their team.

4. Ask yourself what is your favorite part of soccer. Then ask your team. It might surprise you to realize that some of them actually have similar goals and dreams as you.

5. Practice, practice, and more practice. My grandmother never played soccer but she knew if you wanted to be good at something you had to repeat the action over and over in order to excel in it. You have to know the pitfalls and be able to counter around them. It takes a lot of work to excel in something. But the team spirit will rise high if you work together and achieve even a small dose of success.

6. Remember to have fun. Even though there is a lot of work to be done, don't forget to have fun along the way. Everybody will work a little harder if they are having fun too. It is especially true of children. A pizza night out will go a long way to improve the team morale. So go ahead and have a pizza night. Tomorrow will bring a new day and you can continue the work then.

7. Never let your position as a soccer coach go to your head. Remember why you want to coach and coach with your heart as well as your head and you will go a long way.

Monday, January 18, 2010

5 Mistakes Youth Soccer Coaches Make

Being a great youth soccer coach is not rocket science. You can do it, but you might need a bit of help to get off on the right foot. I've made plenty of mistakes over the years as a coach. Most of them weren't fatal, but having a good understanding of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them will help you have much more fun as you develop your own winning team of soccer studs.

5 Coaching Mistakes You Must Avoid:

Mistake #1 - The No Fun Coach

Members of the media call the NFL the "No Fun League" because the commissioner has outlawed
the celebrations and other things that really make the game entertaining. Unfortunately, the same
can be said of the majority of youth soccer coaches. Remember whom you are coaching.

Remember their age and think about how kids this age see things. Put yourself in their shoes if you can and always ask yourself "Would I have enjoyed this when I was a kid?" I'll give you a key hint here...Kids want to have fun playing soccer. They enjoy the game more when they get to touch the ball A LOT! They don't want to stand in line.

Mistake #2 - The Survivor Coach

The basic premise of the hit show Survivor is that a group of people are left on a deserted island to fend for themselves. They are given a couple of items when they arrive, but are not allowed to bring anything with them. I have witnessed numerous coaches that come to practice with that same philosophy.

They hardly bring any equipment with them at all. Fortunately, you don't need a ton of gear to run a quality soccer practice. With that said, having the right equipment can make all the difference between a losing team and one that gets better every single week. There are certain must-have items in your kit that so that you can go quickly from drill to drill and keep your players motivated and attentive. Be sure to bring plenty of balls and cones to every practice and things will run much more smoothly.

Mistake #3 - The Cool Hand Luke Coach

One of my favorite movie lines is from Cool Hand Luke where Strother Martin says, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." Most coaches and parents have this same problem. Establishing a clear line of communication with your soccer parents can be the difference between a fun-filled season of soccer and a descent into the depths of hell. Soccer moms and dads can be your strongest advocates or worst nightmare. If you set up a good phone & email system ahead of time, you can bet that coaching your team will take less time, be less frustrating and be much more productive!

Mistake #4 - The Drill Sergeant Coach

Most of the drills that you find in coaching books take way too long to setup, don't hold your kids interest and have your players standing around too much of the time. Good drills should feel more
like games to your kids. Your team shouldn't spend all of their time waiting in line to kick the ball.
They should be actively involved in the drills, get lots of touches and be on the fast track to becoming better players. Look for drills that involve most of your players at the same time. Look for drills that minimize standing in line and maximize time with the ball at your players feet.

Mistake #5 - The Nutty Professor Coach

I am constantly amazed at the coaches I see that just show up with a bunch of balls, some orange
cones and NO plan. They either forget what they were going to do, or don't have any idea in the first place.

In order to get the most out of your weekly practices, you need a solid plan for each practice. Ever see a coach who's team is running around all out of control? If you don't have a plan for your team, they will quickly develop a plan for you. Players should move from drill to drill and spend the majority of their time actually playing soccer. Designing a good practice plan can take a lot of time, but it is worth it.

Make sure that your players get a good warm up, individual skill time, group skill time & group game time in each and every practice.

In Conclusion

What kind of coach do you want to be? A frustrated, pulling your hair out babysitter? Or a fun-loving coach that is developing awesome soccer players on a weekly basis?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Dribbling Drills for Indoor Soccer

Dribbling Drills

Some soccer leagues play and practice exclusively indoors while others are occasionally forced inside the constraints of the gymnasium by inclement weather. Either way, there are many drills for indoor soccer that allow players to build on their skills such as dribbling, goalkeeping, and short distance passing.

These drills for indoor soccer focus mainly on dribbling, since it's a skill that doesn't require much physical space in order to practice. A good dribbler is not born overnight, but rather hones their skills for years by performing a series exercises daily. Try some of these drills for indoor soccer once players have a solid understanding of the foundations of dribbling in place and are ready to take their skills to the next level.

Beehive and King of the Hill

This first dribbling drill is called "Beehive". For this drill, mark off a square that allows for approximately 1 square yard per player. If the team has 20 players, the square should be about 20 yards long and wide. Each player has a ball and starts at a random point inside the square.

At the sound of the coach's whistle, players begin dribbling the ball around the square using proper dribbling technique for both inside and outside foot dribbling. The goal of the drill is to avoid the other players and maintain control of their ball within the confines of the square. Once players have a basic understanding of the drill, the size of the square can be decreased in order to increase the difficulty required for continued, controlled dribbling.

Next, here's another dribbling drill performed in a 20 yard square. To begin this drill called "King of the Hill" each player has a ball except for one player who is "it". At the sound of the coach's whistle, players begin dribbling their balls around the square while the player who is "it" tries to kick everyone's balls out of the grid.

There are a number of variations to this drill. Some teams play that once a ball has been kicked from the grid, that player must sit out for the remainder of the drill. Others play that once a player loses their ball, they join the side of the "it" player and attempt to knock balls from the remaining players in the square.

Attack and Protect and Shadow Dribbling

This drill, called "Attack and Protect" is like a combination of the previous two drills. It also takes place within a 20 yard square, and this time each player is given a ball that they must protect while simultaneously trying to kick the ball away from the other players in the square. Once a player's ball has exited the square three times, they are out of the drill.

"Shadow Dribbling" is a good drill for teaching players to keep their heads up while engaging in controlled dribbling. Divide the team into pairs, and give each player a ball. One from each pair will begin as the leader while the other is the follower.

The leader begins dribbling the ball while the follower follows the leader, also dribbling the ball. Encourage the leaders to change direction, pace and technique frequently. After a few minutes, have the players switch positions and repeat the exercise.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Kids Soccer Drills - The Basics

Kids soccer drills require you to have a different approach than you use for the other elder players.

Getting All The Kids Dribbling And Shooting

In this drill practice, you have to line up the kids on a single goal line. You will need a large number of balls. Have all the balls scattered over the field. Now, as you say, “GO”, the kids have to move towards these balls, pick up the same, and put it into the goal on the opposite side. This is quite effective drill that can help the kids improve their dribbling and shooting skills.

Teach To Pass The Ball And Follow Directions

In this drill game, you have to put the kids in a queue at one corner of the field. Count till three and as soon as you say, “GO”, the kids have to run towards you. While they are running towards you, they all have to try to steal the ball from the one who is kicking it off. Now, as soon as you say, “STOP”, the one who was kicking the ball off will pass to one of the teammates.

Shooting The Ball With One Touch

Kids will love this drill practice game. In this technique, the coach should divide the team in two lines, and have them stand in a queue at not less than forty feet from the goal post. Place the goalkeeper on the goalpost.

If your team has more than one goalkeeper, you should use one goalkeeper in each session. When you repeat the practice, you should change the goalkeeper, giving the other goalkeeper an opportunity to practice the same. Your position will be somewhere between the two queues of the players.

Toss the ball to one of the queues of the players and instruct them to shoot or pass the ball with just one touch. When any player shoots the ball off to the goalkeeper, the goalkeeper will pass the ball back to you.

Teaching How To Get The Ball Forward Passing All The Defenders

It is important in the game of soccer to keep the control of the ball and get it forward, passing all the opponents. This drill practice requires two players – one defender and one who gets the ball forward, passing the defender. Allow some point system. For example, if the defender gets the ball, he will earn one point.

Overall, these kids soccer drills can certainly help you make a team that will win you matches.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Soccer Training - for better fitness and skills best

"Better skills and improve fitness"

The complete formation of calcium affects both the areas most important to develop a strong soccer player.

If you have very high fitness, but are poor at controlling the ball, will not succeed as a football player as you have been.

Moreover, being able to control a ball with ease, and not being able to move up and down the field, it will be impossible to truly enjoy this wonderful game.

SoThere are 2 ways to work with the training exercises for football



Ball control skills (technical)
Football Fitness

# 1. Ball Control Skills!

Also called art. Slick ball moves and the exchange of precision is the mark of a skilled and experienced player. To achieve this level there are a number of skills needed to work to improve your soccer game.



Ball Control - giving and receiving the ball.
Kickingthe ball.
In passing the ball.
Dribble - the handling of the ball in motion.
Heading the ball.
Pull the ball.
Attack your opponent (No, not like American football).

There are several ways to improve the skills of your party. Each strategy has its advantages:

Repeat


Hands-on approach multiple times until you can do without thinking.
Will soon be automated.

Watch and Learn


Looking at other moreAccomplished player on a regular basis you will see what others can do. Then decide what you want to learn and do.

Soccer Videos Soccer DVD or watch


Football, watching DVDs or videos you can see what others are doing. Not only will you be able to learn. But also how to defend against it. Plus you can play whenever you want!

Visualization


Close your eyes and see to make asome move or do some 'Thurs really concentrate on it. I used this tactic more than once. It works.

One day I was preparing for a league match in a tournament. I was in the basement of the house I wanted to focus on 2 goals scored in the match. All I could see myself score of 2 goals. When I arrived at the fact that a friend of my days to me. We talked a little 'and when he was about to leave, looked at me and said matter of very realistic, looks like youare a couple so far. "We won 5-2 and I had 2 goals. One on each foot! Just as he had imagined.

# 2. Soccer fitness!

Physical fitness is another very important element of training for football. No matter what position you play, you make a lot of running. The exception of the goalkeeper. But soccer goalkeeper should be too good.

Forwards, midfielders and defenders are all necessary to run the length of the field several timesduring a football match. The majority of professional football players will run between 4 and 8 miles (6 to 12 km) during a game.

The main areas covering football fitness

Speed and agility


Continuous improvement in these areas to counter the opponents.

Flexibility and heating


You can have all the speed and moves in the world. If the muscles are not warmed up and ready for tortureyou through them, you may injure yourself.

Strength & Muscle


Build your lungs is good. Which are combined with weight training for football and will create a winning combination.

Combining these 2 areas of football practice and you will face your opponents at any time you want.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

How to develop juggling football

Juggling is a skill most entertaining football, but ironically, the player rarely gets the chance to manipulate, or have reason to do so during the game. A basic rule of football says that if you want your team to maintain possession as long as possible, and today's match is based on prolonged possession, the ball must remain on land when possible. Clearly, while juggling might be necessary to raise the soil, which explains why the jurisdiction isNot very useful in itself.

This is why many coaches tend to reject or ignore training sessions, thinking of bringing players prefer something that can be used in a game. And that's what I think is one of the biggest mistakes in training, especially in young coaching football juggling ignoring training.

To protect my rights, I will show you exactly why football is so important and say jugglingyou learn to juggle properly and a couple of ways for individual training with a partner or group.

Juggling Football - Why is it important?

You will not find juggling in almost every situation on the ground (except maybe if you want to humiliate your opponents or to taste), but not manipulate the football should not be constituted. In fact, one of the skills that are among the easiest to train and not only that, but you can also seeresults very quickly.

Juggling affects a wide range of peripheral skills and, above all, it's fun! Learning and development as a football player with the exercises that are difficult or boring is not the best way to do it, but if you can exercise and have fun at the same time is a recipe for gold proved. Some skills that are more visibly improved with the help of Juggling:

Ball Control - Probably the talent that improves the most with juggling ball control.Stop juggling exercises, you will learn exactly how much to tip the ball with his feet to stay within the range, which is essentially what ball control is all.

While juggling, it is also what I like to call "trust walk" and you soon learn to control the ball without having to concentrate on catching it. This is extremely important because it can control the ball, of course, that lets you use those 2 extra seconds you needfocus on receiving the ball to a player already trying to move in.

Agility - While juggling, you have to make quick adjustments for your body to keep the ball in the air. In the long term, improves flexibility and you will be able to take control of the ball quickly in a game, in situations where you need lightning reflexes. It also helps you to make direction changes, which is great when they dribble the ball past an opponent.

Captureand receive - this is particularly true for the balls coming at you in the air that you must take control. Juggling Soccer allows you to quickly judge how soft or hard, you must hit the ball so it does not reach for your body. Despite having to intercept a through ball with the leg or foot will not be the same as having to juggle a ball at the same height with the leg or foot, is always a good basis for learning to perform perfectly to these movements.

Theseare skills that can be developed with the help of juggling football were the most visible effects, but, of course, juggling affects many other skills, to a lesser extent. So now you know what juggling is important, we'll see how you can train and how to juggle properly.

Soccer Juggling - How to successfully juggle

The funny thing is that juggling football is not true "right" technique to do. You can manipulate yourinstep, outside or inside of the foot, the back of the heel, head, hip, thigh or shoulder, until he holds the ball in the air, it is done correctly. However, if you want to focus on improving the skills I mentioned, is a good idea to try to follow some 'juggling patterns.

Start by juggling with his feet high. When manipulating 50-100 just using his foot solid, without too many problems, start the process itself, but this time use the weaker foot. Again, once youconfidence can do 50-100 juggles with the weaker foot, start alternating between them.

When you can do 100 or more alternatives juggling (which means there is no left or right-left-right combination of juggling of 100 or more), start practicing with the leg up, then lower the leg and foot Finally, the head.

Once a good grip of all these sub-juggling exercises, simply playing with the ball and play with any part of the body is comfortable. If you are in this phase of juggling where you can seemingly manipulate and never drop the ball, you've improved your skills, good hand, if those hours of practice finally paid off. This is where the hard part, but ...

Soccer Juggling - Trapani

I covered how to handle themselves in the previous section, so if you're willing to spend some extra time off, hours of training to improve yourself and your> Soccer Juggling on your own, you should follow this procedure. As a coach, however, you want to work on juggling players during practice sessions as well and it's better if you share that allows them to juggle individual with work in pairs and / or groups.

To practice their juggling skills in football and two, you should try to sort the pairs with the height and the ability to maneuver in mind. You want players with heights of aboutwork together and not someone who is in heaven over one foot against a smaller airline, because they might interfere with the exercise. You will also need to have players with skill juggling closely, is to combine less-skilled players to enable them to work their juggling skills, without hindering the performance of another player.

Consider what would happen if a less skilled juggler would be coupled with a highly qualified ... obviously a highly skilled workforce hardly improve itsjuggling technique, because you must always wait for the less skilled teammate to recover.

The exercise is simple couple. Players must pass the ball to the other, in the air, to be allowed a maximum of three touches of the ball. Encourage them to pass the ball with different parts of the feet, legs and head, so as to gain control of the ball with all these areas.

You can also make things with incentives to small and "punishments" ascouple that manages to keep the ball in the air longer, get a reward, or every time a player drops the ball on the ground, he must do 10-20 push ups, then continue with the exercise.

Also working on the skills of juggling your players in groups over the couple. Can house a year mill juggle some degree of training. In a windmill exercise, 4-6 players sit in a row, with another 4-6 in front of them. The first player in line passes the ball to firstplayer in line B, then moves quickly to the row. The player comes to the line B passes the ball to the next player in line and enters the rear of his line, and so on.

This is a very dynamic exercise involving many of your players at the same time, so if you want to accommodate for juggling, tell your players to pass the ball in the air, rather than on the ground with a minimum of two keys and a maximum of three. This will not only improve yourplayers juggling, but it will also simulate how to use your skills in juggling a real life scenario of the game, in which the ball comes into the air with a partner or an opponent, as opposed to when we individually and juggling the ball reaches you vertical.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

How to avoid injuries while playing soccer

Player Conditioning is very important for soccer players. It is not enough to have a natural talent for football - your mind and body must be conditioned for football. Football is very difficult, especially at the professional level, and play without appropriate packaging may lead to injury, the aversion to gambling, etc.

Injuries in football are the most common injuries to the head that occur when two players collide, or when the ball hit his head awkwardly, fractures from falls and collisions, injury left groin due to stretching, ankle sprains and knee, muscles, injuries to the knees, etc. Some of the lesions such that the knee injury could be career threatening . It is therefore important to avoid such injuries during the game and during the workout. However, playing "soft" against opponents is not the right strategy to win the ultimate prize.

When packing and during the game, you can avoidInjuries Football> doing so warm. You can warm up by jogging gently stretching to increase movement in joints, and specific exercises for football. Make warming increases the temperature of the muscles in order to avoid tension, increases blood flow and thus the amount of oxygen in the muscles, you is faster, increasing the speed of nerve impulses and increases joint range of motion, thus reducing the risk of muscle andtearing of the ligament.

When it is through football conditioning drills, the exercises must be intensive to be successful, but you should stop when you feel you have gone too far. You must take breaks as regular exercise and you need to do different exercises. You can start with a drill on how to dribble a soccer ball and when you're tired, you can go soccer exercises that are less intense. With adequatetraining, your body will be conditioned and will not easily wounded.

The rest is very important to avoid injury when doing player conditioning. When we relax the muscles and organs have time to heal and re-generate new cells. E 'therefore important to shower after practice and sleeping enough. You should have a full body massage at.

If you're a football coach conducting exercises for children, you must provide additional protection forchildren. Children must wear shoes, shin guards and other devices protected as you see fit.

The best way to avoid injuries are the most obvious. Always wear shoes assembly, use of shin guards, mouth guard and the use of guards or mouth. You must agree to play on a flat surface that has no depressions, holes, bumps, etc.

In general, in order to avoid damage on the field or off the field, you should avoid making unnecessary dangerous tackles and plays football. Youshould always be given a medical examination, preferably in the field. If you're part of a team, everyone must learn to make a quick guide on things like cuts and bruises, muscle strains, etc.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Best Soccer Warm-Up

An important factor in achieving peak performance in football is warming up properly. Before obtaining the details of the best warm-up, allow me to begin a story.

A team that I had consulted a weekend of the tournament, with games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at 8. During Saturday's match, the team was behind 2-0 in the first 15 minutes of play for a draw, the rest of the game. The coach knew the players were slow and were not adequately prepared to playoutset.

Thurs The next morning was different. The team reported to camp early for a long heating depth. The result of this strategy was an early 2-0 lead in the first 5 minutes while playing a draw, even the remaining time.

The important point because of this story is how the product as a result of their heating. The first game warm-up was composed of players who were very social. On the short ride and some 'stretching and staticfollowed with a little 'more dynamic stretching before the game. No player has even broken a sweat! The second game was much different. After a slight run for the team stretches their experiences with the accent (to urge the coaches) and sweated just before kickoff. What can we learn from this story?

The first key point is that soccer warm-up is to prepare players for the game. Each player will start should be sweating right before the game. This issign the body is warm. A warm body and warm the muscles, lead to rapid muscle contractions that lead to improvements in speed and power. This is obviously essential for 50/50 and marginalize the balls long distances.

Under Cup warm-up, stretching should be performed. The current debate can be confusing to some coaches. After an initial jogging increase the flow of blood, light static stretching, or stretches held in place for up to 30 seconds, must be performed. These static stretchingshall verify the range of motion, not to improve flexibility.

Once the athlete has reached the normal range of motion, soccer warm-up should move to dynamic stretching, or stretches that involve the movement. These areas continue to warm the body while moving from easy and slow movements to fast, explosive and game, as the movements. When this sequence was followed, the athletes feel ready to play. The amount of time required may vary from the age and preferencethe athlete. Older athletes may need more time to warm up, while the younger athletes need less.

Here's an example of football warm-up pattern:
5 minutes light jog
10 minutes of static stretching range of motion tests
10 minutes dynamic stretching
10 minutes playing situation and ability to work.

Try these strategies and see the difference in how your players play.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Ancient Soccer

Football ancient is based on substantial evidence has been documented way back in the early years of China. It 'been shown that there is a manual for writing Chinese army during the Warring States. This period was found to over 476 BC to 221 BC

Cuju was the name that best describes the practice, which literally means Dodgeball. This activity originally included a leather ball, which was needed to kick a hole in a piece ofsilk fabric. This tissue was placed between two poles ranging from 30 feet or 9.1 M. Games cuju stabilizes during the Han dynasty, a dynasty that existed from 206 BC to 220 AD

Standards were implemented during this period and its popularity has reached Korea and Japan. The names of these activities in their respective countries, were Chuk-Guk and Kemari. During the Tang Dynasty of China, the ball has been strengthened and filled with air. Games cuju with air-filledBall has started and professionally. Cuju has been embraced by some people and many players have earned their living off of it.

If Chinese is the Eastern version of football in antiquity, the Greeks and Romans, on the other hand, their counterparts in the West. Many games and activities in ancient Greece and ancient Rome took a bullet that he used his foot to kick and a possible formulation of these activities and games for the Greeks and Romans.Such is the history of football, which stretches as far way back to ancient times. Ancient Soccer is widely known as one of the most ancient form of gambling that the feet need to play.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Youth Soccer Drills


Did you know that football is the most popular sport in the world? Being in America, no more than I. I believe that like all other Americans, I thought that football was the biggest success with people. In fact, football fans are more loyal and dedicated to all sports fans. I personally know some people who wake up at 3am to watch the World Cup live on television. I have been a couple of football matches and, although they were as young> Football match, I found it very entertaining to watch. Which brings me back to when I was in elementary school to play football. Every part was fun exercises of youth football games for real money.

I remember a youth football drill that we used to do. It is known to dribble in a square. Coach put 4 blocks on the disk to create a square field about 10 imaginary level crossings. Of course, depending on the number of players that we or our age,the size of the square varies. Once the site has been created we display on the outside and looking in each one of us has a soccer ball and dribbling at the end opposite and back.That game has had a great time. We learned to dribble through traffic, how to find open spaces, and once we got across we can use different techniques to turn with the ball. My favorite tour was the recession. Simply place the bottom of the foot on the top of the ball to stop andthen pull in the direction of origin. The first person to travel the 12 rounds was the winner. Of course, this is one that exercises many young football team that can be used.

Football is definitely a lot of fun. I can not wait to get my children involved in football. E 'for me the ultimate team sport. Maybe I'll even volunteer to be a coach. A couple of pieces of advice on how to have good practices are the following: Ensure that all children stay active andparticipate. Two ways to ensure that this happens is to ensure that each player has a soccer ball and they all have a minimum of one hundred tap during practice. All this talk about football makes me want to jump and scream. GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!