By: RalphMcarther
Improving Accuracy in Soccer
If you want to become a great soccer player, it is crucial to be (and stay) in control of the soccer ball. This can be tough, especially when facing slippery fields and skilled opponents. There are many exercises you can do to help you improve accuracy with the ball. Try dribbling around several kinds of objects, such as cones, arches, or other players. As you improve, tighten the space you use around each of these objects, and try to improve your reaction time. Accuracy is obviously also important with goal shooting. One way to improve your accuracy is to use a kickspeed target. This helps you aim for a specific target and measures the speed of your kicks. You also want to be accurate in capturing the soccer ball. Kicking nets can help you develop this skill. Since few other soccer players bother to practice this skill, you will have an advantage over others on the field.
Why Anyone Benefits from Soccer Practice
Even if you are just starting out in soccer, you have probably experienced how thrilling the game can be. You have probably also realized how beneficial this active game is for you physically. In addition to these benefits, soccer is a great training ground for general life skills, like teamwork. Even if you do not want to play soccer at a competitive level, developing your game is beneficial to you. For those who plan to pursue a scholarship or a career in soccer, consistent practice and skill development is of the upmost importance. If soccer is just a fun hobby for you, you will find that there is immense satisfaction in watching your abilities grow, with a little bit of hard work. Understanding the fundamentals of the sport and using the right equipment are important, regardless of why you are playing. The Internet is a great place to look for both equipment and information.
Great Equipment for Goalies
One of the most crucial pieces of equipment for a goalie is his or her goal. Start out with a small goal and develop your ability to defend that goal against any kind of shot that comes your way. Then, you can move on to defending a larger goal space. Though the size of the goals will be different, the agility and techniques you developed previously will greatly enhance your ability to guard this larger area. Agility and reaction time are crucial skills for any soccer goalieIf you buy a rebounding net, you can work on both shooting and goalkeeping at the same time. You can practice shooting at a specific area, and as the ball rebounds you can improve your ability to capture it. Some goalies choose to have a goalie net face the rebounding net for improved practice. A good pair of gloves is a final, fundamental piece of equipment for soccer goalies. Look for a flexible material with a good grip.
Flexibility
If soccer players are not flexible, they can cause damage to themselves by overextending their muscles. It is all too easy for soccer players to overextend themselves and cause muscle or ligament damage. To prevent this, players must learn correct stretching techniques and apply those techniques on a daily basis. Coaches need to educate themselves in proper stretching techniques and then pass that information on to their players. A player need not stretch for hours and hours, but a good stretching session of 15 to 30 minutes at the beginning and sometimes at the end of practice can increase mobility and flexibility. Some stretches soccer players need are pretty simple; others are quite complex. When trying a new stretch, players should always know what muscle groups they are supposed to be focusing on. Remember to stretch well and stretch often to ensure
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Soccer Fitness
There are different definitions of fitness actually means, but one common way it is described is as the 5 S's:
* speed
* strength
* stamina
* suppleness
* skill
Two other S's sometimes associated with describing fitness are:
* specificity (what do you need to fit for)
* spirit (psychological aspect)
One key element is specificity, in that what you want to be fit for, determines which of these S's has the most weight or importance. For example, a golfer would not need much speed but would need a lot of skill.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #1
Proper warm up:
Too many coaches train their players to do static stretching while they are cold. This is one of the most dangerous holdovers from the past that is out there. You need to do light calisthenics to warm the muscles up before you stretch them and when you stretch them you should be doing dynamic stretching.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #2
Sprint Training
Too many coaches have their players jog for miles at 50% intensity. That's just stupid. Do you want your athletes chasing the ball at 50% of what they are capable during a game? Then why would you have them train for a subpar performance. Never sprint until you are properly warmed up. Do not do sprinting the day before a game. Always allow 48 hours of recovery before a game.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #3
Plyometrics
Too often coaches hear a bout plyometrics and through their players into the exercises without a proper understanding of how they need to do the exercises properly. Plyometrics are powerful and dangerous. It's important that you follow good form.
I'll explain examples in another article.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #4
Recovery
I cannot stress enough the importance of recovery. Too often I see coaches destroy players with their "No pain no gain mentality." When you push your players 100% you need to give them a day off or at least do an active recovery day.
Soccer players need a combination of aerobic and anaerobic fitness due to the nature of the game and the fact that there is continuous movement with lots of short bursts of more intense activity. Some positions require higher levels of anaerobic fitness than others, some require more aerobic fitness. A midfield player is required to cover a lot of ground during a game and needs a good aerobic engine. A striker on the other hand requires short bursts of repeated activity and requires more speed and anaerobic fitness.
One key aspect of fitness that soccerfitness.net recognizes is that each player is different and has different training requirements dependant upon their inherent physical abilities, their desire to train, age and position played. Soccer is a team sport and as such, players train together as a team. This is important for many reasons, but it also means that not all conditioning type sessions or activities have equal benefits across all players.
Where time is available to test and analyze results, it is much better if programs can be tailored for each player or group of players with the same requirements. I feel this is important from around the age of 13 and up, when the effects of training have much more of an impact. Conditioning and speed training at 10-13 years has less impact. A recent FA coaching report, suggested that players 10-12 benefit from training in that it prepares them physically and mentally for training when they are older. Their motor skills develop and they learn skills like how to run fast, as well as obvious ball skills when carrying out normal soccer skills training.
Once past puberty, speed endurance and strength, speed sessions will have more impact. Before that stage, sessions should not be too intense, involving shorter sessions with little emphasis on stamina. Plyometrics and strength building activities should be carried it with great care pre-puberty.
* speed
* strength
* stamina
* suppleness
* skill
Two other S's sometimes associated with describing fitness are:
* specificity (what do you need to fit for)
* spirit (psychological aspect)
One key element is specificity, in that what you want to be fit for, determines which of these S's has the most weight or importance. For example, a golfer would not need much speed but would need a lot of skill.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #1
Proper warm up:
Too many coaches train their players to do static stretching while they are cold. This is one of the most dangerous holdovers from the past that is out there. You need to do light calisthenics to warm the muscles up before you stretch them and when you stretch them you should be doing dynamic stretching.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #2
Sprint Training
Too many coaches have their players jog for miles at 50% intensity. That's just stupid. Do you want your athletes chasing the ball at 50% of what they are capable during a game? Then why would you have them train for a subpar performance. Never sprint until you are properly warmed up. Do not do sprinting the day before a game. Always allow 48 hours of recovery before a game.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #3
Plyometrics
Too often coaches hear a bout plyometrics and through their players into the exercises without a proper understanding of how they need to do the exercises properly. Plyometrics are powerful and dangerous. It's important that you follow good form.
I'll explain examples in another article.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #4
Recovery
I cannot stress enough the importance of recovery. Too often I see coaches destroy players with their "No pain no gain mentality." When you push your players 100% you need to give them a day off or at least do an active recovery day.
Soccer players need a combination of aerobic and anaerobic fitness due to the nature of the game and the fact that there is continuous movement with lots of short bursts of more intense activity. Some positions require higher levels of anaerobic fitness than others, some require more aerobic fitness. A midfield player is required to cover a lot of ground during a game and needs a good aerobic engine. A striker on the other hand requires short bursts of repeated activity and requires more speed and anaerobic fitness.
One key aspect of fitness that soccerfitness.net recognizes is that each player is different and has different training requirements dependant upon their inherent physical abilities, their desire to train, age and position played. Soccer is a team sport and as such, players train together as a team. This is important for many reasons, but it also means that not all conditioning type sessions or activities have equal benefits across all players.
Where time is available to test and analyze results, it is much better if programs can be tailored for each player or group of players with the same requirements. I feel this is important from around the age of 13 and up, when the effects of training have much more of an impact. Conditioning and speed training at 10-13 years has less impact. A recent FA coaching report, suggested that players 10-12 benefit from training in that it prepares them physically and mentally for training when they are older. Their motor skills develop and they learn skills like how to run fast, as well as obvious ball skills when carrying out normal soccer skills training.
Once past puberty, speed endurance and strength, speed sessions will have more impact. Before that stage, sessions should not be too intense, involving shorter sessions with little emphasis on stamina. Plyometrics and strength building activities should be carried it with great care pre-puberty.
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