|
|
|
|
Check It Out! ...
Click on one of the subjects below to expand / collapse its content on your screen
1. Winning State - Soccer Book
Recommended Summer Reading! - This book talks about the complete athlete with emphasis on the importance of the Mental aspects of the game. A champion has more than just talent and skills - he as Drive, Determination and Confidence.
The Winning State Book can be previewed by clicking the image below...
2. Coaching & Competitive Youth Soccer
The New York State West Soccer Association has some good articles regarding Coaching and Competive Youth Soccer. These articles are recommended reading for both Parents and Players.
Click the following image to see the related articles...
3. Why play small sided games? 4. What makes an athlete?
What makes an athlete?
Composition of an Athlete
- Assertiveness: making things happen and not just letting them happen.
- Coachability: willingness to accept teaching and coaching.
- Responsibility: assuming your role, accepting consequences for choices, doing what must be done.
- Leadership: carrying your share of the burden, plus a little of your teammates share. Guiding others.
- Drive: setting goals and thriving on competition and challenge.
- Self-Confidence: believe in your talents and abilities.
- Emotional Control: turning your emotions into productive play.
- Mental Toughness: focus for 90 minutes, bouncing back from adversity.
- Determination: putting in the hard work.
- Conscientiousness: striving for excellence because it's what you want, not simply because coach is watching. Having the discipline to deal with off season programs.
- Trust having faith in your coaches and teammates.
Do all of these have meaning in your life? |
Remember:
Teachers make people...
Coaches make teams to compete...
Great players make themselves...
|
* Apply the above principle to your play and your life.
* Make yourself a great player! |
| OPPOSITES |
| SOCCER IS A CONTINUOUS GAME OF OPPOSITES. THE OBVIOUS OPPOSITE IS WHEN ONE TEAM ATTACKS, THEIR OPPONENTS HAVE TO DEFEND. UNDER THE SKIN OF THE (11 vs. 11) GAME THERE ARE OTHER OPPOSITES AT WORK JUST LIKE A PULSE BEAT. THEREFORE, PLAYERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF SOME OF THE MAJOR OPPOSITES IN ORDER TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS THROUGHOUT THE GAME. |
| |
| ATTACK vs. DEFENSE |
| THE OPPOSITES LISTED BELOW ARE TO HELP PLAYERS AND COACHES RECOGNIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING FORM BOTH SIDE OF THE BALL. |
| (When we have possession) |
|
(When they have possession) |
| * VISION UP |
vs. |
VISION DOWN * |
|
Good players do their Soccer homework before they receive the ball. They look, plan and act ahead of the next play. We win.
|
|
Vision down on the ball means "lights out" on the game. They cannot make good decisions. They lose.
|
| * FIRST TOUCH CONTROL |
vs. |
WORST TOUCH CONTROL * |
| Good Players need instant, first control to create space, to access their next move. We win. |
|
Poor Control is self inflicted pressure and helps the defense to buy time to threaten the ball. They lose. |
| * FAST PASSING |
vs. |
SLOW PASSING * |
| Accurate, simple and quick passing is the fastest way to create scoring chances and unlock defenses. We win. |
|
Allows the defense time to close down the move. Often it sets up interceptions. They lose. |
| * MAKING ANGLES |
vs. |
KILLING ANGLES * |
| Creating passing angles and constant passing options make attacking play flow. We win. |
|
No passing angles or teammates to pass to, often means "turnover time". They lose. |
| * SPREAD SPACE |
vs. |
SQUEEZE SPACE * |
| By spreading out, both in length and width, creates large holes of space to penetrate. This movement "stretches" defenses out to be exposed. We win. |
|
By making the field smaller and narrower, their attacks have less time and space to operate in. They lose. |
| * SHOOT EARLY |
vs. |
SHOOT LATE * |
| When a scoring opportunity is created - Take it! Shoot low, on target and goals will come. We win. |
|
To delay or to elect not to take a scoring chance is a soccer crime. Chances never come back! They lose. |
| * WINNERS |
vs. |
LOSERS * |
| Good teams talk - "Talk", "Man-on", etc. They encourage demand and organize all the time. It enhances team spirit. We win. |
|
Silent teams tend to lack enthusiasm and like playing poorly. They lose. |
|
| IF YOU AND YOUR TEAM UNDERSTAND "THE OPPOSITE GAME" YOU CAN DICTATE AND BE AWARE WHAT IS HAPPENING DURING A GAME. REMEMBER, SOCCER IS MADE UP OF HUNDREDS OF MINI-DUELS LIKE (1 vs. 1), (4 vs. 4), ETC. THE OBJECT IS TO WIN AS MANY OF THESE DUELS AS POSSIBLE, THEN IT FAVORS YOUR TEAM WINNING THE GAME. BY GETTING "SOCCER SAVVY", BY KNOWING THESE AND OTHER "OPPOSITES" WILL HELP YOU TO WIN GAMES. |
The Profile of an Exceptional Player
Is this You?
All Players
|
- What sort of competitor are you?
- Do you set out to impose your will upon your opponent?
- Do you react to intimidation?
- How do you react to cheating?
- Do you have physical courage? Can you take it and give it?
- Do you have the mental toughness to see you through situations that ar going against you?
- When your team is losing, or lost, are you still a winner?
- Can you cause problems for opponents even when you don't have the ball?
- Do you react to play or are you usually a move or two ahead?
- Can you make time and space for yourself when pressured by opponents?
- Can you turn on high levels of sustained work rate if you need to?
|
Backs
|
- Moving towards "own" goal, control the ball and turn to interpass out of trouble or kick clear.
- Volleying a pass or clearance over the shoulder.
- Intercept a pass clearly of change that move into a tackle.
- Pass accurately "down the line", long and short.
- Interpass "outside to in" safely and deceptively.
- Understand the principles and the practice of marking, tracking and covering.
- Compete to head the ball from positions to the side of or from behind determined opponents.
|
Midfield Players
|
- These players are the best all-around players of the game and should be able to meet most of the requirements for backs and strikers.
- Receive, control and run with the ball while shielding it effectively.
- Lay off first time passes backwards and to the side with accuracy and touch.
- Good control in the air with ability to two-touch pass for shot, pass, volley or half valley.
- Shooting with accuracy and power, from 25 meters, plus or minus.
- Deceptive and accurate ground passing through small gaps over 25 meters plus or minus.
- Accurate long passing, 50 meters or so.
- Ability to intercept passes, to anticipate.
- Understanding forward defensive responsibilities and appreciation of counter-attacking possibilities.
- Know how to time the moves to defeat opponents in the air with flicks and direct headed strikes when they have significant height and jumping advantages.
|
Central Strikers
|
- Facing own goal, with a feint, control and turn to shoot or pass or run the ball.
- Facing own goal, control in the air and turn or lay of a back pass.
- Facing own goal, lay off a back ball first touch.
- Give and take simple short wall passes in the air or on the ground.
- Control and shoot, two touches maximum, and hit the target.
- Whenever receiving the ball, be able to shield it from challenge effectively.
- Understand the requirements of the penetration and how to loose markers.
- Know how to "work" opponents to gain the advantage in heading for goal.
|
Northstars Player Identity
"My Type of Player":
- Is a hard competitor, challenging himself & his teammates to become better every day.
- Is a hustler every second in practice & in games.
- Players who can & do-every time!
- Knows that on an entire team each of us will not be completely happy with the decisions and procedures during the season. He learns that he must adjust to the team situation, not the team to him. He will support decisions because they are made in the best interest of the team.
- Is always loyal to his team, his school, and his coach. He knows what loyalty is and stands by it.
- Plays ball fast getting off his foot and moving instantly off the ball (movement creates confusion for the opposition).
- Knows where he wants to play the ball before receiving.
- Can make time & space for themselves when pressured by an opponent keeping possession.
- Unselfish, Leader, Motivator, Communicator, Organizer, Hustler, Tough, Physically & Mentally Strong.
- Turns on high levels of sustained work rate & plays with passion.
- Tackles ball with conviction, Contests and wins all 50/50 balls, anticipates 2nd balls radius.
- Is a hard competitor, takes pride in always improving their game, the players around them, their teams results, their program.
- Does not give up after a bad pass, missed shot or bad break.
- Looks to (Switch Fields) Changes Point of Attack directly or indirectly utilizing the skip pass when the opportunity presents itself.
- Makes hard checking, diagonal, square, recovery runs.
- Travels as the ball travels giving good angles of support.
- Midfielders who take responsibility to ATTACK & DEFEND.
|
|
|
