Soccer Mastermind » soccer practice http://www.soccermastermind.com Kids Soccer, Soccer Coaching Tips, Education, News and Advice. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 03:40:18 +0000 en hourly 1 The Great Soccer Debate http://www.soccermastermind.com/2010/12/the-great-soccer-debate/ http://www.soccermastermind.com/2010/12/the-great-soccer-debate/#comments Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:19:48 +0000 Thomas http://www.soccermastermind.com/2010/12/3111/ Most parents ask the question, “At what age should kids start playing soccer?”

When is the best time to start playing soccer?

When is it time to start getting serious about the game?

Hmmm.

The best time to start is when your parents can afford it.

The best time to start is when you’ve finished your homework.

The best time to start is when you’re a little bit older.

The best time to start is when you’re a little taller, stronger and wiser.

The best time to start is when you grab the latest Nikes.

The best time to start is when your coach tells you to.

The best time to start is when you lose some weight.

The best time to start is when you practice some more.

The best time to start is when your grades improve.

The best time to start is when you start behaving.

The best time to start is when you listen to your parents.

The best time to start is when you select the appropriate club.

The best time to start is when the weather clears up.

The best time to start is when the greenhouse effect subsides.

As you continue to R-E-A-D this, you’ve probably got the message. The best time to start was a year ago, 5 years ago and possibly 10 years ago.

The second BEST TIME to start is RIGHT NOW!

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”

]]> http://www.soccermastermind.com/2010/12/the-great-soccer-debate/feed/ 1 Practice Makes Perfect. Is Your Child The Next David Beckham? http://www.soccermastermind.com/2008/09/practice-makes-perfect-is-your-child-the-next-david-beckham/ http://www.soccermastermind.com/2008/09/practice-makes-perfect-is-your-child-the-next-david-beckham/#comments Tue, 16 Sep 2008 22:48:38 +0000 Thomas http://www.soccermastermind.com/?p=10 “That player is gifted” or he has “great genes”. I personally get sick and tired of hearing these kind of statements. A great soccer player or athlete is not born, he is created with discipline, practice, sacrifice and belief. The biggest names in soccer like your Pele, Maradonna, Zidane and Beckham, weren’t given a secret gift when they were born. They obtained immortality through vigorous training and sacrifice. They practice every day with the belief that one day they would become the best. While other children sat infront of the Tv or played computer games, these superstars were on the training pitch kicking balls till the sun disappeared. They practiced constantly and pushed their bodies to the limit.

If you want to become a great soccer player there is no secret to success. “Practice, practice, practice”. In case i wasn’t clear its Practice every aspect of your game till you physically cannot practice any more. It is practice that gives you the edge, the skill and the confidence to seperate you from the rest of the players. If you want to be a great soccer player then you must commit yourself to daily practice from now on.

Another aspect of peak performance or being a great socer player is that of physical conditioning. If you are not physically fit and haven’t got the aerobic capacity to run all game you cannot become a superstar. If you fail to complete the whole game because you get tired you must improve your physical conditioning. Your skill is identified as your ability to execute particular techniques such as dribbling, passing, shooting and throwing the ball. If you are physically tired or struggling with your aerobic capacity, performing simple tasks such as passing the ball become extremely difficult. Most errors during a soccer match occur when players are tired. Usually the team that makes the least mistakes is the team that wins. Do you want to win more games? Get yourself “super fit”, its no big secret. It is through consistent and regimented practicing that a player is able to develop the skill and confidence to play at a superior level.

When practicing and training don’t go through the motions. Just because you’ve spent 2 hours on the soccer field doesn’t necessary mean you’ve trained for 2 hours or improved by any significant amount. If you dont set yourself goals or objectives during training you are wasting your time. You’ve got to question everything you do and why you are doing it. Set yourself targets and once you achieve these targets, set the bar even higher. A 30 minute training session that is goal-orientated and specific to certain skills is much better than a 2 or 3 hour session of pointless running around chasing the round ball.

As with any sport, you can learn form the best. Study and learn from the best. If your a striker and looking for tips or advice , study the great strikers of the world. Fernando Torress, VanPersie, Rooney, Totti just to name a few. Investigate how they train and copy it. Use these players as a bench mark and strive to be like them. They have established themselves as the best so why not learn from the best. Follow these tips and you will be on your way to becoming a great player.

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