Tennis players hit balls until the swing becomes automatic and the racket becomes part of the arm. The over weight, tattooed, smoking, drinking men of the pubs can hit the bulls eye with their eyes closed.

Fitness instructors create a lean body with body fat percentages that would scare most gym enthusiasts. Iron men defy all science and complete distances that would take an ordinary person a week to complete.

Jet fighter pilots can withstand g-forces that would crush our lungs and live to tell another story. Formula One drivers take corners at a blink of the eye.

Mothers give birth, feed, protect and love their young ones for the rest of their lives. Plants soak up the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen.

Monks meditate and seek the internal freedom that evades us all. Trees reach for the stars while the sun cuts the day in half.

Evolution continues to evolve leaving behind a trail of inefficiencies and hard luck stories. Communism worked until freedom became a choice.

Forgetful people are destined to remember while alcoholics will try and drown their sorrows.

What about you?

What’s your story?

Fill in the gaps if you dare!

A soccer player, soccer parent and/or a soccer coach is a ……..

Everybody has a story to tell, I’m all ears.

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

By the way, Happy New Year, a little late I know, but better late than never.

2011 is the year of…… fill in the gap; it’s your call.

Maybe this year,

Your neighbour will stop playing loud music in the middle of the night and the other side will stop jumping on the trampoline for hours. Boing, boing.

Will the grass be greener with the shift in the economy and will interest rates fall or rise? Will the light shine at the end of the tunnel and will you start to train with the required diet that always seems to start tomorrow?

Will you start to justify that gym membership that has found its home in your wallet right next to the library card that never gets used?

Will you finally admit it and subscribe to Love Based Soccer while loving the people that deserve it?

2010 has come and gone and it’s time to place the 2011 bucket in place. What will you put in it?

Personally, 2010 was an interesting year although I predicted a “very interesting year” and my girlfriend continually reminds me of this. (giggle)

But here’s a thought.

Somewhere in the soccer world, new contracts were signed, new coaches got certified, new clubs were formed, new boots were designed and new talent was discovered.

More importantly, just like the last standing gladiator after his exit from the arena, soccer continues to dominate and slay any other sporting code.

2011 is a new year, with new goals, hopes and dreams. As you make your way through 2011 make sure to always bring the elbow grease. But before I finish the first post of the year I would like to add this; something new, a rant.

I see it every day!

Professionals, coaches and managers preying on the weak.

Do this, buy this and blah, blah, blah.

Before I polish my own halo try this on for size. Next time you visit a training session, bookstore, Amazon or even a blog like mine (applause), ask yourself,

“Do I really need this?”

The Internet has a plethora of soccer information with the well disguised affiliate links. Are they looking to help or are they hustling for your loose change?

Hmmm.

So the tip for 2011 is this, and my gift to you,

Do you really need this?

It’s a kick in the teeth sort of question, don’t you think? It protects you like a parent looking after you on the first day of school.

So before you open up your wallets or hearts, ask the question. “Do I really need this?”

Don’t get sucked into jargon or marketing hype that promises you or your child the world.  A perfect example of this is the term “aerobics”. Anyone know why this form of exercise is called aerobics?

Simple!

Fitness “gurus” and instructors got together and schemed,

“If we’re going to charge $15 an hour we can’t call it jumping up and down.”

If you have doubts about a product, coach, person or sales pitch, think about the motives. What might their other incentives be for selling soccer to you?

Wishing you a Happy New Year and without further delay,

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

Does it matter?

For those that haven’t played poker, you can win with any hand and also lose with any hand. It’s totally up to you how you play the hand you’ve been dealt.

Soccer is full of players that have been dealt poor hands but through hard work and dedication have graced some of the biggest stadiums in the world.

Soccer is also full of losers who drew terrific hands but never capitalised on their good fortune or genes.

In soccer you will never be dealt a hand that cannot be turned into a winning one. Unlike poker, soccer success is predictable.

If you put in the time, effort and commit to training, you will be equipped to turn your hand into a winning hand.

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

The biggest battle in soccer, whether you’re a seasoned veteran, youngster or teenager is the battle within yourself, the battle to remain true to yourself and your beliefs.

When we talk about the battle within oneself I’m referring to the EGO. Whether we like it or not, everyone (not just soccer players) are plagued by their own ego.

What is ego?

If we flick to Collins or Webster we have the following explanation.

“A person as thinking, feeling, willing and distinguishing himself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.” Or

“Egotism, conceit, self-importance, the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.”

The ego as I see it would be defined as,

“ Self centered anguish that ruins lives and any chance of success usually inflicted by someone telling the truth.”

If you sit back and listen to someone with a big ego the vocabulary seems to be limited to,

I want, I am, I need, I, I, I &I.

If you let your ego run free chances are you’ll never make it. To add insult to the wound you’ll become one lonely soccer chop. V-E-R-Y Lonely.

It’s only fair that I mention this, “I had the biggest ego once upon a time and had both my feet firmly planted in shit.” Did my ego serve me well?

Relying on your ego or delusions is a great way to fail in soccer. What would you bet on, “how good you think you are”, or “blood, sweat and tears.”

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

Have you ever lost a pet? Not just any pet, an animal that was part of your family for 15 years? Well, (sigh) I’ve experienced this for the second time and it doesn’t get any easier.

I know what you’re thinking; it’s a part of life.

It’s inevitable, we all die, some sooner rather than later. But do you fear death? It would be silly of me to announce that I don’t, but I fear something else. This something sends shivers down my spine daily and inevitably creates mayhem in the little room located between my ears.

When I go to the grave or even the nursing home, I’m not going to be rubbing my hands in anticipation wishing that I had done this and done that. Wishing that I had told my boss to go f%^&k himself and that I pursued what was in my heart for so many years. I’m not going to be grinding my teeth in frustration or pulling my hair out because my time will be up. Once the buzzer sounds, that’s it.

Too often we are waiting for something or somebody. Waiting for the weather, waiting for our girlfriend, waiting for our dad, waiting for our lift, waiting, waiting, and waiting. The Doors were onto something back in the 70’s when they sang, “waiting for the sun” and it wasn’t just the drugs.

Come a bit closer to the screen and answer this,

Have you trained today?

Have you visited the gym?

I’ll even accept juggling a ball in the backyard?

Well, have you?

Chances are you’re waiting for something.

Waiting to finish school, work or even waiting to lose some weight.

It doesn’t really matter, does it? Keep waiting and before you know it your time is up.

I’ll let you get back to waiting but before I go remember this.

It is better to live your dream then to sit there waiting and fantasizing about some pipe dream. Just like many before us our time will come.

Will you beat the final whistle?

Will you take the final shot to win the game of life or will you require the nurse to wipe the dribble off your chin while you still wait for whatever it is your waiting for.

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