Agility Training For Soccer

By Patrick Beith

With soccer season coming up and the agility conditioning of your athletes is unknown, are you looking for new exercises to have your team explode onto the scene?

Fortunately, there are 10 tried-and-true exercises that are guaranteed to get your players ready and in late-season shape in no-time!

1) Funnel Drill: Need 6 cones. The first 2 cones are next to each other 2 yards apart. Place the cones 3 and 4, 3 yards away form the first 2 and separate them 4 yards apart. Cones 5 and 6 are going to be 3 yards away from cones 3 and 4, and they will be separated 6 yards apart. The cones should form a shape of a funnel.

To start this drill, you should stand in an athletic position in front of cone #1. On a command of a coach or training partner, laterally shuffle to cone #2. Touch the top of cone 2 then sprint diagonally to cone #3, touch, then shuffle to cone #4. Touch cone #4 then sprint diagonally to cone #5, touch and laterally shuffle to cone #6. Touch cone #6 then sprint forward 5 yards to the finish line.

***Progressions: There are many different variations to this drill. You can add different cuts and moves to the funnel pattern. You can add different commands (audible or visual) to start the drill or to have the athlete perform different movements. To make this drill even more challenging, you can add an opponent or a ball, while making sure you are not compromising the technique of the drill.

2) 5-10-5 (Pro Agility): There are three cones set-up 5 yards apart. The athlete starts at the middle cone (cone #2) facing the cone with cones #1 & #3 on the right and left side. The athlete turns and sprints 5 yards to cone #1, plants and runs 10 yards past cone #2 to cone 3. The athlete plants again and runs 5 yards back to the start (at cone #2).

3) T-Drill: Set the cones up to look like a T. The athlete starts at the bottom of the T (cone #1). Sprint forward 10 yards to cone #2. At the cone side shuffle left 5 yards to cone #3. Plant at cone #3 and side shuffle 10 yards to cone #4. Plant again at cone #4 and side shuffle 5 yards back to cone #2. Cut at cone #2 and sprint back to the beginning to cone #1.

4) X-Factor: Set the cones up in a square pattern with each cone 10 yards apart. The athlete starts at cone #1 and sprints 10 yards to cone #2. At cone #2 the athlete plants and sprints diagonally to cone #4. Cut at cone #4 and sprint 10 yards up to cone #3. At cone #3 the athlete plants again and sprints diagonally back to cone #1.

5) Tennis Ball Drop: A coach or training partner holds a tennis ball shoulder height. When the ball is released, you must catch the ball before it bounces a second time. The coach/training partner can change the distance they are standing or change the height of where they drop the tennis ball.

Variety: By changing your starting position, you can make this drill more challenging. Positions: athletic stance, push-up position, on one knee, athletic position faced sideways, only have the athlete shuffle to get the ball, opponents (first one to catch the ball wins).

6) Ali Shuffle

Start with your right foot in the first box facing the ladder from the side. Now rotate your hips quickly and replace your right foot with your left foot. Your right foot is now outside of the ladder. Rotate your hips quickly again and bring your right foot into the second box (this will move your left foot out of the first box and outside of the ladder). Repeat sequence to the end of the ladder.

7) Icky Shuffle

Starting on the right side of the ladder, take a side step with your left foot in the first box of the ladder. The right foot follows and steps in the same box while the left foot takes a lateral step outside the ladder. The right foot then advances up to next box and is quickly replaced by the left foot, while the right foot is stepping laterally outside the ladder. Repeat sequence to the end of the ladder.

8) Brake Run

The left foot will start in the first box of the ladder and the right foot will head into the second box. Repeat this sequence until you are halfway through the ladder. At the halfway point, now you are placing two feet in each box until the end of the ladder. Repeat leading with your right foot next set.

9) In/Out Lateral

Start facing sideways towards ladder with your right foot in the first box. Quickly place your left foot in the same box. You right foot then moves out of the ladder and the left foot follows. The right foot leads into the second box and the left foot follows in the same box. Repeat sequence to the end of the ladder. Next set lead with your left foot.

10) Lateral

Start sideways at the beginning of the ladder. Your right foot will move into the first box where your left foot will follow. Your right foot will lead all the way to the end of the ladder placing both feet in each box. Repeat facing the opposite direction with your left foot leading.

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Soccer Skills - Crossing - Do Want To Learn How To Cross Like David Beckham

By Maverick Jensen

What is crossing?

Crossing is the skill of delivering a pass either in the air or along the ground, into the center where a team mate may have a chance to shoot at goal. It can be a potentially crucial part of the game as the team with the better chances generally wins.l

Styles Of Crossing

The Out-swinging cross:
The most common cross found in football, due to wingers generally play on same side as their stronger foot. The curl is generated when the ball is stuck with the inside of the foot in like a sweeping motion, applying side spin to the ball. In general, depending upon your position you should be aiming for the goal side of the penalty spot far enough away from the keeper so he can't punch or catch it. This technique has the advantages of the ball moving away from the keeper and as the ball curls back towards on coming attackers, which makes it's easier to generate pace.

The In-swinging cross:
Usually executed when a player turn or cuts back, and crosses with their opposite foot. These crosses force strikers to loose their marker and attack the ball. These are easier for the keeper to come off his line and punch or catch the ball. The ball has usually got less pace on the ball due to the fact the ball is generally struck with the weaker foot.

The Chipped Cross:
Done most easily when the crosser is standing still. The crosser chips the ball by stabbing at the ball with the front of their boot, creating back spin and loft. This tactic can be good for a team with a tall striker that has aerial dominance over there defender. This can be used as a surprise tactic as the situations to use this technique are rare.

Ground Cross:
More of a powerful pass, it can be curled or not curled, and is done when (open) attackers are close to the crosser and he has no better options. The attacker can then turn and shoot, or execute another cross or pass to another player.

This article has only scratched the surface of what you could possibly learn. To learn a lot more please visit http://www.footballsmart.890m.com. For fitness and conditioning articles please visit http://footballsmart.890m.com/PlyometricTraining.html Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maverick_Jensen

International Soccer Camps - Building Intercultural Competence for the Next Generation

By Joey Bilotta 

You want your kids to have every opportunity to succeed in this world. You want them to learn self-discipline, how to be healthy, and to gain an appreciation and understanding for the world around them. The business world is becoming increasingly globalized. Intercultural competence, the skill which allows people to operate effectively in an international setting, is becoming ever more important.

What better way to ensure your kids are ready for the "real world" than to make sure they know how to navigate a variety of different cultures? And what better way to introduce them to the concept by using a sport they already know and love: soccer?

Soccer (or football) is the most popular international sport. Millions of people all across the globe eagerly play it and keep up with it, and international soccer camps bring students from every nation together.

Get your kids ahead of the game with an international soccer camp. Here's what to look for to make sure your camp is providing the most in terms of both soccer and intercultural competence.

Immersive language classes

If you're looking into international soccer exchange programs, immersive language classes are a must. These classes are taught completely in the native language of whichever country the soccer camp is in. The only way to truly learn a different language is to be completely absorbed in it. If your child visits Italy, he should hear nothing but Italian. If she's in Spain, she should hear Spanish 24 hours a day. These language classes should be as intensive as soccer training.

The younger your child is, the easier it is for them to pick up new languages. Some international soccer camps allow children as young as 10 to enroll, so if you really want to give your kids a good grasp of other languages, consider letting them enroll then.

Cultural excursions

Something that makes perfect sense in another culture may seem strange or rude to us. In some Hispanic cultures, for example, unflattering nicknames are commonly assigned to friends and associates, but at the same time they are not meant as insults. An example would be "flaco" (skinny) or "huesos" (bones), used when referring to slender people.

Check with the camp's director and see if your kids will get a chance to see more of the country than just the soccer field and the four walls of a classroom. Intercultural competence isn't going to be fully learned there. Students need to get out and experience daily life in that country and culture. They need to come to learn its slang and its quirks. An international soccer camp that emphasizes intercultural competence won't keep its students stuck inside all day.

Intensive soccer training

The best international soccer camps will put just as much focus on the "soccer" part as they do the "international" part. Practices should be held daily, or even twice a day, for at least two hours. Professional coaches should be teaching the students during these practices, and like everything else, they should be in the country's native language.

Give them the tools they need to succeed

You want them to have a well-rounded education that gets them ahead in the work force. They want to learn more about their favorite sport. With an international soccer camp, you get the best of both worlds. Your kids get the soccer training they want, and even better, they get an in-depth cultural experience that will put them ahead of the curve. Even if they decide on a different career than professional soccer, with immersive international experience, they'll always have the skills to outmaneuver the competition.

About the Author Get your student athlete started on the path to intercultural competence today. Visit EduKick.com to see which international soccer camps are right for your child. Joey Bilotta is the vice president of EduKick, a soccer boarding school exchange program. They host international soccer schools and camps in Europe, Brazil, Mexico, and China. Visit them online at http://www.edukick.com to sign up. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joey_Bilotta

Soccer Practice Planning Recommendations for Coaching Success

By Scott Carlson 

Training a team correctly involves planning practices that are both fun and informative for players. If players are not entertained, they are not likely to pay attention, which will obviously make it very difficult for them to learn. However, the drills must involve a skill element in order for players to improve their game, which are repetitious, and can be boring. The objective is finding the right mix for your team, which is dependent on the age group, competitiveness and other important factors.

Take the example of Coach Wing Init. He never plans practice beforehand, and instead spends the entire practice scrimmaging. While practice may be fun for the players, this is not going to get the players high numbers of touches on the ball, and the uninterested players will surely disengage. These practices are clearly not educational enough for players to learn and progress.

Compare this to Coach Bo Ring, who spends 95% of practice time doing drills that do not inspire creativity, and do not give players a chance to learn by doing. Avoid the pitfalls of each and structure your soccer practices in a way that mixes both fun and work.

Educational skills drills, followed by high energy small sided game element drills give players a chance to work on what they have learned. If you focus players attention on improving during the game element what you have previously worked on in the skills drills, pretty soon they will do it without even thinking. Quality soccer practices are designed with the intention of evolving the play of your players, both individually and collectively.

If you are a volunteer soccer coach, you owe it to your players to challenge and inspire their play. Soccer Season Outsourced will help you transform your team from a bunch of individuals into the powerhouse of your league. It is a book with Check it out at http://www.soccerdrillbook.com/soccer-drills-practice-plans Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Carlson

Football Dribbling Tips

By Maverick Jensen

If you're attacking, you don't get as exhausted as when you're defending.

Football dribbling is something that you as football player need to know. Dribbling isn't just about getting around your opposer. Alternatively, there are a lot of additional little features that you need to master if you want to improve you dribbling skills. In this part of football-training-guide you will know precisely how to become a effective dribbler.

Use your football dribbling skills in right situations

You shouldn't only dribble to show people how skillful you are, alternatively apply your talent by playing smart. You need also to bear in mind to never dribble if you have an unmarked teammate near you. Passing the ball safely to a near teammate is more effectively than a dribbling solo raid. The best rule is to never dribble in your own half. However, you should try to dribble frequently in your opponent's 18 yard box

The reward with dribbling is that your opponents won't know what you aim to do next. To stop you, opponents will need to work out which direction you will most likely take.

Try to relax

Football dribbling is not just about how proficient you are with ball; you need also to have a lot of self-confidence in yourself. Whilst dribbling you must actually think that you can go around your defender.

try not to panic every time you get the ball. Alternatively, be calm and try to work out the best way to get around your opponent.

How to find your opponents weak side?

Your opponents will always have a weak side; it is up to you to detect it. But before expending a lot time on analyzing your opponents let me give you a little hint: Try to check whether your opponent is right or left handed.

Now you may wonder what your opponents hand has to do with dribbling your opponent or not, I mean, aren't we discussing football dribbling here? Of course we are discussing soccer dribbling but to locate your opponent's weak side, you need to know his/her weak leg, and how do you find that out?

Well, if you dare you could just ask him or you could use another smart way to figure it out. Just check whether he/she is left or right handed. Now you may wonder you should know if your opponent is right or left handed?

Well if your opponent is right handed his/her left leg will normally be weaker, and if he/she is left handed his/her right leg will be the weaker one. Your opponent will also have more problems in handling the ball using his/her weak leg, so watch out for this!

Do not trust completely on this advice. There are skillful opponents that can handle the ball pretty well with both feet, therefore, watch carefully before deciding what leg is the weak one.

Finally, don't forget this one: To pass the ball to an unmarked teammate is much more efficient than trying to dribble through a wall of opponents.

http://www.footballsmart.890m.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maverick_Jensen

Athletic Skills - The Groundwork for Athletic Success

By Ron Usher

Imagine building a house. A tall beautiful house. You want the house to stand for a long time; to withstand heat, cold and wind.

What's the first thing you do? You don't start building the frame, do you? You don't even start building the foundation.

The first thing you do is make sure the ground is prepared.

Like a house, so an athlete.

Our kids are coming to soccer unprepared. Too much TV, too much video games, too little outdoor playtime are taking a toll. A few kids get it. They excel in sports.

Most kids don't. They are always a step behind. They get frustrated and eventually quit.

What as a concerned parent can you do? Lots. Here's some tips to help you work with your child.

1. Start an exercise routine. Do it with your child five to ten minutes a day. It doesn't have to be hard or difficult. Not only will they (and you) receive physical benefits, they will learn to put extra time in for their fitness. Consider it homework for their body.

2. Work on Strength. Push-ups (modified for most) for upper body strength, sit-up and variations for core strength, and squats for leg strength.

3. Develop Balance. Practice standing on one foot and touching the ground. Or stand on one foot and throw a ball back and forth.

4. Build Endurance. Do bear crawls or crab walks. Even indoors, these are great exercises. Not only do they develop endurance and strength, they are fun. Bear crawls are walking on your hands and feet like a bear. Crab walks are the same but upside down. The stomach is towards the ceiling.

By spending a little bit of time with your child, they will start to develop the groundwork they need for soccer success. They will also develop self-confidence and you'll be building quality bonding time.

One final tip. Always keep it fun. Play music, compete, and challenge each other. Make it a family activity.

To receive my special report on what all soccer parents need to know go to http://www.athleticskillsforsoccer.com You'll also be signed up for my newsletter which is loaded with tips to help you work with your child. To Fit and Healthy Kids Ron Usher http://www.athleticskillsforsoccer.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Usher

Spring Soccer Training

By Wade Boden

It is finally warming up and we are ready to get out and play. The big game that I am looking forward to this Spring is soccer. Soccer is not a very popular sport in the United States, however, its popularity is rapidly increasing. On the worldwide aspect, it is probably the most played sport.

Getting out after a cold winter can be hard. One must begin to condition and train after months of avoiding the outdoors due to the bitter cold. For soccer, which is perhaps the most demanding sport of any, training in essential before going in to the games. This is because players are expected to play for 45 minutes periods without breaks. During these 45 minutes, they must walk, jog, run, and sprint. For this reason, endurance and fitness training is the most important aspect of training for a soccer player.

The second area to focus in training for the soccer season is the train technical skills. Juggling is a great training technique for ball control. This will allows players to train their ball controll skills, increase balance and agility, and train muscles that are used specifically for soccer. Another important training technique is to practice dribbling the ball. You should learn how to move quickly without loosing control of the ball. The last technique that I would mention is to practice shooting the ball. Learn how to kick under control and with power. This will be very important when it comes game time and you have the open shot.

The last area of training is mental training. Have a positive attitude. Don't get frustrated. Make yourself feel like you are a great soccer player. Have a solid understanding of the game. Think ahead of time how you will react in certain situations that you might encounter on the field. Learn how others play and be able to react to their styles to improve everyone as a whole.

Wade Boden is the Artwork Director of Robbins Sports, an online resource for Portable Soccer Goals, Soccer Uniforms, and Gym Bags. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wade_Boden