Okay, I think it’s time for some action. It seems pretty clear the Social Distancing and Stay at Home orders will continue thru April….and May….well, maybe into May as well. I am hearing some rumors that MYSA may be thinking about having a shortened season May-June but I think everything is still up in the air. We have talked on the site about what’s next.
Training on your own is really our only option currently….will we be able to meet in groups, very small groups, in the near future? Can we train using social distance rules….all good questions….but for now, it’s really up to each individual player to find some time to build their skills.
So let’s talk about that.
What should you or could you be doing in the next month while we see where this thing goes, is a season possible. Every player is faced with the same dilemma…..how can I stay sharp…..how can I keep or even build my skills, especially for players about to advance into High School. The one element we don’t have is live game play and we know that’s ultimately the best teacher but we do have some options.
Skill Building Options
I will keep it pretty simple…I think there are three basic options that every player can work on. Ball Mastery…Juggling….and Passing. Here is the thing, the first two you can do by yourself. As we discussed last post, do you have a ball, do you have a basement or yard or garage, and do you have some time. I know you have some time and pretty sure you have the others as well. Even with no other equipment, no cones, you should be good to go.
BALL MASTERY. Let’s start with Ball Mastery. ECU has been posting some really cool videos the past few weeks. Rippin’ it with Rips. Tuesday Skill building sessions with Shamus, Susie, JD, AK and others are out there. Please take a few minutes to check out the ECU Facebook site (ECU Communities 715) for some inspiration. I must say, I love the videos people have been sending into the site. Kids are doing it….they are training, they are working on their skills and I LOVE IT!! I am not as brave as JD or Susie or Rip or AK. I applaud you guys, well done, impressive. You should give yourself a ton of credit for stepping up for the club. Appreciate you! I am taking a little different path. I have been checking out YouTube and there is a ton of training stuff there, with really high quality videos showing and demonstrating skills and techniques….way better than I could ever do. I know….not as personal as if I did it….but hey, I am just a coach…I always got my kids to do the demonstrating at practice. I am leaving the demos up to the youngsters. I have found a few I think are awesome and really cover the Ball Mastery component of the training you can execute.
OMG! Amazing feet. The first 10-12 are super foundational moves. Things I have been coaching my whole life…inside cuts…outside cuts, sole rolls, toe taps, croquetas, push pull, etc. Some of these moves are pretty mind blowing. This dude has really really good Ball Mastery. 50 different moves….wow!! Pretty inspirational and worth a shot. If you are planning to train a bit, get your phone out, watch the video and then get to work. You can follow right along. 30 minutes of even the first 10-15 exercises will increase your ball mastery and confidence on the field.
I know…50 seems a bit overwhelming and a bit daunting. And he moves it along pretty quick, not sure you are catching all the steps in the move. Ahhh….you want less. Okay, I hear you. Let’s try just 10 moves and a little more time explaining the moves so you can really follow along. Same guy, same amazing feet and some really nice boots as well. Check it out.
JUGGLING. Let’s move on the juggling. I think coaches just assume players know how to juggle. I have found even at the older age groups, that is just not the case. Juggling a soccer ball can be hard. It is a process and takes time and I know….it can be frustrating. But hey, right now you are on your own, no one watching, so no big deal if you are not great right away. You have time to get better and now is a great time to improve your juggling. With every team I’ve coached I have 2-3 really good jugglers but a whole bunch of others who struggle to get past 15-20 juggles. It’s hard. It takes practice. I am going to assume nothing….let’s start with the basics so you feel comfortable. Check it out.
Okay…you got that down. Now on to the coolest juggling trick….that I have never mastered personally, but I am excited to see you guys kick it!. The “Around The World Juggle”. Here is a step by step on how to master this skill. I can’t wait to see if my team can do it once we are back together. And by the way, Juggling really improves your confidence and translates to ball control on the field, winning 50/50 balls, helps with volleys and shooting as well and it’s really cool if you can pull off more than 50. I had two videos last post of a few of my U13 players hitting 79. You can do it!
PASSING. So lets talk about the last one. I know your first question….don’t you need two players to pass. Well, that makes it easier, but if you can’t get someone….a brother, sister or parent. then maybe a wall in your basement, a wall in your garage, a wall at the side of the house….as long as mom and dad say its okay. Passing and Receiving are so fundamental to the game and now is a great time to work on it. Using proper technique to execute a push pass and also how to receive a vall and keep it close to our feet.
Let’s start with the basics again. In the video they do a nice job….I’ll just add a few thoughts. You notice in the video the toe on the passing foot is either level to the ground or slightly raised. That’s important for control. As well, they hit the ball at the equator. That’s important to keep the ball on the ground and not hopping on you. The placement of the plant foot…pointing at the target…and having the passing foot at the 90 degree angle and really critical for accuracy! You can do it!!
So that was a great tutorial on short passes, using the side foot or a Push Pass. Let’s take a quick look a long passes or Driven Balls. A bit different technique. Check out the video .
So, now we make a few changes. Plant foot is further away from the ball, 6″ in the video. I want to point out a few things. First….weight is back. You can actually see the trainer leaning back as they strike the ball. This is important to get lift. They do a nice job showing you foot placement. Rather than side foot….you roll your foot over to catch the laces area. The video shows some good stop frame on this to follow. Second…the follow thru. It is very low. The kicking foot stays low and has a short follow thru. The tip on ball spin versus a flat ball is right on. As you master longer passes, you’ll want to experiment hitting the ball low with your foot just scraping the ground…this does create back spin. If you catch the ball slightly higher….but still well below the equator…the ball comes out flat with no spin and can go farther and with more pace. A true driven ball!!
So…there you go. BALL MASTERY…JUGGLING…PASSING. These are three very important elements to the game and all three you can work on by yourself. Maybe each week you train on all three areas once a week. If you can dedicate 30 minutes to an hour three times a week….your game will significantly improve. I won’t complain if you train everyday, but we did pick three areas….so three trainings a week seems like a good start.
One last note…CONDITIONING.
It is hard to stay in shape when you are not training consistently. Conditioning is so important in soccer so you’ll need to find a way to keep up your conditioning so that if the season does kick off in May….you’ll be ready. So many options here but I’ll mention just a few quick ones. Every athlete is at a different place for conditioning so you’ll want to set individual goals for sure.
GO FOR A RUN. Once a week a 1-2 mile run will be awesome to keep you conditioned. Especially if you are doing the three trainings a week mentioned above, running once a week you serve you well. Again, everyone is different, but 8 minute miles is pretty good. Mark off a mile with help from mom and dad…and go for a run. You’ll improve quickly…track your times and set a goal!
GO FOR A BIKE RIDE. A long bike ride would serve you well. Find a safe spot to ride around your neighborhood. Set the gears so its hard to peddle and go for it. A 30 minute ride is awesome. If you can’t do that safely, maybe mom or dad have a stationary bike you can try!
SPRINT/SUICIDES. If you are feeling really motivated and really brave then we have this one for you. Sprint/Suicides. This will rock your world and give you a great conditioning workout and get you a little sweaty.
Find some space in the yard or a playground. Set 4 cones or markers at 10 yard increments. Set them at 10-20-30 and 40 yards. From the start line, Sprint to marker 1 and back to the start….sprint to marker 2 and back to the start….sprint to marker 3 and back to the start and finally sprint to the final marker 4 and back to the start. The goal is a 30/90 ratio. 30 seconds to complete the sprint and then 90 seconds of rest. The goal is to complete 10 rounds under 30 seconds. You may not be there at first but just see how it goes. How long does it take on your 10th round. You will improve rapidly and be at 10 rounds under 30 seconds each in no time!
I think that’s it for now. A complete guide to stay at home training and conditioning. It’s what we have for now and will keep your skills sharp and ready for when our real season begins….whenever that is. As a coach….I just want to coach. And for a little bit longer that is going to look different. I hope you will give this a shot and find the time each week. Remember…..for the next month.
3 Training sessions a week. One each of Ball Mastery, Juggling and Passing and of course one conditioning session a week as well. And maybe, just maybe sometime in May or June we will be able to meet as a team and train together.
Stay safe, stay strong and TRAIN! And a little fun to finish. How about a little motivation. I coach girls so I am partial to the USWNT highlights.