Are you a good athlete or a great athlete?  What separates the two?  Think about it.  What do you think makes an athlete truly “great?” Tell me below. 

Even if athletes possess the same basic skills, a great athlete is set apart because he or she possesses some characteristics that set him or her apart from the rest of the field.  Here’s what I think helps you fall into the Great category. 

You have a superior level of body, mind, and heart. 

To be great, you have to put the time in to raise the conditioning level of your body.  You must have the speed, endurance, and power necessary for your sport.  This means putting in time on the practice field, in the weight room, and doing skill work on your own as well. 

To be great, you have to have to have the mindset of a champion.  This means that you must have a love for your sport, a desire to compete, and a self-driven work ethic. 

If you don’t love your sport, why bother?  People want to succeed at what they enjoy.  And, when you love what you do, you love to perform.  Great athletes strive to be in the spotlight and love success.  They do not dwell on failures, but rather learn from mistakes and apply these lessons to their game.

You have to love to compete and always be willing to put everything on the line.  You cannot simply be driven by a fear of failure (although Jerry Rice does seem to think that this is what fueled him).  You fight for every point, every second on the clock, every loose ball… no matter what.  

You have to have confidence in yourself.  Be sure to read my past blog about developing confidence on the soccer field.  Remember that little story about the Little Engine That Could…. well, it’s true.  You cannot let doubt enter your mind if you want to achieve greatness.  Many great athletes actually feel like it is their destiny to surpass even their role models.

You have to commit yourself to your sport.  This means practicing on the weekends, on holidays, and in bad weather.  You cannot simply show up to practice and go through the motions.  A truly great athlete is able to set their own goals and strive for them.  They write down these goals and don’t settle for not reaching them. 

Have you written down your goals?  You cannot achieve what you do not hold yourself accountable for. 

To be great, you have to have the focus, composure, and discipline to reach these goals.  This means making some sacrifices. The great athlete makes these sacrifices.  Great athletes don’t get distracted from their goals.  Great athletes keep their composure under pressure at crunch-time.  Sometimes, they even thrive under this pressure.    

Many players dream of achieving greatness, but only a select few are willing to be honest with themselves.  Only a select few are able to put forth the effort each day to fine-tune their talents and create an opportunity for themselves.  Great athletes may be unique individuals, but they all possess the same extraordinary mind, body, and heart.

Leave me a comment below about what you think makes up the mind, body, and heart of a great athlete.

Posted by Marj | in Rants and Raves | 2 Comments

Everyone knows that speed is an extremely important component in soccer.  You need speed to beat your opponent to the ball, to outrun your opponent while dribbling, to create more scoring opportunities, and to get open for the pass.

Here are a three exercises and drills that I do to improve my soccer speed.

1. Include butt kicks and high knees in your warm-up.  Your body cannot perform faster unless you train it to be faster.  These warm-up drills not only get your body ready to play, but it also teaches your body how to run properly.  The faster you can do each of these exercises, the faster your body will actually perform when running, especially when you are tired.

Do you remember to work on your running dynamics as part of your soccer practice?  Tell me below.

2. Shuttle run with and without the ball.  To do this drill, set up cones at even intervals across the width of the field.  Sprint to the first cone and then back to the start line.  Then, sprint to the second cone and back to the start line.  Repeat until you reach the final cone and then back to the start line. 

A great variation is to do the same drill with the ball.  I prefer to use multiple balls and to dribble out to the cone, leave the ball, and sprint back.  Then, after I run out of balls and reach the final cone, I continue to shuttle run.  This time by sprinting to the cone, picking up the ball, and dribbling back to the start line. 

Not only will this drill condition your cardiovascular fitness, but it will help you with overall soccer speed because of the constant stop/start components. 

Have you ever tried any other variations to the shuttle run?  If so, I’d love to hear about them so I can add them to my training! 

3. Grab a few friends and run some “Indian Sprints.”  To do this, you all need to get in a single file line.  The leader is the first person.  This person can run anywhere they want (including up/down hills, around trees, etc).  When the whistle is blown or when she shouts “GO,” the back person sprints to the front of the line.  She becomes the new leader.  Repeat this for the duration of your running time.

Another variation that my husband used to do with his team was to have a set course around the field.  The first person would sprint the entire way around the set course until they reached the back.  Once the first person reached the back, the new leader would start sprinting around the field, etc. 

This drill is effective because it requires that you regularly push yourself at intervals when it is your turn to sprint to the front.  Plus, as an added bonus, it’s fun!

Let me know if you’ve ever tried these drills by leaving a comment below.

Posted by Marj | in Soccer Fitness Workouts | No Comments

 Look around you on the soccer field.  Not everyone has the same height, weight, and build.  There is no rule that says that you have to weigh a certain amount to be successful in soccer.

However, there is one thing for sure no matter what type of body you have: carrying around excess weight can be detrimental to your performance on the soccer field.

This is because that excess weight is extra weight that your body has to carry throughout practices and games.  Too much weight for your frame can even cause you injuries.  High body weight can be detrimental to jumping, agility, and endurance.

But, before you simply decide to go on a diet to drop the pounds, consider this….

Body composition is a much better indicator of health than body weight. 

This is because your body is made up of muscles, fat, water, bones, and tissues.  Simply losing weight does not necessarily guarantee that you are losing fat or getting stronger and healthier.

Body composition is the amount of fat free mass (FFM) and body fat that make up your entire body’s weight.  This ratio is written as a percentage. 

Body composition includes all of the properties of the body that are not fat including bones, muscles, water, connective tissues, and organ tissues.  Body fat is categorized as essential (nerves, lungs, brain, liver, mammary glands) and non-essential (adipose/fat tissue). 

Unfortunately, simply stepping on the bathroom scale is not the best way to determine your body composition and you cannot tell your body composition from your outside appearance.  The scale tells you how much is there, but not what is there.

Think about it, a weight lifter might be considered seriously overweight according to one measurement, but in reality they have a perfect body composition.  Or, on the other hand, a “skinny” person might weigh a normal amount for her height but have no muscle, and therefore have an unhealthy body composition.

Women soccer players want to maintain some essential body fat so that your percentage is about 17-20%.  And, anywhere within this range is considered healthy.  Percentages both above and below this level can lead to health concerns.

It’s tricky because muscle actually weighs more than body fat.  So, you could actually be putting on some pounds but adding to the amount of muscle in your body. 

In order to burn fat you have to gain muscle because muscle more efficiently burns fat than cardio.  This is why resistance training improves the efficiency and strength of your total body. 

It is important to know your body fat level prior to starting your exercise regime.  It allows you to plan and measure the outcomes of your training and nutrition programs effectively. 

Please leave me a comment below about your experiences building muscles and burning fat.

Posted by Marj | in Rants and Raves, Soccer Nutrition | 7 Comments

Here is a great drill to add to your soccer practice.  It’s called Partner Moving Pass.

DRILL SET-UP
To do this drill, divide your players up into partners (or if it’s just you and one player, you can be the partner).  Each pair gets one ball.  The pairs line up facing each other so that they will travel the width of the soccer field.

The player who is receiving moves backwards while the player who holds the ball in her hands faces forwards.  Players should stand about 5-10 yards apart. 

The player with the ball serves the ball to her partner by tossing the ball into the air.  The partner will control the ball and pass it back to her partner.  After doing so, she will back pedal a few steps before receiving the ball again. 

Repeat this until reaching the other sideline.  Then, switch partner responsibilities and return to the starting point.

DRILL SPECIFICS
This drill is useful because it teaches players how to receive the ball while moving.  The drill should be repeated to include 1-touch and 2-touch  passing.  The player should receive the ball with the body part specified and return the ball via 1 or 2 touch as requested.    

a. 1-touch with foot (any part)
b. 2-touch with thigh to foot
c. 2-touch with chest to foot 
d. 2-touch with head to foot
e. control with any variation  to foot (ex. thigh-thigh-foot or chest-thigh-foot) 

DRILL VARIATIONS
Speed can be increased as players get more comfortable.  Distance between players can be adjusted as well. 

HELPFUL HINTS
I find that it’s helpful for me as a coach to trail the pairs carrying a few extra balls that I can easily toss to them if their ball goes astray.  Then, I can simply retrieve the other balls to be ready to give to them if needed.  This cuts down on the time in between receiving the ball since I do the chasing of kicked balls. 

This drill often works really well after passing drills such as Arc Passing, where players pass the ball on the ground via 1-touch, 2-touch, right-footed passing, and left-footed passing.  The basic passing drill helps the body to get into a passing rhythm.  Then, adding the dimension of passing the ball in the air increases the complexity and skill required. 

TRANSLATION TO GAME
This drill focuses on ball control.  Players learn to utilize different parts of their body to help trap and control the ball before distributing to the other person.  Although the drill is done without opposition, it does translate to game settings as well. 

Soccer players need to be able to return the ball via one or two touches, and in a soccer game, this is always done on the run.   Another specific time when this would be useful is when soccer players receive a ball on a throw in and then volleying it back to a teammate. 

Overall, this is a fantastic drill to add to your routine because it helps with trapping, ball control, with different body parts, volleying, and does it all while players are moving, so it works on cardiovascular fitness as well.

Posted by Marj | in Soccer Skills Training | No Comments

One of the comments left on a recent blog was about how a soccer player’s self confidence can be improved by strength training.  This got me thinking about just how important confidence is on the soccer field and ways to increase confidence levels of female soccer players.

I was playing in my soccer game on Wednesday night and afterwards, several of us were talking about two amazing goals that one of our teammate’s made. 

I also pointed out to another player how I love being able to thread the ball to her because I know that she is going to be able to dribble past all the defenders and end up in a one-on-one with the goalie. 

She then said something about me that I didn’t expect.  She said that she really enjoyed watching me play because I have an incredible outside shot.  I guess I always thought I had an “okay” shot, but nothing compared to her finishing ability. 

Here I was marveling at their accomplishments when they were thinking the same about me. Have you ever had one of those moments?  Tell me about it below. 

 And, what it comes down to is confidence.  If you are confident, then you can achieve those feats that others watch in awe.  Most soccer players that I know are confident, sometimes even cocky.  But, in my opinion, confidence is very important for the game of soccer. 

What if you are not confident? How exactly do you boost your own or your players’ confidence? 

There’s a few things that you can do to help you gain confidence on the soccer field.  First of all, fake it.  “Fake it til’ you make it” is what one coach told me.  

Never be afraid of receiving the ball.  Don’t look at your opponents as better than you, but rather as respectful adversaries.  If you stand up to the opposition, they will be less likely to think that you are the weak link. 

And, eventually, you won’t feel like the weak link because the other team will have to contend with you stepping up to the ball.  Also, don’t over-commit to the ball, just “contain” the player coming at you and slow them down. 

Next, talk to your teammates.  Be loud.  If you call for the ball, direct your players, and help create plays, you will be a leader.  And, people usually associate leadership with confidence. 

So, even if you don’t initially think of yourself as a leader, others will do so, which will help boost your confidence levels. 

Do you consider the loudest player on the field a leader?  How do they positively impact your play? 

Third, take chances.  Move to open space and call for the ball.  Make runs and try to create plays.  You will become much more comfortable with the ball if you actually have touches on it during game situations. 

Whatever you do, do not run away from the ball.  Doing so will only hide your talent and not give you an opportunity to let it shine, thus building your confidence. 

Fourth, if you do take chances and mess up, do not get mad at or feel sorry for yourself.  Negative attitudes do nothing but bring you (and often your team) down.  If you miss a penalty shot or a one-on-one opportunity, just focus on working harder and what you will do next time instead of what you should not have done this time. 

Fifth, complement your teammates.  Just like my conversation with our forward from our game this week, it’s really nice to be reminded of your own gifts.  And, usually your teammate will find something positive to say to you in return. Therefore, the boost of confidence is two-fold. 

Finally, practice on your own.  If there is a particular skill with which you are struggling, practice it.  Even the best player on the World Cup circuit was not that good when they first touched the soccer ball.  You have to put the time in if you want to improve your game.  And, improving your game will improve your confidence. 

Do me a favor and tell me about how you maintain your own or your player’s confidence levels throughout the season.  Leave me a comment below.

Posted by Marj | in Rants and Raves, The Mental Game of Soccer | No Comments

I grew up running and began competing in races when I was 8 years old.  I also grew up playing soccer.  Although these sports seem related, training for them is very different. 

Many people think that in order to play soccer, it’s important to do long distance runs throughout the week.  While I do advocate some distance runs for overall cardiovascular health, they are not the most effective way to train exclusively for soccer. 

One reason is because long distance runs are often referred to as L.S.D., or Long Slow Distance.  And, when in a soccer game do you ever see a player running long and slow distances?  I have never seen a player run the same pace for an entire game.  In fact, it’s quite the opposite.  Plus, don’t forget that you actually have a ball with you during a game but not on distance runs. 

Soccer is all about powerful bursts of energy and being able to change direction quickly.  This is not improved by long distance runs on a daily basis.  Soccer requires training that mimics its play.  Therefore, it is more effective to train such that you exert quick energy bursts interspersed with recovery.  

Your practices should be characterized by running sprints for short bursts, followed by jogs, and walks for recovery.  You want to make sure that you train your body to move in the way that it would in an actual soccer game.  This means that you need to have stops, starts, changes in direction, and movement that requires your body to operate at high energy levels.  

Try including interval type training, short-sided games, or even repeats of 3-4 minutes of dribbling around cones with recovery in between.  And, don’t ever neglect your sprints, especially in the middle of your practice when your legs are tired.  This will help your body to be prepared for game situations. 

So, next time you go for a long, slow distance run, you might want to think twice.  Instead, add a few short bursts for 3-4 minutes in there followed by a slower jog/walk recovery. 

Tell me about your most effective soccer training by leaving a comment below.

Posted by Marj | in Rants and Raves, Soccer Fitness Workouts | 2 Comments