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

 When I was in high school, my athletic director hired a ex-Marine as the football coach.  He was of the mindset that all of the athletes, not just his football players, should weight train. 

 I remember hiding in the girl’s lockeroom when it was our team’s turn to go to the weight room.  I was terrified that lifting weights would bulk me up and therefore negatively impact my game.  Anyone have a similar coach or fear?  Tell me about it below. 

Well, years later, here I am a personal trainer.  I competed in college and strength training was part of our workout routine.  I now see the benefits of strength and conditioning on our sport.  When done correctly, it will both help to prevent injuries and improve your game.

 

 

5. Helps you to jump higher:  Strength training will help you to add inches to the height that you jump to head the ball.  This is especially useful to capitalize on corner kick opportunities.

6. Prevents injuries: Strong muscles resist injury better than weak ones.  No one likes to be sidelined with injuries, so why not prevent them with some strength training. 

7. Decreases muscle fatigue: Not all strength training is high weights and low repetitions.  Some phases of strength training can target muscular endurance too.  This helps your muscles to not get as fatigued during the 90 minute game. 

8. Helps to decrease muscle imbalance:  Women soccer players use their quad muscles a lot, but often neglect their hamstrings.  This can cause the knee to be pulled out of its natural alignment or can lead to other injuries.  Strengthening the hamstrings with weight training is a great way to keep your leg muscles in balance with one another.  

 

9. Increases agility: You have to be able to dribble with efficiency around opponents.

10. Burns fat: Strength training not only builds muscles but it burns fat.  Your body will become more efficient at processing nutrients and therefore will be leaner on the field.

Strength training will help, not hurt, your game.  It really benefits all facets of your game when done correctly. 

Do me a favor and tell me about how your game has improved with strength training by leaving me a comment below.  

Posted by Marj | in Rants and Raves, Soccer Fitness Workouts | 3 Comments

Proper Nutrition for Women Soccer Players

Hey, hope you are doing great and having an awesome summer! By now you should be well into your summer training program getting ready to play this fall.

With all of the hard training you are putting in, I wanted to talk to you about your nutrition and what you can do to help your body recover faster and give you more energy to put into your workouts!

Here are 3 tips that will give you the energy to take your workouts to the next level!

1. Drink more water

Drinking water is always important, but even more so during the summer. You lose a lot more fluids when you are working out outside in the heat.

Make sure you are getting 8-10 glasses of water each day. Try to drink a glass before each meal and 2 glasses during your workout.

2. Eat 6 small meals a day

Eating 6 small meals a day will help raise your metabolism which will give you more energy.

A lot of people find it hard to get 6 because they having been eating only 3 their entire lives.

A good way to get started on eating 6 is to just eat half of what you would normally eat then eat the rest 2 or 3 hours later.

If that doesn’t work for you, consider using supplements like a protein shake. Protein shakes are easy to take with you wherever you go. Just add water.

3. Increase your protein intake

Speaking of protein, most people do not get enough it. If you are working out and training really hard you are probably not getting enough protein to help your body recover.

Protein is the building blocks of your muscles. You should be getting a serving with each of your 6 meals.

I had a client who was training really hard but wasn’t seeing much results. She was getting tired really easily and her body fat was actually going up!

I went over her nutrition log and found that she was only getting about 1 or 2 servings of protein a day.

I had her start taking a protein shake in between each of her 3 meals and eating a serving of protein with her meals.

Within a week she was getting stronger in all of her lifts and her energy was through the roof!

So if  you are not getting a serving of protein 6 times a day then consider supplementing your protein with shakes.

Let me know if you have any questions or need any help with your diet or nutrition plan.

Talk to you soon,

Coach Sherman

Women’s Soccer

Posted by Jeff | in Soccer Nutrition | 2 Comments

Cross-training is the perfect way to stay in shape in the soccer off-season.  You get to work all of your muscles that you need for soccer, but also get to give your mind the much-needed rest from competition. 

 Here are 8 creative ways to cross-train: 

1. Playground Enrichment- see my blog from yesterday for details.  Just think of fun ways to do resistance training outside instead of lifting weights inside.
2. Kayaking- You can go kayaking in rivers, creeks, lakes, reservoirs, a bay or even in the ocean.  It’s super fun, you’re immersed in nature, and you get a killer upper body and core workout.  This will really help your throw-ins.  And, some places even rent Hobie kayaks that have foot pedals.  In those kayaks, you can alternate arms and legs or just use your legs for a fantastic strengthening and toning leg workout.  This definitely helps in a sport like soccer that requires leg strength.
3. Hiking- First of all, it’s shady in the trees and what better way to beat the summer heat than to get a workout where it’s cooler.  Hiking helps strengthen your ankles, knees, and hips because its uneven ground.  This is especially good for those of us that don’t always get to play on nice turf fields.  Also, for all of us, going up and down hills is a really good way to work the quad muscles that are needed for soccer.



4. Biking- This is the ultimate leg muscle workout.  You can ride on flat trails, on non-populated roads, or on mountain-biking trails.  You get to see much more scenery than if you just ran because you can go a lot farther in the same amount of time.  Pack lots of water and plan to spend a few hours out there.  Hey, you could even help the environment by commuting to work via bike.
5. Swimming- Not only is swimming refreshing, but it helps your total body.  Every muscle in your body gets used.  And, water provides more resistance than air so you work harder and get more benefits in less time.  It’s also good for your aerobic and anaerobic cardiovascular systems because you have to learn to regulate your breathing.



6. Aqua-jogging- I had to do this when I was sidelined with a stress-fracture.  But, I came back at full-strength because aqua-jogging.  This one requires a floatation belt to do in deep water, which is what I recommend.  Deep water is better because if forces you to not rely on touching the bottom, which takes away all impact on your legs.  Just strap on the belt and run.  You can do interval-type training or just go back and forth at the same pace.  I recommend grabbing a friend because it is really fun and a great way to catch up on everything with each other.
7. Ultimate Frisbee- No, it’s not dorky to play ultimate frisbee; it’s fun!  You’ll need a group of people though. Set up boundaries and pick teams, grab a frisbee and you’re set.  This game requires you to run the length of the field, jump up to catch, and also to throw the disc with accuracy.  You get a speed workout, vertical jump practice (think head balls off of corner kicks for motivation), squaring your hips properly to pass the frisbee (just like soccer), and arm strength for throw ins or to keep the opposition away from you in physical matches.
   
8. Social Sports- Of course these are good cross-training.  Just do a little less “social” and a little more “sport.”  You could choose softball, lacrosse, kickball, or even dodgeball.  All of these sports (yes, dodgeball is a sport that we learned in 5^th grade) help you to work on agility, speed bursts, and power without even realizing it.  

So, this off-season, I highly recommend doing a little cross-training for your body.  You definitely will have fun and will get that much-needed workout in without getting stuck in a rut.  Happy Cross-Training!  

Choose from my list or write me a comment below if you can think of any others.

Posted by Marj | in Uncategorized | No Comments