Defensive Strategies in Soccer
Defensive players have the job of guarding the goal area from the ball. Being able to guess where your opponents are going and what they are trying to do is crucial to the position. Of course, you need to be aware of where the ball is at all times. Forwards are often skilled at faking their intended direction. Great defensive players stand like a wall in front of these offensive players, determined to make sure that the ball will not go past them. The goal of defenders is to keep the ball away from the goal area, so they should know where their teammates are at all times so they can pass the ball and make sure it gets moved up the field. Finally, defenders should be in constant communication with the goalie.
Developing Endurance as a Midfielder
The position of midfielder can be very physically taxing. The responsibilities of the midfielder involve helping the defenders in protecting the goal, moving the ball up the field, and assisting the forwards in setting up plays for shooting. More action happens in the middle of the soccer field than anywhere else, and this is where midfielders are stationed. Midfielders are likely to run 2 to 3 times that of their teammates. Having endurance as a runner is perhaps the most important quality a midfielder should possess. Though running is an important drill for all soccer players, midfielders should make it a big part of every practice. Many coaches use the field lines exercise for running: players start at one end of the field and touch the first line before returning to starting position. They then move to the second line on the field and repeat the process until they have covered the whole field. Since running can be rather mundane, coaches should look for ways to make these endurance exercises interesting.
Developing Speed for Soccer
Even if you are an incredibly strong or agile player, there is little you can do for your team on the soccer field if you have not developed your speed. There are lots of things you can do to increase your speed (and your agility at the same time). Of course, running around a field or track is a basic exercise. You can spice this up by adding obstacles such as hurdles, ladders, and cones. You should work on speed exercises both with and without a soccer ball. If you feel like you have done a good job increasing your speed, add weight resistance tools as you run. This will help build strength in all the core muscles, especially the leg muscles. Mirror belts allow you to work on strength and speed as the direction of the game changes. Developing strength with speed is valuable because soccer is as much an endurance game as it is a game of speed.
Playing Soccer with the Family
Parents, coaches and teammates can do a lot for a player, but ultimately the person who can best help you improve your game is yourself. Truly committed soccer players are willing to put in independent practice time. No player is perfect; everyone has something that he or she can improve on. Time at home is a great time to work out some of these weaknesses with a brother or sister or parent. You do not have to reinvent the wheel; using exercises that you do during official practice will help improve your game. If you practice at home, it is likely that other family members will become interested in soccer. You can involve your family members by both playing with them and inviting them to your soccer games. Your family may even get into the game just by dribbling the ball with you to the soccer field.
Defensive players have the job of guarding the goal area from the ball. Being able to guess where your opponents are going and what they are trying to do is crucial to the position. Of course, you need to be aware of where the ball is at all times. Forwards are often skilled at faking their intended direction. Great defensive players stand like a wall in front of these offensive players, determined to make sure that the ball will not go past them. The goal of defenders is to keep the ball away from the goal area, so they should know where their teammates are at all times so they can pass the ball and make sure it gets moved up the field. Finally, defenders should be in constant communication with the goalie.
Developing Endurance as a Midfielder
The position of midfielder can be very physically taxing. The responsibilities of the midfielder involve helping the defenders in protecting the goal, moving the ball up the field, and assisting the forwards in setting up plays for shooting. More action happens in the middle of the soccer field than anywhere else, and this is where midfielders are stationed. Midfielders are likely to run 2 to 3 times that of their teammates. Having endurance as a runner is perhaps the most important quality a midfielder should possess. Though running is an important drill for all soccer players, midfielders should make it a big part of every practice. Many coaches use the field lines exercise for running: players start at one end of the field and touch the first line before returning to starting position. They then move to the second line on the field and repeat the process until they have covered the whole field. Since running can be rather mundane, coaches should look for ways to make these endurance exercises interesting.
Developing Speed for Soccer
Even if you are an incredibly strong or agile player, there is little you can do for your team on the soccer field if you have not developed your speed. There are lots of things you can do to increase your speed (and your agility at the same time). Of course, running around a field or track is a basic exercise. You can spice this up by adding obstacles such as hurdles, ladders, and cones. You should work on speed exercises both with and without a soccer ball. If you feel like you have done a good job increasing your speed, add weight resistance tools as you run. This will help build strength in all the core muscles, especially the leg muscles. Mirror belts allow you to work on strength and speed as the direction of the game changes. Developing strength with speed is valuable because soccer is as much an endurance game as it is a game of speed.
Playing Soccer with the Family
Parents, coaches and teammates can do a lot for a player, but ultimately the person who can best help you improve your game is yourself. Truly committed soccer players are willing to put in independent practice time. No player is perfect; everyone has something that he or she can improve on. Time at home is a great time to work out some of these weaknesses with a brother or sister or parent. You do not have to reinvent the wheel; using exercises that you do during official practice will help improve your game. If you practice at home, it is likely that other family members will become interested in soccer. You can involve your family members by both playing with them and inviting them to your soccer games. Your family may even get into the game just by dribbling the ball with you to the soccer field.
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