It is vital to stretch all the major muscles to make them more supple and ready for the strain they are about to encounter in the coming training session or match. Before stretching it is important that the body be warm. Each stretch should be moved into and out of slowly. Never bounce on a stretch. It is important to remember to breathe out when moving into a stretch and ease out of a stretch if it becomes uncomfortable and the muscle begins to shake or burn.

Warm-up routine

Before starting on stretching routines you should do a gentle warm-up to increase your heart rate and get the blood pumping throughout your body, particularly in colder countries and seasons. This should incorporate a five-minute session of light jogging. Before a match it’s a good idea for the team to do this together in a line. It will increase camaraderie and can dishearten the other team, who will see that you work as a unit even before the game. While running, swing the arms, elbows out, again in unison to create the same image of unity. Even singing a team song at this point is not out of the question.

General tips

You should be careful when stretching because getting it wrong can cause the kind of injuries you are trying to avoid. Here are some tips to safe and effective stretching:

-Never stretch until the body is warmed up
-Move in and out of each stretch slowly
-Hold each stretch in the furthest comfortable position (without causing any pain)
-Hold each stretch for about 10 to 20 seconds, keeping your body steady all the time. Count the seconds out, don’t just guess
-Never bounce on a stretch
-Breathe out as you move into the stretch
-Never force a stretch so that it feels uncomfortable
-If the area being stretched does begin to feel uncomfortable, hurt, of shake, then ease back immediately
-Establish a consistent stretching routine. A regular pattern is believed by some to be better for your body and also helps ensure you don’t forget a stretch
-Stretch both before and after exercise

Source: Soccer Skills for young players, Ted Buxton

Passing can be done with any part of the foot. The instep is generally used for a long ball, the inside of the foot for a sager, shorter pass. The outside of the show is often an effective method of curving a pass and surprising the opposition – a well placed back-heel kick can completely deceive a defense. You can even pass with other parts of your body – your head is a vital tool, as is your chest.

Passing also enables a team to keep possession and it is worth emphasizing that a team cannot score if it does not have possession. A well-placed pass from midfield to a point in front of an attacker’s run can set up a goal, and the ability to do passes like this is one of the most prized assets in the game. One much-maligned but very useful method of passing is the ling ball. This can vary from an aimless “thump” up front by a beleaguered defender to an inch-perfect diagonal ball from a gifted midfielder.

Like any other aspect of the game, passing in all its various forms must be practiced before any player can be sure of being effective in a game.

Shooting can be performed from all distances using a variety of techniques. Power shooting from outside the box – even from your own territory – is done using the instep and a big follow-through. This can produce some of the most spectacular goals. However, a simple sidefoot pass into the net can be just as effective for scoring a goal and no less valuable to the result. A shot can be volleyed – when the ball is in the air, half-volleyed – when it is on the bounce, curled with the inside or outside of the foot, and, perhaps best of all, chipped over the despairing goalkeeper.

There is a choice when you are about to take a shot, between power and accuracy. If a shot is powerful and on target, it has a good chance of beating the goalkeeper. But if a shot is accurate it doesn’t need much power to get past the keeper. It is important to practice both types of shot in order to have variety in your play.

Another important aspect of shooting is the ability to take good penalties (again, choosing between accuracy and power,) particularly in the modern game when so many matches are decided, after extra time, on penalties, and when referees are more likely to point to the spot because of law changes favoring attackers.

There are many different ways of shooting for goal, incorporating skills that you may have already worked on practicing your passing skills. For example, you can sidefoot the ball into the net, strike the ball with your instep, volley, or drive it. All of these skills will be looked at in detail in another article but remember that when you are shooting you must always keep your head down over the ball as you strike it. This will keep the ball down, whereas if you lean back, the ball is likely to fly into the air over the crossbar. The most important thing of all is to get your shot on target. Even if the goalkeeper saves it, you may win a corner or the ball may rebound to a teammate (or you) to provide another scoring opportunity.

So, here is a simple way to practice shooting. Mark four targets on a wall. Mark up a full-size goal and then mark four circles each 2 feet in diameter, one in each bottom corner. These are the optimum place to aim for when shooting, the parts of the goal that are most difficult for goalkeeper, placed in the center of the goal, to reach. You should practice shooting at these targets from distances ranging from 10 yards to 30 yards – with the inside and outside of your feet as well as with the instep and the sidefoot. You should practice shooting with both feet because chances will come to you when you need to strike the ball with weaker foot. Even professional players miss goals because the attempt a shot with their stronger foot when their weaker one is better positioned.

First, you need to set the example. This means that you need to use the Golden Rule and speak to them the way that you wish them to speak to you and the way you hope they speak to themselves.

Using positive reinforcement will go a long way to helping players feel good enough about themselves and their soccer game to want to strive for more. How? It is really very simple. Focus on the positive things and do not focus on the negative things.

We live in a rat race society and we tend to compare ourselves to others much of the time. Children go through school constantly being compared to others and then move to their post-secondary education looking to be the best so they can receive scholarships and awards.

They want to please their parents and they want to do well. They often focus on what they did wrong or what they did not do. In the end they can feel very frustrated, angry, and can even feel like a failure and this attitude can be carried onto the soccer field.

Using positive reinforcement means focusing on the positive or what went right. There is no need to look at what a player did not do properly. You may ask, how do you help a player correct poor technique or improve their soccer game without looking at what they did improperly.

On soccer coaching, the key is to look at what they did right and say that you want to see them do it again. Instead of saying, “That was a good kick, but when you kick the ball, place your foot here,” try, “Hey, on that last penalty kick you had great follow through and made the shot. Let’s see that again and this time try placing your foot here.”

This is much more effective. Instead of feeling frustrated that they are not getting it right they will feel good about themselves for getting at least part of it right and they will be eager to do it again.

Of course there are times when they will get part of a technique right and not do something else in the proper way. Begin with pointing out the areas in which they performed well and then tell them you want to see it again with another part added in.

This way they will try again from the positive outlook that they can do it and they just need to adjust something. For example, instead of saying, “that was a good try, but when you kick the ball you need to kick through the ball. You are stopping short,” try saying, “Great kick! You foot positioning was bang on.

Now let me see it again and this time kick your foot all the way through the ball and see how much farther it will go.” Whether you are working with kids of adults, they will respond to this sort of encouragement.

It is also important to teach the players to positively reinforce their soccer team-mates and to encourage each other. In this way, players will feel even better about what they have accomplished, especially when they are nearing adolescence and their peers begin to have a greater influence on them than the adults in their lives do.

Motivating soccer players is about helping them feel good enough about themselves and what they are doing that they desire to strive for more. They will want to improve themselves and their game from the positive frame of mind that they are good players who are improving all the time, instead of feeling that they are inadequate and need to improve their game to become good enough.

Follow these soccer coaching tips and I’m sure you’ll motivate your players or kids to love the game.

-The excess lactic acid in your body after strenuous exercise can lead to restlessness and lack of sleep when rest and sleep are the very things you need to fully recover
-The waste products built up in your body can lead to stiffness and aches in your muscles and joints for several days after the game, limiting your physical capacity
-Rapid decrease in blood pressure, body temperature, and heart rate is potentially harmful to your health

Players who do not cool down (as well as players who do not warm upP properly will be more prone to injury and less effective when doing physical exercise after the game. Their playing career is also likely to be shorter.

Cool down and stretch

All these problems can be alleviated by following a simple cool-down process, which is similar to the warm-up dealt with at the start – two minutes of gentle jogging then five minutes of stretches. Gently working out the major muscles will serve to eliminate waste products through the lymphatic system.

The body will release hormones that counteract the adrenaline produced during exercise, helping you to rest. And the gentle nature of the cool-down will mean that your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature will decrease gradually rather than suddenly.

Rehydration

It is also important that you rehydrate after a game. You may have lost up to 7 pints (4 liters) of water from your body through sweating and it is important to replace it. Isotonic drinks will help you to rehydrate more quickly than water.

Stock up

After rehydrating make sure that you eat, in order to help stock up on carbohydrates – any meals rich in rice, bread, or pasta – which will replace the energy you have used up. Most professional clubs have a cafeteria in the training center for their players and offer these sorts of foods in abundance.

Rest

Make sure that you have a good night’s sleep after exercise to enable your body to fully recuperate for the next day. Seven to eight hours is recommended, but this will vary according to need.

Source: Soccer skills for young players

Some people push themselves too hard.

Once athletes reach a certain level. They may begin to workout strenuously twice per day. Some may even workout twice per day, seven days per week.

Athletes can become obsessed with trying to do more to get ahead. The world of competitive sports does attract a high percentage of competitive people.

These individuals can reach a point where most of their thoughts revolve around their workout routine and every fitness competition. They may have friends, family members or others trying to force themselves to work even harder.

All the pressure that is placed on them by others and by themselves can be very damaging.

These athletes are prone to not getting enough rest. An athlete who takes a day off once in a while and is able to get plenty of rest will perform better.

These athletes are likely to become injured. A sports injury is never good.

These athletes are likely to start catching the flu and every cold that comes along.

These athletes are likely to drain their bodies of the nutrients they need to be able to perform optimally.

These athletes are candidates for always feeling disappointed. They always feel as if anything they achieve is not enough.

These athletes may be spending so much time focusing on exercising and their sport that the rest of their life will get placed on a backburner.

They may have important people in their life who they are not spending enough time with.

If they are single, they may be procrastinating marriage and having a family.

It is important for everyone to have balance in their lives. When someone spends so much time and effort cultivating one area of their life, other areas of their life may suffer.

If you are coaching this type of individual. You may be the person who will need to create a more suitable workout plan for them and tell them when the time is appropriate:

You need and easier exercise program for awhile…
Here’s a workout tip, take a day off…
Get some rest…
Spend some time with your family, friends, hobbies, etc…
Take some vitamins…
Hey, come in out of the rain…
Go and see a movie…
Think about something other than your sport for awhile…

Sometimes coaches or onlookers are better at recognizing when someone needs some downtime. A person who is desperately trying to achieve something may not know when to take a break. Sometimes an athletes entire workout program needs to be revitalized.

Surveys have determined that in order for people to be truly happy; they need to spend 1/3 of their day, every day being involved in rest and leisurely type activities.

Being busy from the time someone wakes up until the time they go to bed every day is too much.

In todays society where most families need to have both parents earning an income in order for the family to be able to pay their bills has made it more challenging for families to be able to experience enough rest and leisure activity.

Some people need to place a significant amount of effort into figuring out how they can have a schedule that is not overly taxing on themselves.

Sometimes pushing harder and doing more is not the answer. Sometimes less is more.

Every soccer team needs a soccer coach. It is a commmon personality trait for most people to be extremely focused on themselves, what they are doing, what everyone is thinking about them, doing for them or not doing for them. Unfortunately, it is also a common tendency for many people to think they are experts regarding how other people should do things even when the individuals who think they are qualified to pass out the advice have never successfully achieved the thing they are recommending other people should do.

If you coach soccer and you have successfully mastered the art of improving your soccer game by having tailored your exercise program to continually improve your physical fitness level; congratulations, you have obtained some very valuable knowledge that you can pass onto others. If you already understand how to avoid sports injuries because you have had sports injuries and you have learned from your mistakes. (Many people repeat the same behaviors over and over again, even when their behaviors don’t give them positive results). Just because someone has had a sports injury; that does not mean, they will change their behavior in the future to avoid having the same sports injury again. If your personal workout routine has included an excellent diet plan that matches your bodies needs. You are at a big advantage. Because many people don’t learn from their mistakes. Because many people are so concerned with many things that are not always that important (like what everyone else thinks of them, if they are doing what their parents think they should be doing, if they are impressing their friends, yada, yada, yada). It is important for anyone who is coaching soccer to be able to objectively assess what each soccer players needs are. You may have an athlete on your soccer team who is completely wearing themselves out for one reason or another. If you can recognize when this is the case, can find a solution to the problem and can implement the solution. You may have a very dramatic and positive impact on that athletes entire life. You may also be improving your soccer team’s performance level overall.

Following are some points to remember when training the junior or youth goalkeeper, to help maximize their success in their role as a goalkeeper playing alongside their team mates:

Footwork: One of the most fundamental skills any young goalkeeper should learn revolves around footwork. Just like Muhammad Ali, goalkeepers should train to be light on their toes and move fluidly around their goal area. Great footwork helps a goalkeeper to attack the ball effectively and defend their goal more efficiently.

Angles: Understanding how to cut angles is an important skill to learn for any goalkeeper. For example, in one on one situations where a goalkeeper must stop an oncoming attacker, simple movements such as running to meet the attack utilizing momentum and footwork will help close off the attackers ability to strike on goals.

Communication: Learning how to be vocal in the goal area is a fundamental skill. Understanding how to control your defense is one of the most neglected, and often most important skills a junior goalkeeper lacks. If you do not know how to communicate with your defense, then you are just one goalkeeper in a sea of attackers. Communication is also a vital life skill, something a junior goalkeeper can take away and utilize throughout their whole lives.

The above 3 points are extremely important for the junior or youth goalkeeper to utilize for greater goalkeeping success. Obviously, there is a whole sea of knowledge a goalkeeper will come across in their playing careers. To maximize your young goalkeepers knowledge, take the time to practice these three fundamental skills at home.