Soccer Tips Pt 1

Mind games: Whether you're new to the sport or have been playing at a high level for years, here's some advice for you that will help you on your journey.  The single most important part of your game isn't your speed, strength, ball skills, toughness or anything like that, it's your confidence.  You don't have to believe you can stand at the halfway line and volley balls off the goal posts like that Ronaldinho video clip that was circling years ago (btw it's not real), that's not what I'm talking about.  What you do have to believe is that you are good at doing the things you have practiced and enjoy doing.  It's one thing to have put in hours and hours of practice, but if you don't believe in yourself, things may seem a little off that day.  Players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi are obviously phenomenal players who have worked their entire lives to reach extraordinary heights but the part of their games that is most impressive is their confidence.  Their self-confidence grants their skill, athleticism and technical ability the freedom to shine.  What I'm saying to you is be your own Cristiano Ronaldo or your own Leo Messi when you're playing.  Believe in yourself, what you've practiced and enjoy the game.

Game speed:  Soccer is one of the most interesting games because you don't have to be the quickest to be the quickest or be the strongest to be the strongest...follow me?  Here's an example...I coached a high school team this past fall and early on in the season a new defender broke into the starting line-up.  His first game in the starting line-up was miserable, he panicked every time he touched the ball, was constantly out of position, coaches, fans and teammates were all yelling at him, the game was happening way too fast for him and it just seemed as though nothing was going his way.  I spent the entire first half observing him and knew exactly what the problem was.  Funny enough he came straight over to me after the halftime whistle and said "coach, I don't know what I'm doing out there, I can't do anything right and everyone is yelling at me, I'm confused".  I said to him, "calm down, take a deep breath and hear me out...this is the same game you've played your whole life remember that, try to read the game a little quicker, the game is moving faster than you're thinking.  Keep this in mind, these are your options before the ball comes to you... concentrate on your first touch and be aware of where your teammates are". During the second half he was a completely different player out there, much more composed and because he was able to think a little faster he had more time and space on the ball.

The world class players who I've always admired are players like Zidane, Figo and Raúl who in their physical primes were not the fastest or strongest players of their era yet they could dominate a game because of their soccer intellect, creativity and ability to make quicker decisions than the rest of the world's elite.  While you're working on the physical parts of your game, be sure to spend some time as a student of the game.  Try speeding up your thought process and decision making, you'll find that game speed is as much in your mind as it is in your legs!