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Articles by The ZenMaster
Indoor Boards or Not - Article 3 Many parents and players have asked me whether I prefer that youth players use the walls or boards when they play indoor soccer. Simply put, match play should NOT include the use of boards. « read complete article » Getting Serious About Soccer Shoes - Article 4 My daughter and I discuss footwear more than I care to admit. Her idea of appropriate footwear is flip-flops, molded soccer boots (Adidas Copa Mundial) and that's it. Well, at least one of these is actually soccer shoes. « read complete article » Choosing the Right Club Team - Article 5 Now that the popular notion of "club soccer" has entrenched your community with colorful and competitive momentum and fanfare, its time to ask about the key characteristics that make one club superior to another and what factors go into choosing a good club for you and your family. « read complete article » How to Get the Ball More Often - Article 6 “Why don’t my teammates pass me the ball?” Have you heard this one? I wish I had a nickel for every time I have. In most cases, it’s just as much the fault of the player without the ball as it is the one who is not passing. This article will explore some of the key reasons why some players appear to be ball hogs while others are starving for a touch or two. « read complete article » How to Deal with Rough Play - Article 7  How about those days when your team is getting physically ambushed, and the referees seem to be taking a nap? If you have been a player who has ever been hacked, or a parent who has watched your child get pummeled, you’ll know what I mean. This article explores the dynamics of physical and dirty play and how to balance this with tactics and the proper relationship with game officials. « read complete article » Learn to Play All Positions - Article 8 I often hear that players in the youth programs do not get a chance to play their favorite position. When I hear this, I begin to think that winning might be more important than player development. « read complete article » How Much Practice is Enough - Article 9 Just how much practice is enough? I get this question often and, unfortunately, the answer depends on what the objective is for the player or club. This article will explore training on a personal level. « read complete article » Selecting a Summer Camp - Article 10 Summer soccer camp is a great experience for any and all players. Given the number and variety of camps offered today, there is sure to be one that fits your budget and lifestyle as well as develop your child’s individual soccer skills. Having coached and attended many types of camps, I have some recommendations that may assist you in making the right choice. « read complete article » Bend it like Beckham…and more! - Article 11 We have all heard the phrase, “bend it like Beckham.” This article will give you some tips on how to bend it and more! « read complete article » Can You Turn the Ball - Article 12 Advancing the ball downfield depends highly upon how well a player can receive a pass and turn to face the opponent’s goal. This is referred to as “turning the ball.” « read complete article » Scoring Goals from Corner Kicks - Article 13 Corner kicks are one of the most underrated set pieces in the game today. Simply put, this is a free kick awarded to your team because your opponent had to put the ball over their own end line trying to protect their goal. The corner kick should set your team up to score! « read complete article » Too Much Time on the Bench! - Article 14 Playing time is critical for the developing soccer player. The game itself is the best teacher, but you must be in the game to learn and improve. So why then does the coach have you on the bench? « read complete article » The Value In Soccer Tournaments - Article 17  Many open and invitational tournaments are emerging in the youth soccer arena. These tournaments are offered at the area, state, and national levels. Some tournaments are highly competitive and others are seeding tournaments used to ensure parity and to balance the season schedule for the area leagues. « read complete article » Winning with Combination Play - Article 18 One of the primary reasons we call soccer the beautiful game stems from what is known as combination play. This is when two, three, or four players string one and two touch passes together in a sequence to advance past defenders for a chance at goal. Accomplishing this feat requires both skillful and intelligent players as well as an understanding of positioning and tactics. « read complete article » The Value of Pick-Up Games - Article 19 I often get asked about pick up games that include players of all ages. Parents and players are generally curious as to whether the older players will gain value from the "street game" and whether the younger players will ever get a chance to touch the ball. « read complete article » Defending in the Modern Game - Article 20 As youth team coaches, we spend hours teaching the offensive elements of the game but rarely do we spend the appropriate amount of time on the defensive concepts that our players must learn to be complete players. This article summarizes some of the key tactical elements of defending. « read complete article » Playing In Wet Weather - Article 21 It is truly amazing to see how few youth players have been taught how to prepare and play effectively in inclement weather. Much of this is a function of the limited training experience in wet weather. We tend to cancel training sessions when it is raining or the field is wet to preserve the fields or the health of the children. While these are noble reasons, it foregoes the needed training on slick, wet, muddy and puddle laden pitch. This article offers some tips for the player and coach on how to navigate Mother Nature’s antics. « read complete article » One-on-One: The center of it all - Article 22 Though soccer is a team sport, it is also a collection of individual battles for ninety minutes. “One on one” is the most fundamental tactic in the game. Some call it breaking pressure, “mano a mano”, beating your man, or “serving your opponent.” Call it what you want, but it’s all the same. Do you have the skills to get behind your defender with the ball to deliver a quality service or strike at the goal? « read complete article » Playing on a Crappy Field - Article 23 Have you ever been frustrated to find that after traveling two hours to an away game you have arrived at a cow pasture that is nearly 20 yards narrower and 20 yards shorter than full regulation? « read complete article » Mental Toughness - Article 28 Do you have the killer instinct? Do you even know what it is? Do you go into the “weeds” against aggressive opponents? Do you lose 50/50 tackles late in the game? Are you missing sitters (soccer lingo for lay-ups)? How can you get on the path of confidence and full preparedness for those big matches? How can you become mentally tough? « read complete article » Getting Young Players to Spread Out - Article 29 “Spread out, you’re bunching up!” “This looks like huddle-ball!” “What kind of bunch-ball is this?” “What is this, herd-ball?” « read complete article » Throw Ins - A Critical Restart if Executed Properl - Article 31 Getting the ball back in bounds on a throw in is probably the most underrated restart in the game of soccer. For no apparent reason, it is the slowest transition from defense to offense as well. Why is it so difficult to get the ball back into play? « read complete article » Driving for Creativity In Youth Players - Article 32 Some players have a knack for originality and individual creativity while others tend to gravitate toward a very structured textbook style of play. Many of our South American ambassadors of soccer from the likes of Argentina and Brazil have shown us incredibly creative flare not only in their ball skills but also in their sense of style, grace, creativity, and originality. « read complete article » Knowing Your True Impact As Coach - Article 35 Many coaches are highly vocal and active on the sidelines during a match. Other coaches are quiet however, and issue very few but pointed directives during the actual run of play. It has been said by many of the very best coaches that there is little that can be screamed on match day that has any developmental or lasting effect on a player. « read complete article » How Do We Keep Children In The Game? - Article 36 How do we keep the children in the game? Coaches across America are seeing a drop in attendance of their players both for games and for training. The children start off extremely enthusiastic and then lose desire or interest as the season progresses. « read complete article » The Difference Between Technique and Skill - Article 40 So your players have been training for weeks on end both on team tactics and individual technique yet they still are not as skillful as their opponents. How can these players play so much soccer and not gain ground against the competition? Is there something wrong with the player? Have they reached their limit? Is there a weakness in the training plan? What can be done to elevate the skill level? « read complete article » The Value of Indoor Soccer - Article 41 Now that the fall season is over you have a chance to take a break as a soccer parent and rest right? Wrong!! It’s indoor time! What is this indoor soccer thing anyway? What value does it bring? « read complete article » Raising the American Game - Article 42 Now that our players have learned a little technique, are they prepared to play the game fast enough to compete on the world’s stage? « read complete article » Stepping Up Your Personal Commitment - Article 44 Last month I conducted over 90 training sessions with the “Elite” players in my private training program. The players range in age from 5 to 13 years. While the talent level is improving significantly, I am still seeing three areas where our youth players must constantly focus in order to find the greatness they have the potential to achieve. « read complete article » Trends From the National Soccer Coaches Convention - Article 50 Having just returned from the National Soccer Coaches Convention, I am happy to say that the technical training, collective team play, and “pick-up game/free play” themes that we have been driving for in the ZenFooty Soccer Academy and in the ZenUnited Club are indeed on the right track. « read complete article »
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