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ZenFooty Blog Archive - July The Difference Between Training and Practice is HugePublished on Mon 07/21/2008 | 23 total comments Ok, so now you have the kids signed up in club soccer and private skills training on top of that. Cha-ching cha-ching!! And in a couple of short months they are bound to be bending it like Beckham or playing like Kaka and Messi right? Well, maybe not. Just coming to the field at the specified training and game times does not a make a better player. Even if the player is in private skills training with the world's most decorated trainer, there is no guarantee for improvement. You see there is a subtle but real difference between training and practice. Training, as I see it, is teaching the player (or a group of players) the skills, habits and concepts of the game. Practicing is dedicating oneself to the perfection of these skills, habits and concepts through repetition and the addition of one's own creative variations. For every 1 hour I train a player on a personal level, I am expecting at least 3 to 5 hours of practice on their own. No, not just the tricks and fun stuff!! Everything!! So if I see the player 2 times per week for an hour, my expectation is that they have 6 - 10 hours of reinforcement that they have done on their own. Is this is lot? The elite players don't think so!! And believe me, I can tell when a player has not practiced what we have trained. For example, when I see a player who has purchased a new soccer ball at the beginning of a season and that same soccer ball looks nearly new at the end of the season, I wonder....is this kid really putting the time in away from training? Is he practicing? When our players don't practice, you can rest assured that some other player in the world is practicing with the intent to become better. Remember, there are two types of players: One type can do very unusual things and the other can do the ususal things, unusually well. Both require practice!! What say you? « comments » There is nothing wrong with screaming parents…just get it right!! Published on Sat 07/12/2008 | 35 total comments Ok so we have harped on the screaming parents who have the cowbells and foghorns and other noisemakers rubbing it in at the U-8 level after every goal. And who can forget the lady under the horse blanket running out onto the field to stop a breakaway! We've seen enough of that as well. But we don't want to discourage fan support in our youth matches. Therefore there must be something we can do to guide the parents on HOW to support their teams. Here are my suggestions: First, consider looking the part. Get some matching spiritwear and support your team colors (shirts, hats, chairs, ponchos, etc). Also, make some signs that are catchy and reusable (younger siblings love to do this)!! The players can actually see you better than hear you anyway!! Second, welcome the opposing fans to your home grounds and let them know you are looking for a great game (then squeeze the hell of of their hands and growl when you shake...no just kidding)!! Third, express your emotions with words that are less instructional such as Go, Good, Great, and Nice!! Do this consistently for all players on the team, not just your son or daughter! Celebrate the small stuff with clarity such as: "nice pull-back, great cut, lovely strike, and sweet pass," Clap for all of the good plays even if they are for the other team. If you are loving the game, clapping for both teams supports the game. Be positive before the game and be careful that your words of wisdom to the kids do not include threats disguised as promises or rewards. If you are going to give the ref or linesman some grief, be creative and funny. Ya know, tell them that they look "smart" in their "kit" but are blocking your view. Or offer them a comfy seat next to your german shepard who doesn't bite....really. Last of all, learn or make up some short club songs and sing them on the sidelines. All of the big clubs have them. Why not your little club? Here is a clip from one Liverpool song: "We are Liverpool tra-la-la-la-la, we are Liverpool tra-la-la-la-la, we are Liverpool tra-la-la-la-la...the BEST football team in the world. Poetry in motion tra-la-la-la-la, poetry in motion tra-la-la-la-la, poetry in motion tra-la-la-la-la....the BEST football team in the world!! Hey!! (I'll sing it for tips) What say you? « comments » A foreign accent doesn't make someone the best coach Published on Thu 07/03/2008 | 34 total comments Americans can be great coaches. What's the attraction that some of our parents and players have to a foreign accent? How is it that a foreign coach "must" know more about the game than an American coach because of his or her origin? While there may have been some reality to this in the past, the national coaching schools led by the NSCAA and the USSF are driving that stereotype out of soccer. Parents should inspect a person's ability to coach American kids with passion, soccer knowledge, leadership, and discipline. These aspects are as important as the soccer heritage of a foreign coach. Soccer coaching can be learned and our soccer heritage in the US is growing every day. Especially with the number of US players that now have international and professional playing experience. What say you? « comments » |
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