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ZenFooty Blog Archive - September Why do we compete? Are we really winning at the big game?Published on Sun 09/28/2008 | 29 total comments We are a competitive bunch aren't we? No matter how you slice it, we want to win. Sure, some say the score doesn't matter, its how we play the game..but somehow somebody still keeps count and winning is better than losing. Some say learning is most important but I can assure you that learning while winning feels better than learning while losing. Its in the culture. We are competitive. If you are going to play the game, you may as well win it!! So what does the ZenMaster say about that? "Be Careful!!" "Be Very Careful!" Especially at the youth ages. Playing for only the win may tend to fix players in certain positions doing certain things which are not necessarily developmental for them. Winning every game suggests that you are not finding the right competition. Scoring large volumes of goals may suggest that player rotation is in order to get everyone a chance. Coaches and parents should look closely at the agenda for the team and the goals they have for kids developmentally as well as achieving good placement in the standings. I have seen many U-8 players who are successful due to their size and kicking power, lose advantage against the smaller players (who were working on skills and tactics) when the smaller players caught up in size at U-10. Sure, the big kids won out in the beginning but it is the smaller ones now who are really setting the new standard!! ZenMaster Says: "Playing Winning Soccer is more important than Winning a Soccer Game!" What say you? « comments » Pet Peeves in Soccer. We all have 'em!! And love to hate 'em!! Published on Sun 09/21/2008 | 54 total comments Well, let me start this blog by saying I love this game 99.9% of the time. But there is that .1% of the time when I go ballistic over what seems like the smallest things. Sometimes I think players do this to get me going. For example, I don't know how many times a player has kicked the ball out of bounds into the side netting on a corner kick never giving his team mates a chance to score. Drives me nuts!! Oh, and how about a 12 year old who lifts up his foot on a throw in!! I have a fit!! Yes, and then there are the players who still don't bring a soccer ball to soccer practice!! OMG this puts me through the roof!! I can go on and on. So I will: How about the kid you ask to go into the game for a team mate and he says: "What position is that guy playing?" Yea, he was watching the game!! And my favorite is when two players on the same team go after the same loose ball, then they both stop, then they both go again, then they both stop and the opponent slips in between them during the indecision and takes the ball. I lose my mind on this stuff. Oh, I have another one for you....when the half time whistle blows and the player asks...is the game over? If you want to get me going....just ask me that at halftime and watch my eyes roll back into my head. Let me end this with my last pet peeve...."What time is practice over coach?" Ugh!! Good thing I love this game and love these kids so much!! So what is your Pet Peeve? « comments » Does a Club Need a Nick-Name?…..Just Like the Players? Published on Tue 09/16/2008 | 32 total comments Well, it's only fitting that we finally select a "Nick-Name" for the club program at Zen United. After all, Arsenal are the "Gunners," Chelsea are the "Blues," West Ham are the "Hammers," and Newcastle United are the "Magpies." Zen United should be something. Right?? Just about all of our players have nicknames!! Though I happen to like Zen United alone, I am getting pushed to adopt a spiffy yet fitting team nickname to the end of it...The Zen United.........something!! (yes, I am giving in to the will of the youth....that is if we come up with something good!!). Well, before I concede to this, let me share with all of you the meaning behind Zen United. First of all, Zen (in my heart's eyes) is the word that I have placed on being fully engaged in the "Gospel of Soccer;" heart, mind, and body. It is the zone where time and space don't matter and a player feels as though they are "on a natural high" while playing the beautiful game beyond limits. United, represents doing this with others who are also reaching their "ZenZone" in the good and spirited fellowship of the game. In short, our players reach their Zen in a way that unites their love for the game with that of their team mates, other the members of the club, the community, and the parents involved; regardless of age group, ethnicity, or skill level. We are "United" in our goals, our caring and support for one another, our group commitment to develop players, and our love for the game. That is Zen United. Now....What say you about a club nick-name? The winning name gets a free 2 hour training session with the ZenMaster!! I am looking for that special nick-name that represents they way we all see Zen United. « comments » Private Training for Youth Soccer Players: Is it really worth the money? Published on Sun 09/14/2008 | 26 total comments ZenMaster says YES. Of course that may be because ZenFooty Soccer Academy offers private skills training. Actually, it is for another reason that the ZenMaster says YES to private training. Every player has a different approach to the game and a different relationship with the ball. Children also have different ways of learning (some are better with visual cues and others with instruction). Therefore the cookie cutter skills programs that train 20 and 30 kids at one time simply do not get to the detailed needs of a specific player. It is only private and small group training that can bring the most out of an individual. One of the biggest complaints we are hearing in the industry is that America is building a collection of soccer robots who do the same skills across the board. Private training, especially through ZenFooty Soccer Academy, looks at the interpretation that each player has and helps that player find HIS or HER game through unique and personalized training curriculum. For example, young players training with the ZenMaster learn over 25 ways to receive the ball and can choose which of these are best fit for their natural body mechanics, comfort level and propensity for success. They then perfect that technique and its variations. This builds their confidence and encourages them to expand their personalized "soccer skills tool kit." Personal training can be expensive but when compared to the number of focused minutes of attention a player gets with a large group or team, it is actually cheaper. Imagine this, a child (and their parent) can literally bring their weaknesses to a trainer who can help them through that specific weakness, turn it into a strength, and the player does not have to be embarrassed about it (or fake that he or she knows something that he really doesn't)!! I have even had players who were highly skillful sign up for private training and simply want me to challenge them with more advanced skills and techniques to take them to the next level. What say you? « comments » Are we missing the biggest joy in soccer? The one hidden IN the game? Published on Wed 09/03/2008 | 21 total comments Is it the goals, nutmegs, bicycle kicks, shutouts, wins, bending free kicks, the perfect slide tackle, or something else that brings the joy of soccer? Some say it is the freshly cut grass, uniforms, shoes, headbands spiritwear, or even training suits. Others like the crowds, newpaper write-ups and headlines (dare I say blogs). And then there is the special player, the one who may or may not be the best of the bunch (or have the latest and greatest gear) but the one who truly "gets it." Thats the one who wants her gameday opponent to play their very best and wants to play better than she has ever played each time out there. Not just for the victory but for the contest. To come away better than yesterday and to make her opponent a better player than they were when they arrived. Its the one whose appetite is sparked by seeing an awesome player on the other team. The one who rises to the occasion no matter how tired or injured. The one who sees "advancing the game of soccer" as the true cause. The one that trains the same way she competes on Sunday.....hard!! She sees each battle fought with pride as an advancement of the cause; well beyond the result of the specific game she is in. Does she want to win? Yes. Does she want it to be a battle against the very best opponent? Yes. Does anything other than pure commitment to the game matter........NO!! She wants to be in the "ZENZONE" because "Real Soccer" is NOT secular...its out there on the pitch.....What say you? Are you hunting for the best in every training session and match? Do you train alone when practice is over or is cancelled? Or do you just like the uniform? What really matters to you? « comments » |
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