Getting Physical RSS

I am one of millions of football fans with a passion for the World Game. I played football and basketball since I was a kid, and always loved both sports (among others). I believe that football thrives beyond the English Premier League, Italian Serie A, French Ligue, Spanish Primera Liga, German Bundesliga, and countless Cups around the World. If I am not writing, you can find me in the field or the court kicking, juggling, dribbling, and kicking like there's no tomorrow.

If you have any questions or insights about my blogs, please do not hesitate to e-mail me.

Archive

Apr
29th
Wed
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Taking Shots On Goal

Many young players have real problems with taking shots on goal. They often find themselves losing matches even though they have controlled the ball well and have defended the opponents effectively.

Problems with taking shots on goal may stem from two types of players: those who never saw a shot they did not like and those who attempt one more dribble or pass even if they have open shots. Either way, the opponent gets back possession. A person who thinks he is the only player who can take a shot will take a shot regardless of whether this shot is there or not. As a result, such players will be defended and forced to take a shot that is most likely off target, which deprives an open teammate to score. On the other hand, a person who attempts to make an extra dribble lacks the confidence to take a quality shot. These are the two extremes which cause young players problems with taking shots on goal.

Mar
9th
Mon
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Changing Tactics

In coaching football, it is very important to incorporate different tactics that will best suit each of the individual players. Two important things should be emphasized in order to come up with different tactics. The emphasis of short controlled passes is important in developing this. The other emphasis should be in defense.

A coach needs to learn how to teach football in such a way that it will allow him to make adjustments throughout the duration of the game which will enable the players create openings and opportunities. It also allows them to do the best that they do. A coach needs to teach short controlled passes in order to work their way through the holes in the defense. This also applies to defense. These are just the basics. As the opposing coach figures out your offense, this is where incorporating different tactics come to play. This helps the team succeed, no matter how experienced the opposing coach is.

Jan
12th
Mon
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Picking The Right Ball

When purchasing a soccer ball, a football player must determine the appropriate size and construction based on his age and league requirements. It means that the younger the player, the smaller the ball. Another thing he must look at is the cost of the soccer ball. Synthetic leather soccer balls are more expensive than rubber type soccer balls. It is not advisable to purchase leather soccer balls because leather absorbs more moisture than synthetic soccer balls. It is much harder to kick a wet leather ball because it is much heavier and slower.

Soccer balls come in three sizes wherein the smaller the size number, the smaller the ball. Size 3 soccer balls are appropriate for beginners under 8 years old. Size 4 soccer balls are appropriate for players between ages 8 and 12. Size 5 soccer balls are designed for players 13 years and older. These are standards for all sanctioned international competition.

Sep
21st
Sun
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Ways to Improve Your Football Skills

There are 5 simple ways that will help you improve your football skills. When done consistently, you will notice a big difference in your game in no time. The 5 ways are running everyday, doing exercises to increase speed, learning to play with both feet, learning a new trick, and learning from the professionals.

Running everyday is very essential in maintaining your fitness. As much as possible, try running uphill in order to strenthen your endurance. Running 3 miles everyday helps you play your best longer. Exercises such as the 150 cm jump also helps strenthen your quick reflex muscles. Try jumping off a 150 cm height and landing with both feet in a squatting position and standing up straight as quickly as possible. Kicking with both feet is important because it brings greater improvements with less work. Always try a new trick and practice it in order to maximize your skills. Lastly, there is no better advice than learning from the experienced professionals.

Jun
17th
Tue
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Leather vs Synthetic Leather Boots

The reason why football is so popular especially in poor nations such as third world countries is that it can be played anytime you have enough space. All you need is a ball, objects to be used as goals, and space whether it be in the street or field. But when you are in the field, all you really need is a pair of football boots. You can choose between leather, or synthetic leather styles.

Football boots may be made out of leather or synthetic leather. Leather football boots tend to be more responsive and more sustainable. Its disadvantage however, is if it used in a wet logged area. Leather absorbs more water, thus making it heavier and less sustainable. On the other hand, synthetic leather are less expensive and provides great resistance to water. They are also easy to clean, however, they do not last as long as the leather boots. It does not matter what you choose, as long as the quality is great, you will have a great time playing.

Mar
29th
Sat
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Enjoying Football

Football is enjoyed throughout the worl by people of all ages, races, culture, and religion. It is a team sport that requires a balance of athleticism and skill. The good thing about football is that it simply requires a ball. You can initially play football from the field to the streets, and set objects as goals, which do not require large expenditure.

You can also play football with a sufficient number of players. In the real game which requires eleven players for each side. The goalie is the essential last man on defense, and is the only player in the field who can hold the ball using his hands. The rest of the players can be defenders, midfielders, and forwards. There are also different forms of football, depending on the number of players involved. Aside from the standard 11 aside format, you can play a 7 aside, or 5 aside, which will be lighter and faster games. Despite different forms of football, the structure is still maintained.

Mar
5th
Wed
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Why You Should Juggle In Football

Being a great football player requires many skills. Football involves running up and down the field at great speeds and long distances. It also involves kicking the ball at different strengths depending on where you want the ball to go. There are really lots of skills to learn in order to be good. One of the most basic and most essential skills to learn is the juggle.

Juggling allows one to tapping the ball on the feet repeatedly. Juggling is applied in various parts of the body including the feet, thighs, and even the head. This is a very useful skill because it helps you to have a good feel of the ball and allows you to control the ball well without the use of your arms. In order to juggle the ball, one must have an upright posture with his head up. The heads and arms need to be slightly out to the side. Starting slowly by picking up the ball and doing a couple of repetitions is advisable. Once you practice as often as possible, you will be surprised to do a lot of repetitions by flicking the ball with your foot!

Jan
19th
Sat
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Pre-event Routines

Have you ever wondered why your performance in football varies everyday? You may have a great performance one day, and can not seem to get it going the next. The problem is really simple. It is how you prepare that determines your performance in football.

Preparation is divided into two parts: long term preparation and short term preparation. The long term preparation consists of training, while the short term preparation consists of psyhcing up strategies which are done before training. Short term preparation is crucial in the sense that it puts you in the right psychological frame of mind before competition. Focusing on strengths, planning your day as much as possible, having a game plan, visualizing positive outcomes for the competition, and spending time with people who will support you are all essential pre-event routines. The most important thing is to keep your pre-event preparations consistent on before every competition.

Dec
12th
Wed
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The Coaching Philosophy

Like other sports, it is essential for coaches to be able to transform their clubs from a group of very talented individuals to a highly cohesive unit that makes greater use of talents. In order for coaches to achieve this, they need to have a strong coaching philosophy that will help their clubs in the long run. A strong coaching philosophy is achieved through the following principles:

First, coaches need to make the most of what they have. They need to identify the strenghts of the club. The team can now work from there, creating room for improvement. They will also be able to create better opportunities. Second, coaches need to emphasize hardwork, desire to win, and fun. He needs to encourage his club to play hard, play to win, and have fun all at the same time. Last and most important, coaches need to show vulnerable or humble leadership. They need to show that they also make mistakes, which inspires players and keeps them united.

Nov
17th
Sat
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The Importance Of A Coach

In football, it is the players who bring great success to a football club. While brilliant players will always be noticed in the field, it is important to realize that the coaches are the key to success for a club. His role is undeniably a crucial one, as he makes the decisions and influences how a team performs during matches.

All of the football clubs desire a great coach. They spend a lot of time seeking for the best coach to guide their players. These clubs prefer coaches who are the most experienced, knowledgeable, and motivating. To be able to be a great coach, you need to have great passion. You need to show enthusiasm in assembling the team and coming up with long term and short term plans. You need to be able to make good decisions in terms of recruitment, selection, training, and balance. Most importantly, you need to have great motivating power, which is the most important characteristic of a great leader.

Oct
28th
Sun
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Training Tests

In football, it may be great pain to be willing to undergo testing and fitness. However, it is highly important that everyone needs to determine his fitness level before playing competitive football. Each one needs to determine where his level is in order to see where his stand is compared to other football players.

Football players need to undergo several fitness tests on the first few days of pre-season camp in order to measure his fitness level. It is essential that the staff initiate the fitness tests at the beginning of the season and the halfway of the season as well. Fitness tests need to be done also during the halfway in order to determine whether the players have improved or not. The program should include speed and endurance tests such as shuttle runs and strenght tests such as pushups, sit ups, and pull ups. After the tests, the football player can now undergo skills training.

Oct
12th
Fri
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The Ugly Side Of The Beautiful Game

The beautiful game may not always be beautiful as it seems. Like everything in this world, there is an ungly side of the beautiful game. There are a lot of great football players and coaches that have done some awful things that they wished they never did.

Football is a very competitive game. It consists of professional players who get paid to excel in the sport. As a result, they will do everything to get paid. They put their bodies on the line, doing everything necessary to succeed. Such things may not always be the right things, that is why football can produce ugly effects. Emotions tend to get the better of them, which they later regret and wish they could take back. Some great examples are Roy Keane’s malicious tackle, which is a bad example to young people, and Frank Rijkaard spitting on Rudi Voller, which he deeply regrets. Despite imperfection, people acknowledge ugliness, which is the real beauty of life.

Sep
21st
Fri
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For The Young Footballers

For the young footballers, there are certain things that you need to know in order to truly succeed in the world game. However do not let these things hinder you from enjoying the game. Feel free to try new things in the field, as this will make you a better football player.

The young player should always maintain great concentration at all times as much as possible. He should always maintain his endurance and strength through training. One of the most important things that he can aslo do is to maintain a positive attitude. The young player should be patient with his teammates by keeping realistic expectations of them. There should also be communication in the field. The young player should keep it his offense simple, but concise. The key is to get a lot of touches on the ball to allow many opportunities to develop. Keep these in mind, and you will succeed.

Sep
7th
Fri
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Football Performance: How To Raise Your Game

Just in case you did not know, there are more than 200 million men and women share your passion for the beautiful game. Football is considered the largest sport in the world, and will grow even more to large numbers when the 2010 FIFA World Cup arrives. For the serious footballer, he needs to know how to raise his game to the highest level. This is shown in the book Football Performance.

The book contains pre-season training programs that are very useful throught the year. It also contains new attitudes in terms of sport nutrition in order to boost game and training performance, and body recovery. The book also demonstrates proper hydration techniques to avoid cramp and other injuries. It helps determine if you are fit for football and prevents risks such as sudden cardiac death and other deadly conditions. This is a must read for all the serious and passionate football lovers.

Aug
29th
Wed
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Sport For The Short

Who said short men can not play football? Well, if you are wondering why there are a lot of short players who are able to play professional football, think again. The beauty of football is that it does not require a tall height unlike other sports such as basketball. So for short players out there aspiring to be professional athletes, read on.

The truth in football is actually amazing. Short players have an ideal height that enable them to succeed in the game. The height of short players make them low to ground, thus creating a powerful balance. They are equipped with a strong center of gravity that make them strong in the field. Also, it is tough to knock off the ball from short players due to their quickness and agility. The shortest players in football move with amazing speed. Players such as Lionel Messi, Phillip Lahm, Theo Walcott, Diego Maradona, and Romario have proven that football is indeed a sport for the short.