Soccer HW for Tuesday Nov 2nd

Kickstand Lift-up:


Here are some more for those that are interested.

Great Goals from Last Week

Here is some high-level soccer ideas to inspire you. #2, #7, #10 are amazing!! zOMG!

New Assists of the Week

Featuring Samir Nasri, Claudio Pizarro, Michael Essien, David Silva, Chis Brunt, Xabi Alonso, Angel Di Maria, Romaric, Francesco Totti, Rolando and Sergio Aguero.

How We Define Success

There are many people, particularly in sports, who think that success and excellence are the same thing and they are not the same thing. Excellence is something that is lasting and dependable and largely within a person's control. In contrast, success is perishable and is often outside our control - If you strive for excellence, you will probably be successful eventually - people who put excellence in first place have the patience to end up with success. An additional burden for the victim of the success mentality is that he is threatened by the success of others and resents real excellence. In contrast, the person fascinated by quality is excited when he sees it in others.

Joe Paterno - Penn State football coach - 1990

Adults enjoy soccer so much that we have shared it with our children. Yet adults err when we bring our adult performance and outcome based thinking into the developing player's world.

For many adults, their criteria on how to measure sporting quality is absorbed from the sports media. The sports media predominately report on the outcome of adult games at the college and professional levels.  Many of our nation's most popular sports are statistically driven and coach-centered, or are reduced to that for the purpose of debate and discussion.  For soccer, simple statistics like won-loss-tie records, goals for/goals against, saves, number of corner kicks, time of possession and so on are straight forward ways to quantify what happened in a match.  Yet those measurements fail to show the complete picture of a spontaneous, open ended, transitional sport with no timeouts.  In particular, the won/loss record of a youth team does not accurately reflect how the game was played, how the players performed, qualities of the opposition, how well the coach prepared the team to play, or technical development of players over time. The bottom line is that typical media oriented statistics are largely meaningless in developing a quality youth soccer program.

The process of doing one's best is the key to success. The determining criterion of success is whether a player gave his or her best that day. Doing one's best is the most important statement a player can make about the importance of an activity and the meaning it has for them.  It is the stance of Sac United to focus greatly on match performance; yet this is not to say that teams should not strive to win.  Wanting and trying to win is desirable and praiseworthy. It generally means trying your best. Indeed trying to play your best (match performance) often leads to winning. But not always!

This is why Sac United is a "Player Centered Program."  We believe that striving to improve match performance is the most important task at the youth level.  Simultaneously, we believe players should play to win. Coaches should teach and develop players in a manner where they learn how to play at a high level and create for themselves the opportunity to win matches. But even if a team loses a match, they should feel competent and equipped to compete and enjoy the game.  It comes down to this: We want our players to compete, learn, improve and enjoy the game for a lifetime. 

Intrinsic success is by its nature more difficult to measure than extrinsic success. A trophy is more tangible to an adult than the exhilaration a child feels while playing soccer. The ultimate measure of success, a child that stays in the sport into adulthood, will require a good deal of patience from the adults in their lives - but yields lasting benefits making all the time and effort worthwhile.

Adapted from a US Youth Soccer Coaching Education Vision Document, Youth Soccer in America:  How Do We Measure Success. Tim Sekerak.

Showboat

Trick or Treat?

Extra Training

I will be staying 20 minutes after training Tues for any player who wants to work on their finishing.

Winger At Work

One Winger!

Three Goals!

One Game!

One Spot! One Foot!

Here is a great example of a player gifted with speed and power - being very direct - taking on defenders with no fear. Every finish is the same. Precise, confident, and very effective.

Enjoy!

Soccer Homework: Stop-Hop and Push

Soccer homework for Thursday's training: The Stop-Hop & Push x 20

Here is the Stop-Hop & Push procedure.

1. Start the ball rolling with the outside of your right foot.
2. Move quickly to catch up with ball and STOP it with the sole of you right foot as you HOP over and past the ball. (Both feet should be past the ball.)
3. Plant and pivot on your right foot turning 180° and PUSH the ball back the opposite direction with the outside of the left foot.
4. Repeat steps 1,2,3 but with the opposite foot.

Notes:
- The ball should move like it is on a train track -- Only in two directions.
- Ball should stop completely
- The further you HOP past the ball, the easier it is. Just don't go too far over.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I will pick a few people at random to demo at the start of training.

If everyone can do 20 stop-hop and pushes with no trouble, no running to start training.

Weekend Goals You Have To See

Cut-Back Cross addition:

It's the easiest way to set up a goal.



Here is another great one from the Merseyside derby.


Great Build-Up addition:



Watch the second replay again! It's awesome! Watch how he just knows (he doesn't have to look) where his teammate is and as he dribbles straight ahead he's able to draw all the defenders to him. Then he disguises what he wants to do with an outside the foot pass. How cool is that. With just TWO passes, two players beat six defenders!


Clever Finish addition:



Gotta love the lefties...




WOW!!! Addition:

GOTM Winner 9/10

And the GOTM prize winner is...



Dennis and the Martin's!!

I'll have the $25 gift cert as soon as Kombat figures out their new gift card system (They told me Thursday. Seriously, I can't make this stuff up, go in and ask. I'm gunna give Pat a hard time)

If they haven't figured it out by Thursday, I'll go to Soccer City in Elk Grove.

System of Play

Extreme Family,

I've been putting together soccer info for our new player Alex and her family -- Sac United playing philosophy, our system of play, team rules, that sort of thing.

I think I gave it out at the start of the season - but just in case didn't - please take a look and share it with the players. It not only has our team system positions, but also the responsibilities of each position. Lots of great reading.

Click Here

Also be sure to check out the "HowTo" tag on the right column for video examples of players that play each position.

GOTM Contest - Enter Now

Go HERE and enter to win a $25 soccer gift certificate to Kombat Soccer.

The winner will be announced Saturday after the match. So enter before the game against Butte Salsa.

HowTo: Play #2 or #5

When We Have the Ball:

Be available for passing in the Outside areas > limited zone
(no loss of the ball! No big risks)

2 and 5 advance, 3 & 4 drop back
- in open space
- with player in front of him

Make clear choices related to passing to:
- the strikers > Find the (1) #9, (2) #10, (3) #7 or #11
- the midfielders > Combine
- the defenders or goalkeeper > Switch the ball

Speed and insight are needed to support the attack in wide areas
- with build up when #5 supports attack, #2 drops back a bit to balance the defense & vice versa



When They Have the Ball:

- be able to defend zone and position
- be strong in 1:1 duel

- Be willing to attack on the ball and intercept passes
- keep player in front
- come in front of the player to defend
- good defensive header
- awareness to balance and pinch in when on opposite flank
- be explosive! fast
- communicate with other defenders and mids to organize defense

Something to get you ready for the weekend

Howto: Play with Swagger

Be confident in your abilities and possibilities you create. That is Swagger.

This is what swagger looks like on a soccer field - Marta.


Marta Vieira da Silva In Swagger With Football Volume 3

Game Notes: NorCal Fall League vs WSC

Dear Extreme Family,

I think we demonstrated on Saturday that you can play well and lose a match.

The game should have been over within a few minutes - we had chances and we failed to execute. We dominated proceedings for the entire half but lacked the will to finish.

Then, in one moment, we made a litany of mistakes that should not happen and they took advantage. Going into halftime 0-1 was completely against the run of play.

Many of you could see I was frustrated at the break. I didn't have much to say to the girls. Our game plan of attacking down the flanks and cutting off the supply to their creative players was clearly working. There was nothing for me to add except to say it was up to them as a team to have a greater commitment and energy. By leaving them to talk amongst themselves, I was hoping that they would strengthen their team mentality and resolve.

They did. For much of the second half it was one-way traffic and in the last 5 to 10 minutes Woodland were counter-attacking as we pressed players forward. But we missed too many chances and in the final third you need to be more clinical offensively and defensively.

We had a great team performance and great energy in the second half. But we have to be more clinical to achieve our goal - we can't lose a game like that.

We are a team that wants to have the ball and work tirelessly to press and hound. They took advantage of our mistakes, you have to give them credit for that.

We are on the verge of playing very well. The basis is there, the collective team quality is there but we have to transform that into points.

I wasn't angry with the team. I felt sorry for them because they had an outstanding attitude and an outstanding display. You can only congratulate them for their improving team attitude. I feel sorry for the fact that they have not been rewarded but we live in a realistic world and when you don't score and don't take your chances then you don't win big games.

So to sum up, their are two aspects we evaluate after each match, the performance and the result. This weekend, the performance in terms of system and style of play, creative ideas, team-play was good - the result needs to be improved.

This weeks trainings will be fun and focus on finishing

See everyone at training.

One Club! One Love!

Assists of the Week: Oct 4

Celebrating the creators..

A Hunger to Score

In Italy they would say, "An anger to score."

Here we might say "Hungry to score."

Either way, these clips show teams that are incredibly hungry to score.

Not only does the #9 do an incredible job digging the ball out when it looks like the defender should have it, watch the left-winger CRASH the goal to get the final touch.


Watch the effort of the right-winger to into the box.


A great goal created by some brave tackles, an impressive run from the Left-Back and a great finish.

September GOTM Contest: Win $25

Here it is.

Your chance to win the September Goal Of The Month contest & a $25 soccer gift certificate to Kombat!



If you prefer not to deal with Flash video, here is a direct download -- right-click and select "Save As".

The GOTM contest is open to all Extreme family members (players, parents, siblings). To enter just leave a comment on this post with your name and favorite goal [par exemple (Tamy, #8)].

Good luck!

HowTo: Ask for things to help you play better

As a player, it is OK to ask for things.

If you need help. Ask.

If your in a good position to receive the ball. Ask.

Here is a clip a a player who had a good game over the weekend. This player had a positive attacking attitude throughout the game and was always looking to create or be involved in scoring chances for the team. I think it is a good example of how it is OK to ask for the ball with your movement and communication.

Enjoy.