The Argentina National Team

Imagine the excitement of the New York Red Bulls U18 Boys Academy team players having the opportunity to train with the Argentina National Team that includes superstar players like Lionel Messi?

Coaches Corner - The Value of Hard Work

Here's a quote from Diego Forlan, Golden Ball Winner at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

It was first published in FourFourTwo magazine - a great soccer magazine/website for international football fans.  They have a nice section on technique here.

       

“I work hard on all sorts of things – physical, mental, or technical.  I work on my finishing.  I play against a wall, striking the ball for half an hour intensely.  I do that at home on my own.  I always do some extra work.  I’m committed, disciplined – and a little obsessive!”

Submitted by Coach Ryan Dortch

Coaches Corner - Coach Van Gaver's Juggling Challenge

Here's a 10 minute daily exercise from Coach Kevin Van Gaver designed to improve your ability to juggle and control the ball.

Juggling Challenge - Bounce Kick

10 minutes everyday

Level 1

Using only your strong foot, and allowing the ball to bounce only once in between touches/kicks, keep the ball up 50 times or more. If the ball bounces twice or hits any other part of your body you must start over. If you go over 50 that’s great, what is your personal record? How high can you go?

Using only your weak foot, and allowing the ball to bounce only once in between touches, keep the ball up for a count of 50 touches. If the ball bounces twice or hits any other part of your body you must start over.

Level 2

Using any body part (except hands and arms) two touches per one bounce, get to 50. Each time you touch the ball it counts as one. Again, what is your personal record?

Level 3

You guessed right, 3 touches per one bounce.  Get the touch count up to 50.

Level 4

You’re ready. Juggle with no bounces. How high can you go?

A few other ball work exercises that you can work on during your 10 minutes a day.

Head-thigh-thigh-kick. Take a bounce if you need one. Repeat. (5 minutes)

Wall drills - simply knock the ball against the wall when it returns- settle it quickly and hammer it again. It helps if you have a second person that way you can switch each time. Set up boundaries, limit the touches, limit how close you can get to the wall or make up a game of your own- be creative.

If you got a good game let me know – I’ll play ya.

Coach K- Kevin Van Gaver

BU11 BLUE and BU14 BLUE

Chance's Video Picks - This is Why We Practice Foot Skills

Here is one of my favorite goals of all time. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of Sweden’s best players and currently plays for AC Milan in Italy. Here he is early in his career with Ajax of Holland, showing why it is important to work on foot skills.

Amazing! Enjoy!

If you receive our blog in email, you can watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgqsaDnsEq8

Need a Scrimmage Ref?

EFC Team Managers -

Ken Robertson has pulled together a pool of referees who want to referee scrimmage/friendly games at EFC. If you would like help getting a referee to a scrimmage/friendly game then contact him.  He'll need the following information:

1) Date, time and field of scrimmage

2) Level of play

3) Number of referees (usually only a center ref, but you can get a full crew of 3)

4) Contact at the field who will pay the referee

5) Anything special you'd like the referee to know (e.g. You'd like to have a shootout at the end of the game so both teams can practice shootout)

This information must be provided a week in advance.  Ken will contact referees who are qualified to handle your match and get them lined up to referee your match.  He'll let you know who the referee is. And he'll let the referee know who will be paying them.
The pay for the referee(s) is:

•  Center Ref U14 and below - $35
• Center Ref U15+ - $50
• Assistant Ref U14 and below - $25 each
• Assistant Ref 15+ - $35 each

The ref won't care which team pays them, so you can work that out with the opponent.

Ken's contact information:

Ken Robertson
EFC Referee Coordinator, MIYSC Referee Coordinator and EYSA VP of Referees CommissionerKen@hotmail.com

206-963-4662 (Cell)

Wall Drills 7. The Self-Pass

Coach Michelle French continues our series on wall drills by demonstrating the self-pass.  This drill helps you create space to turn in when you receive the ball and there is a defender right on your back.  Check it out - her little ol' feet move pretty quick....



For those of you receiving our blog posts via email, you can view the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcfZDwReCRg

More On Playing the Game

Wall Drills 6.  Inside Outside Touches
Wall Drills 5.  Trapping
Wall Drills.  4.  Juggling
Wall Drills.  3.  The Ol' Two Wall Wall Drill
Wall Drills.  2.  As the Player Turns...
Wall Drills - First In the Series
Introduction to Practice at the Wall
That's Soccer Talk
Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Wall Drills 6. Inside Outside Touches

The next installment of our Wall Drill series.  Coach Tom Bialek continues the theme started by Michelle French around inside/outside touches to improve speed of play and turning away from pressure.



For those reading our blogs in the daily or weekly email subscription, you can watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smusSt-MPs8

More On Playing the Game

Wall Drills 5.  Trapping
Wall Drills.  4.  Juggling
Wall Drills.  3.  The Ol' Two Wall Wall Drill
Wall Drills.  2.  As the Player Turns...
Wall Drills - First In the Series
Introduction to Practice at the Wall
That's Soccer Talk
Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Wall Drills 5. Trapping

Coach Michelle French continues our wall drill series with a little demonstration on trapping.  Trapping is one of those fundamental skills that simply takes alot of practice to master.  It is an essential eye-foot coordination skill that involves taking the ball out of the air and cleaning it up quickly so you can play it.

The only way to get better at trapping is repetition.  Lots and lots of reps.

Michelle seems to have put her time in...

For those of you receiving our blog posts in email, you can access the video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqzNdjuOtII

Have YOU practiced at the wall today?



More On Playing the Game

Wall Drills.  4.  Juggling
Wall Drills.  3.  The Ol' Two Wall Wall Drill
Wall Drills.  2.  As the Player Turns...
Wall Drills - First In the Series
Introduction to Practice at the Wall
That's Soccer Talk
Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Wall Drills 4. Juggling.

Coach Tom Bialek demonstrates juggling against the wall.  Besides just plain getting comfortable with the ball, this drill is good practice for....

- clearing the ball out if you're playing defense
- popping the ball up to your forward if you're a midfielder
- taking a shot at the goal

For those of you receiving our blog posts in email, you can access the video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMr6_dhaS0M

Have YOU practiced at the wall today?



More On Playing the Game

Wall Drills.  3.  The Ol' Two Wall Wall Drill
Wall Drills.  2.  As the Player Turns...
Wall Drills - First In the Series
Introduction to Practice at the Wall
That's Soccer Talk
Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Wall Drills. 3. The Ol' Two Wall Wall Drill.

Coach Tom Bialek takes the simple wall drill to the next level in demonstrating how to receive the ball, then turn and pass it forward.  For those of you receiving our blogposts in email, you can access the videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hysroTy6-uo



Have YOU practiced at the wall today?

More On Playing the Game

Wall Drills.  2.  As the Player Turns...
Wall Drills - First In the Series
Introduction to Practice at the Wall
That's Soccer Talk
Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Wall Drills. 2. As The Player Turns...

Frenchie gives us another little drill to practice at the wall. This one shows another way to turn and burn with the ball.  Thanks, Michelle!



Have YOU practiced at the wall today?

More On Playing the Game

Wall Drills - First In the Series
Introduction to Practice at the Wall
That's Soccer Talk
Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Wall Drills - First in the Series

Coach Tom Bialek has always been a strong proponent of practicing at the wall.  I asked Tom and Michelle French if they'd be willing to star in a series of videos on wall drills. The idea being that our players could watch them and learn the basics of practicing at the wall.  If it works out ok, we'll do more.

Here's the introduction to the series. Admittedly, Tom, Michelle, and I amateurs when it comes to producing video. On the other hand, Michelle and Tom have both reached the pinnacle of national and professional soccer and have something useful to say. Hopefully you'll find it educational.



The first training clip concentrates on simple turns.



More On Playing the Game

Introduction to Practice at the Wall
That's Soccer Talk
Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Introduction to Practice at the Wall

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Better Foot Skills

If you spend much time talking with any of our coaches about how to improve as a soccer player , one thing you're likely to hear is something like "Spend alot of time at the wall."

The wall is just that - any wall that's handy.   They're everywhere.  Practicing at the wall is perfect for getting alot of touches on the ball and improving your comfort with all aspects of ball handling.  Confident execution of ball handling skills is fundamental to the game.  It is largely a function of muscle memory developed through repetition.  The wall is a high repetition environment.  It is your friend.  Get to know it and it'll pay big dividends.

How do you get started with wall drills?  I'm no expert, so Maddie and I started out pretty simple.  One and two-touch passes against the wall.   A one-touch pass means you kick, it rebounds, and you kick it again - 'one touch'.  A two-touch pass allows you to kick the ball, take a touch to control it on the rebound, then kick it again.  'Two touches.'  Even a soccer newbie like me can understand that.

To help Maddie's accuracy and give her a target, I added a couple of crab pot buoys and set them about 4' apart, which on our cinderblock wall is 4 bricks.  It goes something like this:   "Ok Maddie, how about 4-brick two-touches.  20 on each foot."  Sounds impressive, no?   I could coach this game.  Really.  :)

Players can make alot of improvement at the wall.  They develop better feel, control, and overall comfort on the ball.  Ask Maddie.  And it's a great time for us to hang out together doing something she loves.

Here's a little video we watched today before heading up to our local elementary school for an hour of wall ball.

If you have a wall drill you like, send it along for posting here.

More On Playing the Game

Shoelace Magic
Soccer Formations
Practice Makes Progress

That's Soccer Talk

Asst. Director of Coaching, Tom Bialek.

Photo: Mike Racine

Sometimes you'll hear players and coaches using terminology that you may not exactly understand. Personally, about half the time I have no earthly clue what they’re talking about.  Thankfully, though, I think my daughter understands this ‘soccer talk.’

Here are a few definitions for terms you may have heard on the field or from your player, courtesy of EFC's Asst. Director of Coaching, Tom Bialek.

"Man On".  A warning that players on a team yell to each other to let a teammate know that pressure (an opposing defender) is closing in on the ball.

"Turn".  Lets a teammate know that they have time to turn with the ball and face their opponents’ goal.

"Advantage". Advantage is a decision a referee can make to NOT stop play even though a foul has been committed. The ref may allow play to continue, despite the foul, because the team with the ball has a better opportunity to advance the ball for a shot or a cross than if they are awarded a free kick.

"Ball Side". When you're on defense, if you position yourself closer to the ball than the offensive opponent in the lateral (cross) dimension of the field, you are 'ball side'.  You mark 'ball side' to defend against easy passes.

"Goal Side". When you're on defense, being 'goal side' means being closer to your own goal than the opponent you are marking.  You mark 'goal side' to defend against shots on goal.

“Ball side” and “goal side” positioning go hand in hand on defense. Generally speaking, a defender wants to be both 'goal side' and 'ball side' when playing defense. Imagine a 90 degree angle. If you are correctly positioned "goal side" and "ball side," you can see both your opponent and the ball without moving your head and your goal is behind you.

Here's where Tommy dives into real soccer talk....

Proper positioning allows the defending player to be first to any ball played in the space behind them.

Proper positioning allows for intercepting of poor horizontal passes which can lead to good opportunities in transition to offense.  Even in the case of good horizontal passes by the opponent that arrive at the marked player proper positioning still allows the defender to stop the forward progress of that player.

Proper positioning allows the defending player to help "cover" for a teammate who may have been beaten by their opponent with the ball in a 1-on-1 situation.   Furthermore, good team defense, predicated on all defending players transitioning to goal side and ball side quickly, requires the other team to execute good passes several times before they can generate a goal scoring opportunity.

"Transition".  Quick transition to offense from defense, particularly in the opponents' end of the field, leads to a majority of goal scoring opportunities in the run of play.  Quick transition to defense from offense is vital to preventing goal scoring opportunities - particularly in the defensive third of the field

"Tactics".  A fancy way of saying decision making.  Decisions about how much risk to take or how conservatively to play are always governed by which third of the field players are in.

"Defensive Third".  The third of the field closest to your own goal.  High risk with little reward for ball possession.  Mistakes when you have the ball in this area can lead to quick scoring opportunities for your opponent.  Therefore, in the defensive third of the field, close to your own goal, you play more conservatively and clear the ball out.

"Middle Third".  The midfield is where the game is generally contested. The ball should be moving with a minimum of touches to try to find gaps in the opposing team's defense to advance the ball towards the goal, or to the flanks for crosses.  Moderate risk can be taken in the midfield, because there is reward for success, and there is time to transition to defense before the opposing team can generate a goal scoring opportunity.

"Final Third".  The third of the field closest to the opponents' goal. This is where players attack and 1-on-1 ability comes into play.  More risk can be taken in this part of the field because success means a shot on goal or a cross while failure does not usually lead to a goal scoring opportunity for the other team.

More On Playing the Game

Shoelace Magic
Practice Makes Progress
Soccer Formations

Shoelace Magic

Coach Dan Strom's stylish turf shoes

Photo: Mike Racine

Note the careful attention to detail. The symmetry of the knot. The wrap over the flap. The safety knots at the end of the lace. This is shoelace wizardry.

Photo: Mike Racine

Shoelaces are something every player has in common.  Having them come untied, or be uncomfortable, or affect the delivery of the ball off your foot can be a problem... 

Thankfully, we have the internet.  Where else would you find someone like Ian Fieggen who has pondered this topic in depth?  Who knew there were so many lacing patterns and finishing knots to accomplish everything from fashion to function?  Check out Ian Fieggen's Shoelace Site.

Some shoelace musings....

Alot of us tie the Double Shoelace Knot. It's crude, but effective. Works great for keeping laces tied and using up excess shoelace. Unfortunately, it's also bulky - not recommended for soccer as Emily Cole notes below.

After carefully reviewing Ian's research, I'm recommending Ian's Secure Knot for premium soccer functionality.  It's a secure, symmetrical knot that is reasonably low profile.

More shoelace thoughts from our coaches...

Chance Fry says  "Actually untie your laces when taking off your shoes.  You won’t break down the heel when trying to slip them on and off."

Stuart Lee indicates that when he was a young guy starting out as a pro player, they taught him to tie the knot to the outside of the shoe so that it didn't affect the ball strike.

Emily Cole is a believer in the edge shoelace tying gives you.  She indicates "I believe it! I have tied my shoes a particular way for years and swear by it.

1. Start tying shoelaces as normal except go through/around twice instead of once for the first loop

2. Make your loop and then go around the loop twice instead of once

Voila! This knot is magic because it has the same friction as a double knot so does not come untied but lays flat on your shoe so the ball does not hit it and bounce off funny." 

I call her description the Emily Cole variant of the Surgeon Knot.

More on Playing the Game

Soccer Formations
Practice Makes Progress

Practice Makes Progress

"Frenchie"

Photo: Mike Racine

 

Michelle French is one of our Eastside FC coaches.  Her soccer resume is miles long, but I like Michelle mostly because she's a sweet spirit with an easy smile and a very tough core.  It was easy to select her as our first guest blogger.  Enjoy.....

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One of the best coaches I ever had coined the phrase "Practice Makes Progress".

"Practice makes progress" allows for mistakes, provides an avenue to understand that sometimes skills don't come easily or quickly, and it allows for measurements of improvement.  A player's goal seems much more attainable to him/her when they see progress toward the bigger picture vs feeling like they need to be perfect every time.

For example, every week my GU11 players need to try and juggle 5 more than they did the previous week. In the beginning, some players could literally only get 3 juggles. After a 2 week period, almost every single player can get at least 15 juggles. The practice and time they are putting into learning the skill of juggling has allowed them to see great progress in a short period of time.

Is the goal attainable?  Absolutely!  Will they ever be a perfect "juggler" and never drop it?  Probably not. However, if you could see the excitement on their faces when they reach the goal of 5 more juggles each week, it's priceless!  Practice has definitely made progress not only in their skill, but in their confidence to grow as players!   :)

As a player, be sure you're "practicing" the right technique.  Don't be afraid to ask a coach you trust to break down any skill for you.  Once you learn the proper technique, and you begin practicing that technique with confidence, progress is just around the corner!

Soccer Formations

The classic Pyramid formation

Ever find yourself on the sideline (or on the field for that matter) and hear something like this?

"Uh, yeah, they're playing a 4-4-2, with attacking center mids in a diamond formation.  But you know, our 4-3-3 is way better given the speed we have up front."

Huh?  What the heck does that mean?  Who knows?  Well, it turns out, our coaches and our players do.

But alot of us parents who didn't grow up with the game might be a little fuzzy on formations.  Here's a great link on Wikipedia that explains the evolution of soccer formations from classic to modern times with accompanying diagrams for each of them.