Individual Player Assessment
Uncovering the weakness in your soccer team does require some analysing of the team as a whole and is something many junior soccer coaches struggle with.
A question often asked is "are there any specific tips available about analysing individuals in the team?"
Well, for most of the game the majority of your players will not have possession of the ball.
Therefore, they will spend most of their time taking up a position on the pitch to either support an attack or help with defensive duties.
This is one element where you should focus some of your attention when observing your players.
Remember the old soccer saying...Pass and Move...and it's stood the test of time.
The movement element of any soccer is critical. Players should constantly be on the move, looking to support an attack or equally build a defensive line to prevent an attack.
A valid observation for soccer coaches is to look at the six players who are closest to the ball and see if their positioning in relation to the ball is ideal AND are they in positions to actually influence the game.
By this I mean, while they may be close to the play, are they in a position where they could receive the ball?
Are they aware of what's around them and where the next phase of play can built?
What's their body positioning like, is it open to the field of play or closed, limiting their options?
These are all factors when assessing the support players around the player on the ball.
However, it's when your player gets the ball, and what they decide to do with it, that highlights the strengths or weakness in their decision making process.
This process is probably the most important aspect of their soccer skills and one that you should focus your attention on.
When working on analytical skills use these two key factors...
#1 Which option is chosen?
Does the player make the right decision based on the range of options available to them?
Do your players understand what's going on around them during the game, do they read the situation and assess the options open to them.
When they got the ball where did their first touch take them, did they create space and time for themselves or do they put themselves under immediate pressure?
I always ask my players to assess SOS!
SOS stands for Space, Opponent, Support.
When players are assessing what's on I ask them to first look for the space and take the ball into it, providing its there.
If space isn't available to exploit can they take on an beat their nearest opponent?
Finally, if they can't find space, or take on an opponent, then where is their support player.
This simple three step assessment is quick for the players to do and helps them to quickly make up their mind.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and one all sideline coaches have to hand, remember to be impartial with your feedback and thoughts.
When observing players you may think that the correct action to take was to send a pass down the wing. However, do understand that the players on the pitch may be under pressure and the course of action they took at the time may be the right one at that moment.
#2 Technical Execution
After making their decision was it the right option to take and what was the level of technical proficiency of the skill?
Choosing the right option available is easy however... but it's another to execute the correct technique while under pressure.
By taking notes about individual players, and the team as a whole, during your observations will provide with a useful guide for future training sessions.
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Golf Fitness 101- The Basics
Like any athletic activity peak performance is not just superior technique, but having a body that does what you need it to do. Toning, stretching, warming-up, and easy weight training all help improve scores on the course. For years golfers would (and still do!) spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars on new clubs, shoes and gadgets to improve performance. Most of the time these flashy tools end up being replaced with the latest and greatest the following year. The most...I repeat most overlooked solution to improving your game is golf conditioning. Period.
I will cover a few areas of concern and give you a few basic tips on how you can slice a few strokes off your game and stay injury free.
STRETCHING
Ah... the art of flexibility. If you asked 100 golfers at your local clubhouse to touch their toes, I bet you a round that 90 out of 100 can't even come close. Being flexible is a lot more than touching your toes. Having the optimal range of motion (ROM) in each joint can save you a ton on doctor bills and improve you drive distance, as well as, your short game.
Muscles that tend to be tight and short on most golfers include; the hip flexors, hamstrings, calves,
lats, and internal/external hip rotators.
Putting requires relaxed concentration, driving mandates strength and limber joints. Start by rotating all the 'golf' joints — hands and fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles. Then loosen up that all important neck and spine by rotating the head gently counter then clockwise.
Start slowly, stretch less than the maximum possible. Hold each stretch for several seconds, and then repeat until you work smoothly out to the maximum extension. It is recommended that you hold each stretch for 20 seconds.
Standing straight, stretch the arms straight up, rotate the forearms, then wrists, then flex the finger joints. Follow by rotating the entire arm, first one then the other then both together. Reverse directions and repeat.
With elbows bent and hands clasped above the head, use the right hand to pull the body right, followed by the left hand to pull the body left. That stretches those major muscles called the latissimus dorsi. (The long ones running from the shoulder blades down to the waist.)
Separate the feet to about shoulder width and bend side to side, front to back. Remember to keep pressure off the lower back, by keeping the angles shallow until you've achieved athletic fitness.
Keep all angles and extensions age appropriate and never stretch into pain!
WARM-UP
Warm up? I don't need no stinkin' warm-up!
Does that sound like a stubborn teammate of yours? A proper warm-up helps lubricate your joints and raise your internal body temperature. While current research will tell you that warming up can lead to decreased power, I bet you would sacrifice 3 yards on your drive to cut your chance of injury and soreness in half.
Here is a quick and easy warm-up you can do next time you are out on the course.
Start by walking around in a circle of about twenty feet in diameter, building up to the distance around a city block. To elevate muscle temperature, start with simple aerobics. A short jog on a gentle surface, or even a few minutes running in place. Keep in mind, you're not doing weight loss exercises, just getting lots of blood flow to the muscles and raising the heart rate slightly.
Take a few light swings and emphasize the 'rotational' part of the swing.
LOW IMPACT EXERCISES
When designing a custom strength and conditioning program, it is important that you over all the bases and focus on strengthening your weak and long muscles. This is where you should consult
a quality conditioning program or certified strength and conditioning specialist.
In the meantime, here are several basic exercises you can do to get you started.
Hip Internal Rotation
Sit on a chair with your knees pointed straight in front of you. Rotate your ankles outward keeping your knees and thighs pointed straight ahead.
Hip External Rotation
Same position. Now, cross the left ankle in front of the right and, keeping the thighs and knees pointed straight, hold for one second. Repeat, reversing ankles.
Hip Abduction
On your left side bend the left knee slightly and straighten your right. Raise your right leg straight up, keeping it in the plane of your body. Hold for one second and count to two as you lower the leg. Repeat on the other side. In a few weeks, try adding a one- to two-pound ankle weight.
Hamstring
Extend your left leg, knee straight on a low bench. Keep your back straight and chin up as you slowly reach toward the toes. Hold for two seconds, then repeat on your right leg.
Lower Back
Sit with head erect, shoulders squared on a low bench. Slowly turn to your left, to slightly less than maximum. Reach hands around as if reaching for a seat back. Remember to keep your feet nearly flat on the floor. Hold for two seconds, then repeat on right side.
Forearms
Extending your left arm straight out, palm face-up, use your right hand to pull back the fingers of your left hand. Then turn your palm down and again use your right hand to gently pull back the fingers of your left. Hold each position for 10 to 20, then repeat, switching arms.
Start slowly and increase repetitions, adding weights to wrists and ankles as you gain strength.
In conclusion, following a safe and effective golf fitness program is a MUST for any golfer. Not only will you see your game drastically improve week to week, but you will enjoy the benefits of regular exercise and quite possibly extend your playing days well into your 80's and 90's.
Enjoy!
Paul Laudermilch, MS, CSCS, PES, CPT
Whatever You Do, Don't Let Your Golf Swing Hit The Pink Elephant
Are you a golfer who attempts to improve the golf swing by instructing, "Don't..."
"Don't slice."
"Don't hook."
"Don't hit it into the water."
"Don't hit it into the sand trap."
I think we're all familiar with this approach.
What happens instantaneously? The mind immediately forms an image of the very thing you don't want to take place on the golf course.
It's the old elementary school trick of "Don't think of a pink elephant." The negative becomes an action in the positive. In other words, the negative formulates a sense of being.
I was playing with a friend not long ago, and I noticed he was falling victim to the "Don't" disease. He was focused on his slice. It consumed the early rounds and was a major point of discussion.
He wanted some advice on how to rid himself of it once and for all. We went through the standard instructions but the slice still persisted.
Finally, I told him, "I've an idea. Instead of thinking about your slice the rest of the day, let's think about hitting the golf ball perfectly, even if you do slice the ball. Want to give it a try?"
My friend shrugged, as if to say, "That's the best you can offer me?"
He sliced again. And, he sliced again.
He looked at me and said, "This isn't doing any good."
"Forget about it, Richard," I said. "You don't care about the slice anymore. All you care about is the perfect golf swing. You intellectually know all the mechanics. Picture them being executed perfectly in your mind. When the slice pops into your head, substitute it with the perfect golf swing."
It took awhile, but on the 17th hole he hit the shot he was lusting after. On the 18th, he did it again.
I’m certainly not saying this will solve all the problems on the golf course with your golf swing. But, it’s a good start.
Stan Thomas has been playing golf since before dirt covered the earth. He knows he'll never master the game, but he can't deny the quest.
He invites you to visit his websites:
http://www.golfimproveswing.com
http://www.squidoo.com/golfimproveswing/