Soccer Speed Training for Success

Soccer speed training should be approached as a
separate component within the general soccer training
regime.
This is because soccer speed training needs to be built
using the following modules.

• Warm Up & Dynamic Flexibility
• Dynamic flexibility
• Core Development
• Sprint loading drills
• Plyometrics
• Static Flexibility

Once all of these modules have been introduced and
expanded upon, speed will increase.
To understand soccer speed training it is firstly important
to know the differences in terms which comprise speed
in soccer. This way soccer speed training can be developed
on a continual basis and throughout the season.
The speed of a soccer player is much more complex
than the speed of a 100-meter sprinter.
Speed in soccer is the combination of several skills;
Speed of recognition; recognizing the game situation and its many possibilities.
Speed of anticipation; The ability to anticipate the development of both offensive
and defensive possibilities in a game situation.
Reaction speed; The ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations,
especially unforeseen ones.
Speed of changing directions;
Moving with or without a ball, creating space offensively
and closing down space defensively.
Action speed; The ability to carry out game specific actions under
pressure of defensive and offensive situations.
       
Although every player needs to be able to respond to all
the games situations, it is the key areas of play making
that require the most knowledgeable and experienced players.
Most of the qualities that make a player fast come from concentration and power. These are game specific
techniques that are developed with constant on the ball
activities. These qualities are game specific and are
refined through game situations and practice. sessions.
Training is only successful when the techniques are
constantly challenged under realistic situations.

The key is to combine ball-handling skills with increases
in speed. This is because good acceleration skills interfere
with fast footwork.
The challenge is to develop power training techniques
with constant touches on the ball. 
                                                                                    
Training intensity must be kept at a high level or it only
benefits endurance and doesn't increase speed.
The rest intervals are important to monitor as the anaerobic alactic energy system is being utilized during this training phase.
Speed training without an extensive warm up and stretch
will likely produce injuries.
Speed training is useless when the athlete is tired as a
result of a threshold, or has reached a plateau.
This only produces speed endurance and is the aerobic
phase of the athletes physical condition.
The development of muscle mass is the obvious key to
increases in speed and gaining of power. sprinting with
weights at a moderate incline increases speed.
Speed is more trainable post puberty than pre-puberty
as it relates directly to muscle gain and mass.
Understanding the energy systems and how they flow
will aid in the design of an effective training regime.
The design of a practice should have these energy
systems incorporated into it, to optimize the athletes
ability to perform.

Soccer Goalkeeper's Skill, Techniques and Goalie Training

Soccer Goalkeeper training is a world of its own. Since it is the only position on the field that allows the ball to be touched by the hands and arms.
The individual soccer goalie skills gives an advantage over all the other players on the field.
This makes training goalkeepers for soccer not only unique but challenging.

Soccer Goalkeepers are the last line of defence, and often the first line of the offense, depending on the style of play.
They will put their bodies in harms way to stop or block a shot on goal. They will dive in any direction to get the ball.
Training goalkeepers techniques is also a very physically and demanding challenge.
The most important thing to remember is the goalies mental state.
The only other player on the team who can be compared to the goalkeeper is a goal hungry striker. In fact some of the best goalies were also strikers.
There are often great one on one battles at all levels of competition between forwards and goalies.

Staying balanced and knowing the center of gravity of the body is vital to the goalkeeper.
This will improve the activity of the goalie and the state of readiness of the individual to make impressive gains in a game setting.
Most successful soccer goalkeepers are tall and thus have long arms and big hands. If a goalkeeper is short, they will usualy make up for the lack of height with good verticle and lateral mobility.
Remember that goalies have a great sense of self worth but still need to be motivated on a regular basis.
Soccer Goalkeepers need to do their general warm ups with the team, but then branch out and get worked on with the specific drills that will prepare them for the practice or game.

Goalkeepers are also the leaders of the teams and usually have dominant personalities. These individuals must be helped to fulfill this role by being placed in a vocal and demonstrative capacity.
They are definitly leaders in the 18 yard box, and should be allowed to gain respect from their team.
The ball can only be handled by the goalie in the 18 yard box, anyone else who is unfortunate to let the ball touch an arm, a free kick is given against. In the case of the goalkeepers team mate it is a penalty shot from "the spot".

Soccer Training Drills

Soccer training drills are important to keep the interest
of the players at a high level.
It is great to be able to just play the game continually
as in scrimmages and mini games or even pick up games.
Although these are great in that the players are having fun
and learning from each other. This however doesn't
compensate for the knowledge that a good experienced
coaching staff can introduce and share with the players.
Soccer training drills help to identify areas of technical
skills that a player can improve on.
Drills need to be well organzied as to ensure maximum
participation from all of those involved.
Also to ensure that there is also a real game like situation.
This means that the soccer training drill needs to have
game situation related.
Good soccer training drills will encourage all the players
to try something new or improve their technique.
This is either through the love of competition with
others in the group, or the need to become better
individuals.
A drill will have a specific technical or tactical component
to it. It must be well organzied so that all the players can
benenfit from the experience. These players must also
be able to relate to the drill and find use for it during a
game.
There should be a direct corelation between the drill and
the need for those specific skills on the field.
Soccer training drills are performed in close quarters or
a certain part of the field but not necessarily without use of
the entire field.
These areas are usualy marked out well with cones as to
limit the area of play thus encouraging better ball
handling and control.
The players will learn to work in specialty areas of the field.

Although drills aren't game like it is the responsibility of
the coach to keep the players moving as often as possible
just as they do during a game. This means that the players
can also enjoy physical conditioning which is a very
important component of this sport.
The need for specific soccer training drills can be identified
through a variety of analytical tools.
A skills report is one of these whereby areas of overal
weakness of the team are isolated through evaluation,
tabulation and comparison.
General observation from the coaches can and should
also be carried out.
For example;
If the team has made the same technical mistakes in
trapping a ball, and as a result, has lost possession to
the other team, then the next practice could be devoted
to examining and improving this technique and its
variations.
If passes are not straight, or to a targeted area and player,
then a drill on passing can be your next major project.
It is hard to teach tactical skills of inter-passing if the
team does not possess the basic technical skills of
receiving or passing a ball accurately. With this in mind 
soccer training drills should be progressive starting with
the most basic of drills and building into a more game like
situation.
In short, identify problems one by one and work on
them to improve the overal standard of the team by
improving the individuals on it.
If a soccer training drill is not working, then go back to the
basics. After the drill has been completed then after the
practice re-examine the problems. Be as self critical as you
can. Was the soccer training drill too complex and was the explanation not adequate or too intricate.
Were there too many words and not enough actions?
These are questions that will help you determine the successes
of the next soccer training drills sessions.

Zinedine Zidane is back to his winning ways

Four years after the ignominious headbutt that ended his career, Zidane was France's chief ambassador as it won the right to host football's 2016 European Championship.
For arguably the greatest player of his generation, it was sweet redemption after the bitter end to Zidane's playing career. He was shamefully sent off for a vicious attack on Italy's Marco Materazzi in the dying minutes of the World Cup final. France then lost on penalties.
``It's a beautiful victory,'' beamed Zidane, after the tight 7-6 vote of UEFA's executive committee to hold the tournament in France rather than Turkey. Italy had already been eliminated.
``I am happy for France, for the organization and for all those people who didn't experience 1998 and who will have the chance to experience with this Euro something magnificent,'' he told LCI television, referring to the World Cup 12 years ago that France won on home soil.
Zidane played a key part of the final effort to convince European football's governing body to support France, joining the stage with President Nicolas Sarkozy. President Abdullah Gul did his part for Turkey, while Italy's only star personality was legendary defender Paolo Maldini.
For Maldini, the result was a repeat of the Euro 2000 final. He captained Italy in defeat, while Zidane triumphed.
Zidane reminisced about other matches, recalling the joy he had as a child watching France beat Portugal 3-2 in the Euro 1984 semifinal. The winning goal scorer on that epic night in Marseille: Michel Platini, now the head of European football's governing body, sitting in the front row.
``I was lucky enough to be in the stadium near the pitch and lived the emotion,'' Zidane told a 10-year-old kid as he sat on the stage at a Geneva conference center. ``That is the type of experience I want to live again. Winning is beautiful but it's great to see all the people in the streets partying. There was no difference between people in terms of race.''
The Euro 2016 means France hosts a third major football championship in 32 years.
Zidane, of Algerian descent, said the next tournament would be special for him now that he has four sons.
``This is what I would like to give my children, and to all those who want to see the Euro in France,'' he said.