Playing Soccer with the Family

As an athlete, you must realize that your expertise and skill as a soccer player is ultimately determined by yourself. Great soccer player understands the importance of practicing on and off the field. No player is perfect; everyone has something that he or she can improve on. Time at home is a great time to work out some of these weaknesses with a brother or sister or parent. Even if you only go through drills that your coach has taught you, you will increase your ability on the playing field. Practicing at home also helps make your family interested in the sport. Invite your parents to play with you, or to watch you play. Your family may even get into the game just by dribbling the ball with you to the soccer field.

Endurance for the Midfielder

The position of midfielder can be very physically taxing. These players are responsible for assisting the forwards in scoring and also assisting the defenders in defense. Their role is the center of the field. The center of the field is where most of the action takes place in a soccer field. Because of the responsibilities, in terms of area and strategy, of the midfielder, the players in that position will do much more running than anyone else on the field. Having endurance as a runner is perhaps the most important quality a midfielder should possess. Running should be an every day exercise for all players, but especially for the midfielders. A common drill for increasing endurance is having the players touch each line on the soccer field one at a time and running back to the starting position before they can run and touch the next one. Even if it is just running, anything that can be done to make the practice more interesting will help you stay motivated to increase your endurance.

Helping Soccer Players Avoid Dehydration

Soccer can be one of the most demanding sports on a human body, but unfortunately some players think that they do not have to drink liquid while playing a game. Dehydration is dangerous, especially because in some of the more humid places of the world, you do not necessarily have to feel thirsty in order to be dehydrated. Players on the soccer field are constantly running in the sun and are losing tremendous amounts of water through sweat. All players, especially young or new players, should be given every opportunity to stay hydrated. One of the best things you can do as a parent or coach is to always have water accessible to the team. Soccer players should also be educated on the symptoms of dehydration. Teaching soccer players to be more self-sufficient and aware of hydration issues will lead to less emergencies.

Inexpensive Soccer Equipment to Help Improve Your Game

If you are eager to develop your soccer skills, but do not have a lot of extra cash, there are plenty of materials you can purchase inexpensively to use while training. For example, a set of practice cones is very affordable, and can help you with a number of drills. These cones can be set up in many different ways, and used in speed and agility exercises. If you are not sure how to best use the cones to improve your game, look online for free ideas. Another tool you can buy without spending a lot of money is a weighted training ball. These balls help with strength and agility exercises. A third purchase you can make is a mirror belt, where you and a teammate are attached with a flexible cord. It allows you to do a variety of exercises which increase strength, speed, reaction time, direction change, and other skills. The key to maximizing your money is choosing training equipment that will allow you to work on a variety of maneuvers and skills.