My First Goal (Thanks for your help SoccerFit) by Ilja Noordermeer

Ilja used SoccerFit 1-2-1 to enhance her fitness, sharpen her technique, and boost her confidence....her reward for all her hard work came when she scored a goal on the last day of the season...

At the start of the year I set myself a few life goals to achieve and prepared a plan in order to achieve those goals. To score a goal in football was one of them - something I have always desired but never thought capable of.

In football I have always been chosen to play right back because I would tire quickly in positions that required more running. I worked hard to get my fitness level up but I was still lacking the development in my ball handling skills. I couldn't wait for the season to begin.

I had done all the pre-season preparation I could on my own and now needed some good coaching to improve my ball skills. When I couldn't get what I needed from the club coach, I gave SoccerFit a call to discuss what I needed. Liam understood my passion for the game and my desire to improve and organised one on one soccer coaching with Tarek.

From day one I knew that Tarek could make all the difference. I was learning how to dodge past players and learning the mechanics of the fancy footwork I always saw the better skilled players able to do. Tarek continued to add to my skill development every week and built my confidence up.

In the last game of my season, I put all that extra training with SoccerFit into play and achieved my goal...finally. I can't wait to play again and I don't need to wait long, having been selected to play in the World Masters Games for the Sydney Stingrays (30+) in October 2009. The new skills Tarek has taught me have added an additional element of enjoyment to my game. I'm now confident that I can achieve another one of my life's goals; play in the SW2 competition in 2010. Thank you Liam, Tarek and SoccerFit!

Getting the Simple Things Right

The Inside of the Foot Pass

A well weighted and accurate pass makes our work on the field simple, and it makes our receiving teammates look good. The inside of the foot pass is the most widely used pass in soccer. From the gentlest of taps to a teammate close by, to a blistering pass designed to assist the switch of play across the field, this pass is useful, accurate and powerful. While it's primarily used for short passes, goals are scored, and free kicks are made with this pass. So are you executing the inside foot pass correctly, or do your passes go off course, are incorrectly weighted or have no power? Getting the simplest thing like the inside of the foot pass right, can vastly improve your soccer game.

The Technique

Stride to the ball. The foot that will not be striking the ball - the supporting foot - is planted alongside the ball (15-20cm or a little less than the ball's width) with the toe pointing in the direction of the target. If your toe is pointing at the target, then your body and hips should be also be facing the target. The knee of this supporting foot should be bent slightly for balance, and your eyes should be on the ball. Hold your arms out away from your body also for balance.

With a short backswing, bring your kicking leg forward. Turn your kicking foot outward and lock your ankle so it's positioned at a 90 degree angle. The toes of the kicking foot should point slightly upward. Your foot remains in this square position throughout the kick. With your head down and eyes locked on the ball, strike the middle of the ball with the back half of your foot. At the moment the ball is kicked lean forward over it, and follow through with your kicking leg in the direction of the target. The follow through is very important for accuracy and power.

Troubleshooting

• Supporting foot not pointed at the target - ball goes right or left of the target
• Foot not turned out 90 degrees through the kick - ball goes left of the target
• Foot strikes the ball too low - ball will pop up in the air
  
• Leaning back - ball may pop up in the air. It will also lack power and accuracy
• No follow through - ball lacks power and accuracy.
  
• Striking the ball too far forward on the foot - ball lacks accuracy and power.
• Ankle not locked - ball lacks power and accuracy may suffer.
• Eyes not on the ball - ball lacks accuracy.

Practice

Practice all your passes against a wall. You can't get too much practice ever.

To check if your ankle is locked, hold your ankle in the position where it will be kicking the ball, and ask a teammate to try and move your foot. If they can move it, it's not locked!

Visit the SoccerFit website : www.soccerfit.com.au

DISCLAIMER NOTICE : All data and information provided on this site is for informational
purposes only. SoccerFit (the organisation) makes no representations as to
accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any
information on this site and will not be liable for any errors,
omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or
damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on
an as-is basis.

Out of Africa - My First SoccerFit Session (by Anand Sundaresan, Guest Blogger)

Having grown up initially in Zambia in southern Africa my football skills were formed from street football
involving kicking a ball (made from plastic bags and rubber bands) and
learning dribbling skills from the kids in my neighbourhood. Footballs
were hard to come by and coaches in schools or otherwise were non existent.
I've somehow managed to play some level of recreational competitive football
(of very dubious quality) based on these street honed skills. So
when I heard of SoccerFit which was an opportunity to learn soccer skills
that I had never formally learned before and stay fit at the same time,
I was excited.

The first session required a bit of motivation in dragging my lazy ass out of bed earlier on a Saturday
morning for a 9 AM start and also meant going easy on the drinks on Friday
evening. However once I had dragged myself to the field in Randwick, I found
a very well organised session which reminded me of the training sessions
you see on T.V. when they are interviewing players. Even better was the
enthusiasm of the participants. We had a diverse group (moms, men with
kids, singles and DINKs) who all enjoyed football and the group environment. Once
I'd managed to shake off that weekend morning daze and worked out the sequence
of some of the drills, it was a great session. The pace was just right
and we gradually got warmed up and nimble before we did the more extensive
drills. Our trainer was incredibly encouraging even when we were probably
screwing up the drills completely. The two touch no contact
game at the end was great fun and you are forced to learn ball skills in
passing and moving into space as otherwise you lose the ball. You also
have to learn to communicate really well with your team mates and be there
to support them always.

At the end of it , the most exciting
part of it was I feel like I'm learning a new skill, even though I have
been playing this game for years. I have formed the conclusion that if you have not played before, or for a long time, SoccerFit makes football refreshing
and fun.

Visit the SoccerFit website : www.soccerfit.com.au

DISCLAIMER NOTICE : All data and information provided on this site is for informational
purposes only. SoccerFit (the organisation) makes no representations as to
accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any
information on this site and will not be liable for any errors,
omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or
damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on
an as-is basis.

Stretching is a big help at SoccerFit (by Cate Cahill Guest Blogger)

Soccer involves a lot of powerful and unique movements. Whether jumping for a header, changing direction or sudden sprints, the body is constantly moving in a way that is potentially damaging to muscles if the body has not been properly conditioned. This is why we take the time to warm up for SoccerFit.

An important part of the warm up is stretching. This is when we loosen stiff muscles and try to expose them to movement. Recent studies have favoured dynamic stretching over static stretching as an effective preventative to injury for sports that involve powerful movements.

Dynamic stretching involves movement whereas static stretching is standing still, typically, and leaning into stretches. For soccer some of the best dynamic stretches involve skipping (for calf muscles), ankle rotations, gentle changes of direction while jogging, swinging or kicking the legs from small arcs and gradually increasing, swinging legs sideways, walking lunges (hamstrings, hip flexors), running with high knees, running with butt kicks, and not to forget the rest of the body - arm circles, body rotations, neck circles ad so on.

Static stretches still have a place especially for relaxing the muscles. They should always be done when the body is warmed up. They are useful for the end of training or after a game. Some people prefer a mix of static and dynamic stretches before exercise. If it works for you...!

The beauty of Dynamic Stretching is that it can be incorporated into the warm up phase, keeping constant movement of the body, without having to stop completely to stretch. Dynamic Stretching is the most effective "wake up" for muscles before more intensive exercise and soccer games.

(Picture SoccerFit Randwick - Ankle Circles)

Women in a league of their own

Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Westfield this week announced a landmark agreement in support of the fastest growing team sport for women in the country – women’s football.

The Westfield Group’s support involves women’s football ranging from the Westfield Championship for Girls, the establishment of a new national women’s league known as the Westfield W-League, and the national women’s team to be known as the Westfield Matildas.

Westfield has also extended its partnership in respect of the Qantas Socceroos and the Hyundai A-League.

“We are delighted to announce this new and historic agreement for women’s football,” said FFA CEO Ben Buckley.

“Women’s football is a big growth sport which is enjoyed by many girls and women and watched by many mums and grandmothers each weekend, and it’s terrific to have the support of Westfield in our efforts to grow and develop the sport even further.”

Buckley said that women’s football has enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 6.3% over the past five years, especially on the back of the performance of the Matildas in the Women’s World Cup in 2007.

“The Westfield Matildas are one of the highest achieving sporting teams in Australia, having made four Women’s World Cup tournaments and several Olympic Games, and football offers a unrivalled career path for talented elite women athletes,” Buckley said.

Read the rest of this article at Football Australia’s website

(photo by Koichi Kamoshida © Getty Images)

Passing to a Player on the Run (by Cate Cahill Guest Blogger)

If you are passing to an open player who is moving into an open space, it is crucial to play the ball in front of her. If you play it toward where her feet are at the moment you strike the ball, by the time the ball gets to her a second or two later it will be behind her.

So play the ball ahead of the player on the move. The faster she is moving, the further ahead she will need the ball to be. Always try to play a ball so that the player receiving it will not have to break or adjust her stride pattern to receive the pass.

Two-Touch Soccer – great for fitness and teamplay (by Cate Cahill guest blogger)

Towards the end of a SoccerFit fitness workout session, we divide up for the SoccerFit game experience. Soccer drills are good for fitness, and learning skills, but the game experience is where there is some great fitness and team interaction to be had. Applying and practicing soccer skills in "real time" in the game experience also creates a great sense of achievement where we can put what we've learned into practice to further enjoy the flow of the soccer game.

SoccerFit games are devised to be as non contact as possible. One of the ways to do this is to keep the ball moving by limiting the number of "touches" allowed on the ball by any player. A 'touch' is any contact that a player makes with the ball whether a kicked pass or a contact used to control the football. SoccerFit instructors enforce a 'two touch' rule and this very effectively eliminates the need for tackles to change possession of the ball. In an interesting way, it also changes the way that more experienced players influence the game by ensuring that the ball is shared by everyone. If a player touches more than twice, then the ball is turned over with a free kick to the other team.

Two-touch and other restrictions on a game are not just a SoccerFit initiative - in fact they form they basis for training for football teams from top professionals to the amateur clubs around the world.

So why is two-touch soccer an important way to boost fitness and teamplay?

It's simple – two-touch encourages players to 'receive-pass-and-move'. That is, to receive the ball (with a controlling touch), pass the ball (a second touch) and move into space in the hope of receiving the ball again. This continuous movement approach gives all participants an excellent fitness workout as well as teaching them how to work as a team to move the ball as rapidly as possible around the playing area.

Two-touch also teaches players to have vision on the field. It forces them to be clever about where they position themselves and to be ready to respond to help other team-members. It also motivates them to be prepared to pass the ball at the earliest time and teaches them the crucial importance of the first, or controlling, touch. Other key aspects of two-touch include:

· The ability to control the ball at first touch, and its placement subsequent to that touch dictates how the ball will be played.

· Off the ball the supporting players know they need to move quickly into a position of support.

· Decision making that players learn should include whether to pass to the feet of a player or pass into space beyond a running team mate.

It's the flow of the game around the field that creates the beauty of soccer - players linking together as a team to move a spherical object creatively and ingeniously to achieve the ultimate - scoring a goal. Two-touch soccer training promotes and teaches this flow.