Hurry up..... and wait.

Last weekend I traveled down to my college for a one-day college ID camp run by Slippery Rocks Men’s head soccer coach. Upon entering I saw there were about 40 or so players who were all very good and had talents that far exceeded mine. At the beginning of the training session we started off with simple passing drills and general warm up to get to know each other a little bit. After that we began playing fútsol, which I had never played before. It is the same game but is played with a smaller and heavier ball to avoid the bouncing on the gym floor, which we were playing on. It took a little getting used to but we just scrimmaged for the entire four hours changing the teams of every 20 minutes or so. This is when I realized that I could compete with these kids and make myself stand out against all the rest of the players. After each game was played, wins and losses were accounted for seeding in the championship tournament. My team ended up being seeded as 2^nd. We ended up winning the game 1-0 with myself scoring the game-winning goal. At the end of the session the coach gave advise on recruiting and how the process worked. So I was anxious after being exhausted from play, to hear what the coach had to say but when I began to ask him he simply said, ‘I will keep in touch with you through email and we will go from there.” A pretty vague response I would say. So here I am wondering if I got recruited onto my college team, the one goal I have worked hardest in life to accomplish, and I am waiting on an email. He said that those of you being actively recruited will hear from me “soon.” So what does that mean? Every day that goes by makes it a little more uncomfortable. Hurry up and wait.

The Bicycle Kick

One of the most stunning soccer moves to witness is the over head scissor kick or bicycle kick. If one can master this move, you will awe audiences and coaches wherever you go. However, at the same time, if you attempt this extremely risky move and mess up, you look like a complete fool while doing it. During the progress of a game, bicycle kicks are usually most common on crosses such as corners, or also long balls to strikers. Tactically, players tend to do this when the keeper is off the line and want to get the ball to the goal quickly. I personally have never scored off a bicycle kick but I have come very close on several occasions. In order to practice this, I suggest that you practice on a turf or soft ground because essentially you need to learn how to fall correctly to avoid injury. However, since this is so hard to do and is only used in very few situations, it will not hurt you if you cannot preform this move.

Concussions and Fútbol

Over the past several years, I have accumulated seven different concussions; some of which are from soccer. I have finally realized that the repeated head traumas are not worth the long term consequences. For example, a couple years back I was playing in a tournament in Binghamton, NY in which we were getting killed in a game. At one point in the game our keeper was out of position as someone took a shot so I immediately jumped in the way and saved a shot with my head in which I received a concussion. As I think back on the game, we were already losing the game by a few goals, so even if I had let the goal in, it would not have made a difference. At the end of my junior year during soccer season, I had scored 5 goals with my head. I always thought that as long as you don't get hit hard you couldn't have brain problems. But now as new studies are coming out, soccer players who use their head quite often are having similar chemical changes occurring in their brain, found in concussion patients. I have experienced a few symptoms which may continue to turn into long term problems because of my repetitive head injuries. When you get a concussion, the grey matter in your brain is altered by chemicals, which can lead to memory loss, problems concentrating, and depression. Heading the ball during games is an important aspect, but you need to be smart about it. Balance the risks and rewards before going into a game. Play smart. Keep your head safe!

Fútbol from the Referees View

I began refing soccer when I was in 7th grade to help make a little money over the summer. I figured it would be pretty easy, I mean stand there blow a whistle here and there and point in the direction the ball should be going. Seemed simple enough to me. I took the entry level certification, which was fairly simple. I began refing at the lower levels which was a little difficult at first, trying to remember all of the minor details that I had not noticed as a soccer player. However the refing got better but it was not until 10th grade in High School when I realized that refing would actually be helping me while playing soccer. Since I had had a decent amount of experience I began knowing how to take advantage of certain opportunities that present themselves as a player. For example, as a referee, if I didn't know who the ball went off of, I would allow the players to decide by whoever picked up the ball first. Knowing this, I had done this several times knowing well that it was suppose to be the other team’s ball. Also, the same goes with corner kicks. Get the ball quickly and take the kick quick, the refs most likely will not argue. One thing that has gotten myself into trouble is knowing the exact laws of the game, because if a referee blows a call, I usually make certain that know they are wrong. However this usually finds me a yellow card because by this point the referee panics and doesn't know what to do. If you can figure out how to hold your tongue and temper, I highly encourage becoming a referee. It will help you in situations that may n some cases, help you pull off a win. The pay is excellent also, which is never a bad thing.

Injury Prevention and Recovery

Imagine its pre-season, you have been working hard and think you have been training properly then all of a sudden you pivot too quickly and sprain an ankle. The damage has been done, there is no going back. You must sit out for at least a week up to three depending on the severity of the injury. Then you think back to what you did wrong, you can’t think of anything. The biggest problem people run into is not if they train or not but HOW they do so. The number one cause of injury is lack of proper stretching. We all know what is going on here. The coach tells the team to stretch out while he goes and sets up the next drill or collects some equipment. None of the players take it seriously; they talk and joke and go through the motions but don't actually stretch. This can cause you to miss a couple weeks, a few games, but in some cases it can cause you to miss out on an entire season. Also, you need to think about the key parts on your body that you may be missing in your typical stretch. Have you ever tried playing soccer with a strained neck? It hurts a lot and makes your quality of play go down immensely. Another thing I struggled with was the recovery aspect of injuries. I have accumulated several injuries over the years and my number one goal was to get back to playing as fast as I could. This is a hard mind set to change but the mind set you need to have is taking care of your body and recovering properly. Proper recovery leads to better stretching habits because of missing out in the past.

American Footbal v.s. Soccer

In the United States, American Football has become immensely popular, in both the collegiate and high school level. This has morphed into a society in which American soccer has become inferior to American football. People have even gone to many lengths to completely tear down the sport as a whole without attempting to explain that their sport is better. Websites such as http://www.soccersucks.net/real_sports.html look at the worst events in soccer history, alter the facts to come up with a beastly story of what they want to portray this sport as. In my opinion, people of the United States have become fascinated with the big hits and crushing tackles seen in the NFL or on the collegiate levels. A sport in which the drawing component is mindless brutality, in my opinion does not require skill, talent, or strategy. I would have no problem with American Football if people were drawn to the sport because of athletes amazing skill, coach’s intelligent strategy, and players ability to play consistently. The other thing that bothers me is the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is claimed to be a "World Title"... am I missing something? When did the United States become the center of the World? However, soccer has the world cup in which several countries compete for an actual world title, because they actually play different teams from around the world. Also, in the NFL the teams play one game per week, which means that there is lots of recovery time and time to adjust to fix things. Soccer on the other hand play anywhere from one to three games a week, which means athletes need to be able to physically perform more often than those of football players.

Treat yourself As a Professional

If you as an individual want to play at the collegiate or professional level, you need to treat yourself as a professional. This means dieting properly, maintaining in peak physical condition, and staying mentally switched on, both on and off the field. Last night at practice with my club team, we had a returning college student play with us. At the end of the session, we were required to do conditioning as we always do. Chris, the returning college student seemed lethargic and completely out of shape during suicides and ended up walking the last leg of the "sprints." Just as he got to the goal line he leaned over and pukes everywhere. Later in the practice he had admitted that he had been drinking the night previous. What we got out of this is that in order to play competitively you need to take care of your body. Whether that means stretching by yourself after a training session, or icing a minor injury, athletes need to learn to treat their body as a machine. If you put bad oil into a Ferrari it will break down and be useless. However, if you put fresh oil into the same exact car, it will drive like it is meant to be driven, remaining in pristine condition. This also includes diet. One of the most important aspects of diet that athletes tend to forget about is to stay hydrated! Dehydration leads to muscle cramps, fatigue and mental breakdowns. The easiest way to avoid this is to simply carry a water bottle with you throughout the day. If it is in your sight, you are much more likely to start drinking it without even thinking about it. You as an athlete need to take care of your body. If you don't not only do you let yourself down, you also let your team down.

Live for a Pass

Look at any level of fútbol, what must occur for a team to be successful? Passing. No matter how talented an individual may be, if they cannot make a simple pass, they cannot be successful. I would rather have an individual on my team who can make simple passes one hundred percent of the time, rather than an individual who can dribble through several defenders. I have come to this idea because of the nature of the game. As many coaches do, if they have an individual who is very quick and has great dribbling abilities, they will put them up front as a striker.Which tactically makes sense, however, with this set up a simple game plan is presented; kick the ball up to the striker, let him run, get the ball, and score. There is almost no skill required in this style of play. This is what has become the predominant style of play in the United States. The reason I would rather take the player who "lives for a pass" is because this has the a style of play behind it that requires skill and team quality. In my opinion, a team that can hold and maintain control of the ball by simple passes is the better of the two teams, even if the opposition scores with a long ball to a striker who goes one on one with the keeper and scores. Being on competitive team requires you to be able to make simple passes. Live for a pass.

Importance of a Club Team

Choosing a club team to belong to is one of the most important aspects in playing on the collegiate level. The level of play and coach of the club make a huge difference if they are well known. Belonging to certain clubs give a certain impression about their players. For example, if a coach wants a player who is tall, fast, and strong they might look to clubs such as  Empire United. But in the same manner,  if you are a player with these qualities you would look to join this team. Last year, I joined a very well known club the Syracuse Blitz which I found to be almost disappointing. Mostly of the players on the team were "one man shows" and the coach did not seemed to be very organized. Later that year, the team disbanded and I was in search of another local club team, which was a little more serious and uptight. I landed myself on the club team known as the AS Wolves. Ever since I joined, the club has been able to help me out The coach has played internationally as a professional, and knows exactly how to coach success. This was the team I knew I belonged to. He has been preparing me to go to Slippery Rock University to play DII soccer. The easiest way to find good local teams are by simply googling them in your area. Once you find a club you are interested in, do some research on them and talk to current players to see if the club fits you.

Finding Success in Failure

This past weekend my club team, the A.S. Wolves Competed in a premier showcase tournament in Afrims. Overall, looking at the stats, the competition was quite unsuccessful. In our first game, as our coach stated "We played as if we had never seen a soccer ball before" which pretty much summed up the game. No one was communicating with each other which was a cause of major problems. This game ended in a 1-0 Loss. Game number two was a little better, but not much.The mental lapses throughout the weekend caused our losses. Game number two also resulted in a 1-0 Loss. Five minutes into the game our holding midfielder scored off of a scrum in the box, but the goal was called off on the grounds of "off side." Two minutes later the opposing team scored a goal off of an intercepted pass. Game number three was again lost 1-0 due to mental lapses and physical mishaps. Off a free kick from 30 yards out, the opposing team had a player that hit one of our players in the crotch just as the ball was hit, our player turned and the ball struck his hand, a penalty was called, and a goal was scored. The fourth and final game was lost in a mater of 5 seconds. During the progress of play, players attempting to sub in called their subs off, but another defender came off the field. This gave us a man down disadvantage for about 5 seconds, the opposing team won the ball and scored. The final was 2-0. Upon reflecting back on the competition as a whole, the team realized that tactically, we can compete with every single team we play, however we need to improve the mental aspect of the game, which unfortunately is the hardest part to improve upon. We were able to find success in failure because if we improve the smallest things we can always come out on top. Another thing I realized was that many of the coaches watching have a certain arrogance among themselves. As I was standing at midfield waiting to sub in, a coach from behind me grunted " You know you couldn't have picked a better spot to stand in front of me." I just thought it was interesting in the way coaches interact with potential future recruits.

Boots are Key.

If you look at any professional level of play, look at the players boots.How often do you see a team that all have the same ones? Very rarely, if ever. Being a fútboler myself, I know how important the right fitting boot can affect you game dramatically. I unlike many players, have very small and wide feet, which limits my selection to start with. I have found over the years that the synthetic boots are not for me, my feet are too wide and the cleats rip or tear very quickly. When Messi got behind the Adidas F50's, I thought that I would give them a try, because they are so light, it was like playing in bare feet. At first I absolutely loved them, but as the single season went on, I ended up destroying THREE sets of these cleats. So for those of you with wide feet, I would not recommend the F50's. In the process of looking for a new set of boots, I now ALWAYS look to K-Leather. It is more durable than any synthetic material I have used and has great ability to conform to your foot.You want a boot that is suited for you, you want it to become part of you, part of your identity. This is when you should find the cleat that looks appealing on top of preforming well. Many players are identified by their cleats, for Example Messi and the Adidas F50's. My favorite cleats I have ever owned were a pair of clearance Lotto boots which I honestly loved dearly. I remember the game when I blew out both cleats in one game. When they second cleat blew out, I swore profusely at the kid who made them enter into early retirement. Boots are apart of the game, they make all the difference.

Training in the Off Season

One of the worst mistakes an athlete can make, is to take extended periods of time off from their sport. Fútbol is a sport in which skills cannot be picked up rapidly, unlike body building. If you stop working out for a couple months, then start up again, you will see improved results within as early as a week, because it takes only strength, not skill. However, in sports such as Fútbol, if one stops playing then attempts to play again, that persons touch on the ball will not come back rapidly, it will take at least a month to retain the skills they had since they last played. I am located in Central New York, so during the winter, I hear quite often that players can't play because there's snow, and no place to play. I love training in the snow personally because the ball is much harder to handle, and the ground is extremely difficult to dribble on, however if you go from snow to an indoor turf facility, your touch will be dramatically better. Today in Homer New York, was fairly sunny so our turf field was melted off partially which allowed for a great spot to practice on during my lunch period. For those of you looking to preform simple drills in the snow, try kicking the ball straight into the air about 30 Feet, then trap it as it comes down without letting the ball go all over. Doing this in the snow makes it more difficult becuase the ground is very slippery and hard. The footing and body position need to be concentrated on during this because it is the most important part of trapping the ball. After becoming proficient, begin flicking the ball into the air, and volleying the ball as it descends to the ground. Playing in abstract conditions allows a player to gain an edge over his opponent  and sets him apart from the average player, to the above average all-star player.

Preparing for College...

For every sports team in a High School, there are a few players who have aspirations to go on to play in the next level. In sports such as football, coaches are looking for the biggest, fastest, and strongest players they can find, put them all on one team, and expect to win. Unfortunately, this mentality has not been solely secluded into football; it is now dominant in fútbol within the borders of the United States. I personally am in the process of joining the next level of competition, but am facing the sad truth. I’m not 6'6", I can’t bench 240lbs and I can’t run a 40 yard dash in under 4.3 seconds. The college coaches of today are looking for these types of players’ because the only look for athleticism, not skill. These coaches plan on winning their games through bullying their competition. I am 5'7", obviously not the stature coaches are looking for. So what do players such as me and others like me do? We think. We use our minds to outthink our opponents; we use our skills and outplay them. You can’t make someone think, however you can make someone get on a line and run to get faster. So for those of you who are like me out there, aspiring to play in college: show off your skills, think, and live for a pass, not the goal...