...Soccer players are athletes, but unlike a 100m runner where there is explosive speed for 10 seconds in a straight line, there are many other abilities that soccer players need to develop.

Here are 5 key soccer related speed abilities that you should develop in your players.

#1 - speed of thought

Soccer players have a great deal to concentrate on. There senses are constantly being blitzed with information, which they need to quickly decipher. Here are some examples:

- Where opponents are positioned

- Actions of their team mates

- What's infront of them and their peripheral vision

- The conditions of the pitch and the weather

- The noise from team mates, crowd, coaches and opponents

- Their tactical position and the strategy of the team

#2 - Speed of anticipation

Some players have a great reading of the game. I have a friend who although he is now in his late 40's early 50's still plays regularly and competes well with players half his age!

How does he do this... because he's played soccer all his life at professional and international level he has built a huge database in his brain of playing situations, player characteristics, tactical situations etc. and he is able to draw on this which gives him superb speed of anticipation.

Sure for explosiveness and reaction times the younger players would win every time, but as the old saying goes..."the first couple of yards are in the head!".

So here it is important that players develop a knack of interpreting the actions of the opponents and what that means to the games development.

#3 - speed of reaction

As mentioned in the last bullet, speed of reaction is vital.

Anticipation is one thing, being able to react quickly is another.

Consider the role of the goal keeper, their reaction time to a sudden shot, deflection, switch in angle of attack, flight of the ball must be very acute.

But how does a goal keeper react and what...more

Bodybuiding - Will You Train Beyond High School?

...I see it every day. Young bucks come into gym in their high school years and train and make astounding gains and begin to think about bodybuilding. Testosterone is at its peak during these years and just seems they cant get enough of the gym or the results they are achieving. By the time the senior year rolls around, they are at their peak physically. It came so easily, it seems, that development will stay forever.

However life begins to change after high school. College starts in the fall or perhaps you start a full time job. Distractions are everywhere. Many football, baseball and wrestling jocks of high school no longer shine above their college competition and most do not continue disciplined organized sports that once brought you to the gym in the first place.

Besides not playing the sports, studies are now more time consuming. The food is all you can eat at the student cafete...more

A Bit of Football History for Your Party

...o the number of players. The object was to move a ball across a goal line by kicking, throwing, or running with it. Classical literature contains detailed accounts of the game, including its rougher elements, such as ferocious tackling.

Most modern versions of football, however, originated in England, where a form of the game was known in the 12th century. In subsequent centuries football became so popular that various ...more

Indoor Soccer to go high Tech

...ls, refreshments and video play back services. They also often have automatic kicking machines for practice like those used in tennis or for batting training in baseball.

Since these soccer arenas are indoors and climate controlled I propose that we take the coaching and training to a much higher level. I propose that we incorporate Holographic Technologies, which are getting closer to becoming reality, and us...more

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