Get Faster – Speed Training
I’m not talking about your Internet connection, or your commute to work! I’m talking about getting to the ball faster, dribbling at faster speeds, and basically breezing by other players. Needless to say, speed is a top priority for soccer players, but how can you develop and improve this skill?
1. Thought – Soccer players have a lot to focus on, and their minds have to be quick to interpret the huge influx of information. Think about it. You’re on the field. What do you have to consider? Positions of other players, actions of teammates, what’s in your peripheral vision, conditions of the field, weather, distinguishing between crowd noise and teammate communication, game strategy, and so on. You have to be quick on the mind, or else the other team will outperform you effortlessly.
2. Anticipation – Soccer is an unpredictable sport. Anything can happen, and players must react according to where the ball is played and to actions of the other team. But most people think you must be fast to keep up with other players. In actuality, though, all you have to do is anticipate another player’s actions before he even has the chance to run right by you!
So how can you possibly predict your opponent’s next move? It’s tricky, but ultimately you must study your opponent. Read into their playing characteristics and game tactics to see if there’s a noticeable pattern. But just from playing games and experience you will learn to recognize and predict what a player is going to do.
If you can learn this, you can stop him dead in his tracks before he even has a chance to outmaneuver you. Again though, experience is key. The longer you play and the more different situations you encounter, the better prepared you will be at anticipating your opponent’s actions. Even if you’re not the fastest player on the team, you can make up for this by being able to anticipate an upcoming move!
QUOTE: "You have to try to read the game quickly, sometimes even a second before the rest. What I try to do is to calculate, know the characteristics of my teammates, how they like to receive the ball, at what speed they like it, if they need it at their feet or a little in front.”-Ronaldinho
3. Reaction – If you can’t anticipate the other player, then you have to react quickly. For example, look at a goalkeeper. Once a player breaks through the defenders, the goalkeeper knows a shot is coming. He must be able to react to the oncoming shot, in addition to the chances of a deflection, change in angle of attack, and even the flight of the ball. Say the ball is kicked towards the goal, low and hard. Does he get down low and catch the ball? Does he dive towards the ball? Does he kneel or hack the ball? And what about the weather? How does he perform if the field is wet? There are lots of reactions to consider, but only experience will determine which one you will take.
4. Feet – This relates to basic running skills. If you want to cover a lot of ground quickly, then you have to improve your explosive speed and your acceleration rate. But you can’t forget about your direction of movement! Opponents will come in at you from different angles, so you have to be quick on your feet and change direction!
5. Skill – This builds off the speed of feet point, but here we’re talking about ball handling skill. Even if you can run fast, what good is it if you can’t maintain possession of the ball? You must have excellent manipulation and technical skills to run fast and control the ball.
This list might be nice, but you – as a coach or trainer – might be wondering how you can teach these principles to your students?
COACHES: Let your students know that there is no wrong decision. They have to learn, and sometimes this means the hard way. Encourage them to make their own choices.
1. Thought – Let players make their own decisions by creating opportunities where they make their own choices. For example, play games with them instead of giving them drills. This will also give them experience and allow them to react in a real-time situation.
2. Anticipation – Play more soccer! Ask students questions about how they are reading the game and its development. Don’t be afraid to offer your personal insight either.
3. Reaction – Don’t use a whistle or oral command as the key for action. This doesn’t happen in a real game! Make the learning as close to real life as possible.
4. Feet – Do sprints and develop running technique by using ladders and hurdles.
5. Skill – Make drills as game related as possible by assigning tasks that require the footwork commonly used in a game. Also make the players travel the distance too and not just short bursts! This will condition them.
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