Soccer Success

Each year we have some athletes who are relatively new to the game of soccer on the team. One of the main questions many of them have is, “How can I be a successful soccer player?”

Soccer has four areas that athletes need to address in order to be successful. They are the physical conditioning needed to perform at a high level for an extended period of time, the technical skills needed to control and move the ball, the understanding of tactical methods to play as a member of a team, and the psychological temperament and discipline to bring all these components together.

In order to further develop these four areas there are several attitudes, actions and behaviors an athlete must be willing to demonstrate. Among them are DEDICATION, COMMITMENT, PERSEVERANCE, and COMMUNICATION.

More than anything else, success in soccer takes time . . . time to learn, time to train, time before and after school, time on weekends and time away from other interests. It can take several years of playing to become skillful with controlling the ball. The more time you spend working with the ball the better the player you will become. With the academic responsibilities of being a student, most student-athletes have quite a busy schedule! The willingness to devote the time that success demands is called DEDICATION!

Being a member of the soccer team carries other expectations and responsibilities. Doing what is expected of every team member is called COMMITMENT. Attending team practices everyday is one of the primary commitments expected of all team members. Our goal is to develop team loyalty and individual responsibility and accountability among all our team members.

Becoming a good soccer player also takes PERSEVERANCE. Most beginning players have a difficult time passing, moving, receiving, and shooting the ball. Most athletes are ready to make a sacrifice during a match, but those that make the sacrifice through months or years of training and practice are few indeed. Soccer players and their parents need to understand that there can be no hurry. Learning the proper fundamentals of individual techniques and team tactics takes time. The fundamental condition of the young athlete cannot change overnight, but experience has shown that it can, and will change over a period of months and years of committed training.

We also expect each team member and her parents to COMMUNICATE with the coaching staff. The team members are first of all students. If you daughter needs to be excused from practice to complete a critical assignment or study for an exam they simply need to tell the coaching staff. Students who are ineligible to participate due to grades have not kept one of their primary commitments to the other members of the team. If a problem or illness is going to force your athlete to miss practice or a match, we expect them to tell the coaching staff about it personally and in advance. This does not mean relaying a message through a teammate or a friend. Also, any athlete engaged in intensive training and competition is subject to injury. We can prevent most injuries when our athletes tell us about their aches and pains before they become disabling.

For additional information on becoming a better soccer player please look under the “ARTICLES” tab.