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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 to? In this instance, the goal keeper will react to a number of external stimuli, here's a list:

- The visual element of the opponent with the ball, are they carrying it, have they got backlift as if ready to strike the ball, is the opponent in space and is their a clear line of sight on goal

- The auditory element, do they hear the strike of the ball, is it fizzing, does it take a deflection of a player (thud), a shout from a team mate, maybe a close opponent barracking the goalie " he's going to shoot!"

All of these stimuli will have an effect on the player.

Once stimulated the player should choose the best option available to them to react to that situation.

Again we will use the goalie;

If a shot is fizzing towards them low and hard, the pitch is wet and quick, and there are a number of players the ball has to go through before hitting the target, do they get down low anticipating a clear strike on goal, have quick feet and get their body in line with the expected flight path, do they dive towards the ball, kneel or hack the ball?

The answer to this question lies in the ability, confidence and experience of the player.

#4 Speed of feet

Here we are talking about the basic running / sprinting motor skills.

Initial explosion and acceleration are vital to covering the ground quickly. Speed of feet is without the ball, and since it is without the ball it is rarely in a straight line.

Therefore, as a players progress is often inhibited by other players they must adjust and change direction in relation to their team mates actions and those of the opponents.

Explosive speed is generated from the leg muscles stretching and contracting to achieve maximum power, but good running technique, driving through the arms and co-ordination are also vital.

#5 Skill speed

Watching a player run at pace and carry the ball is a truly awesome sight.

Sprinting full out while keeping possession and holding off any challenges from opponents to dribble and create an opportunity to shoot at goal is a tremendous ability.

This key skill though is still built on the last point which is speed of feet.

However, while a player may be very quick is only advantageous if their ball manipulation and technical skills are as up to speed as their pace (pardon the pun).

So, what can you do to help coach the 5 key speed principles?

#1 Speed of thought - enable players to make their own decisions, that means give them lots of opportunites to make choices. Condition games so that it forces them to think.

Play soccer games with them, don't just do drill work. By playing games they will also gain experience which help them build their database from which to draw on.

Keep them motivated, players will not think unless they are motivated and stimulated to do so. Finally, let them be free of any fear and stress of making wrong decisions.

#2 Speed of anticipation - play more soccer, coach them through the game.

Ask plenty of questions on how they are reading the game development.

Offer your insights into positions they have taken up in relation to opponents advances, both strengths and weaknesses.

#3 Speed of reaction - use reaction balls, have goal keeper starting positions with their back to play and react to shots, play rebounds off walls.

Try not to use your whistle or command as the key for the reaction as this wouldn't happen in a real game so don't practice this way.

#4 Speed of feet - always, always warm the muscles up before doing any speed work!

Do some sprints, keep it high intensity with short sharp bursts. Develop good running technique with the use of speed ladders and hurdles.

Try using some different starting positions to like standing, from a jump and land, on their back, on their stomach, incorporate turns, feints and directional changes.

#5 Skill speed - make your training as game related as possible, focusing on speed with the ball, movement, game related distances and challenge.

Hopefully this has given you some good food for thought, enjoy your training!

posted by 2772  # 3:19 PM 0 comments

yoga is at least about 5,000 years old. The hindus of the Indus valley civilization developed yoga as a practical device to unite the individual self with the Brahman, the universal self. It was codified about 2,000 years back into a system by Patanjali in his work Yoga Sutra.

His yoga, known as Ashtanga Yoga (or eight-limbed yoga) came to be the authority on yogic practice. These eight limbs are to be practiced in sequence to achieve its spiritual end. In the modern age yoga came to be understood as Hatha yoga, which practices the third and fourth limbs of Ashtanga yoga - asanas and Pranayama.

Hatha yoga, meaning sun-moon yoga, aims to unite the active and passing energies of the human beings. It harmonizes the body-mind relationship, and achieves a balance. The body becomes supple and strong. The mind relaxes and the stress eases. The internal systems, such as blood circulation, nervous system, digestive system and the endocrine system, are improved.

There are many systems of Hatha yoga, such as Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar yoga, Vini yoga, Integral yoga, Sivananda yoga and bikram yoga. Basically they hold postures that exercise the system. It is formulated by different teachers, giving importance to different aspects of Hatha yoga.

bikram Choudhry, the founder of bikram Yoga, was born in Kolkatta in 1946. He became a disciple of Bishnu Gosh, the brother of Paramahamsa Yogananda, at the age of four. His mastery of the Hatha Yoga technique was so good that he continuously won the Indian yoga championship, and retired undefeated at a very young age. bikram started many training centers for yoga, on the direction of his master Bishnu Gosh. Later, he founded his own system of yoga known as bikram yoga.

bikram Yoga is a series of 26 postures, done inside a heated room. The temperature is maintained at about 90 100o. This warms the body naturally, and the postures are easily accomplished. The series starts with standing postures, backward bends, forward bends and twists. Each posture is repeated twice. The full routine takes about 90 minutes.

bikram has a school in Los Angeles where teachers impart yoga practice. He also travels throughout america organizing workshops and seminars.

Yoga provides detailed information on Yoga, bikram Yoga, Hatha Yoga, pilates yoga and more. yoga is affiliated with Cheap Yoga Mats.

posted by 2772  # 10:04 AM 0 comments

For ages, stamina has proved to be one of the major factors when it comes to combat sports, martial arts, traditional sports, and regular day-to-day activity. Stamina is the ability to keep going regardless of fatigue. Its no secret that building your stamina will lead to a better life; a new you. However, there are secrets to quickly and efficiently building your stamina that will have people questioning whether youre using steroids!

picture this if you will: Each day you wake up full of energy and ready to take on any challenge that awaits you. If youre not a morning person, then you suddenly become one! most people hate getting up in the morning because they feel exhausted, tired, and still want to remain in bed. Imagine yourself feeling great, the complete opposite of that, each and every morning your feet hit the floor You have the stamina to last throughout the day without needing to take a quick nap. Your increased energy levels reflect on your productiveness at work and people start to see the difference in you. You get more attention from the opposite sex and/or your significant other. You feel great and the people around you start to take notice as you impress them with the new you.

Great image, huh? You bet! And the best part is, that mental picture that I just gave you can become your reality when you: 1) Change your mindset and 2) Increase your energy levels. And the way to do this is to start building your stamina.

Why you ask? Well two reasons:

1.When you start to see progress in your attempt to build your stamina, your belief system changes. Going from an out-of-shape person to a well-build, high energy being in only a matter of weeks can and will have a very positive effect on your mindset. To sum it all up: youll believe more is possible and youll start to achieve more. It doesn't matter how impossible your goals may seem, anything that you want to achieve can be achieved with a simple change in your mindset.

2.Building your stamina by following a training regimen each day keeps you active. Heres a fact: when your body is inactive for a long period of time, your body gets used to it and you become lethargic. Doing the complete opposite by constantly being active will allow you to become more energetic and your daily energy levels will start to increase.

So when you start to increase your stamina, you start to increase yourself as a person and get more quality out of life. Youll have the energy to do more.

Ryan Dodson

If you want to start seeing a change in yourself within two weeks, I have good news for you. The secrets to quickly and efficiently building your stamina within only two weeks can be found at the Inhuman Stamina website. Now's the time to make a life-changing decision that will impact yourself as well as the people that surround you.

posted by 2772  # 2:04 AM 0 comments