http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog Soccer Fitness For Kids Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:05:05 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en U12 is an interesting time for kids, coaches and parents. Some players are amazing, some are way behind and the majority seem a bit lost. As a coach or parent don't look for big changes and huge improvements. Strive for little improvements. Look for improvements in behavior. For instance, getting ready for ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/57/u12-soccer-skills-and-team-building-improve-with-pebble-steps/ Soccer is like any sport. It requires strength, speed and stamina. A lot of players might not be ready to play not because of skill or desire but because of poor nutrition. A common theme among young players, especially girls, is to barely eat in an effort to be thin.  At ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/56/weight-and-soccer-performance/ A very interesting article in the SJ Mercury News about Los Gatos High and how they produce outstanding quarterbacks. click here What do great quarterbacks and soccer have to do with each other? Well, a lot of it comes down to coaching and teaching. Great coaches are teachers. And the LGHS ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/55/whats-it-take-to-develop-great-athletes/ Soccer is considered a fairly safe sport but recent findings on the dangers of concussions has brought some issues up to think about. American football is known to be very hard on the brain. Many players have early symptoms of dementia and Alzheimers.  When doctors examine the brains of players who ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/54/concussions-and-soccer/ Coaching U8 soccer players can be like herding cats. You need to use soccer drills that are: Quick to set up Have a lot of movement Keep everyone involved Fun Any drill that requires more than five minutes of explaining is lost on u8 players. Probably three minutes is ideal. Keeping movement into the drills is ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/53/u8-soccer-drills/ A great article here about how parents are stepping up to abusive college coaches and so are athletes. Coaches are under more pressure to treat players with respect. What a concept. Treating players with respect. Many college coaches only care about one thing...winning. And any athlete that they think can't help ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/52/abusive-college-coaches-and-youth-soccer/ tThis article on how running shoes have affected our running gait proposes that we run differently now that we have running shoes. The thick cushioned heels of running shoes has caused us to land on our heels instead of our toes. They also say that landing on the heels is ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/51/soccer-running-running-shoes-and-running-technique/ Beginner soccer players come in all shapes and ages. A lot of adults start playing for recreation teams, especially women. And competitive soccer can start as young as four. Here are my top five tips for Soccer Drills for Beginner Players. 1. Do a little each day and spread it out during ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/50/what-are-some-soccer-drills-for-beginner-players/ Whatever level or age you are for learning new soccer skills, there is one secret to learning any new soccer skill. That is to do it in steps. For some, that might be big steps. For others very small ones. But either way, you most learn the skill in steps or ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/49/whats-the-secret-to-learning-soccer-skills/ When a kid comes out for soccer practice, coaches and parents think the kids are ready, but frequently they are not. Lack of outside activities and poor or no PE programs have created a situation where kids are overweight and out of shape. Soccer even at the U12 to U8 ... http://athleticskillsforsoccer.com/blog/48/could-poor-pe-programs-affect-soccer-conditioning/