Weekly Game Plan

Picture is Nathan's three mile time with splits below.

All right. Here's what I expect from the guys right now.
1) At least a mile (8 minute run). Keep track of your time from now until tryouts. I would love it if you would post your starting times to the blog here. If you are trying out for midfield, you might as well do three miles (24 minutes).

2) Sprints. You have to decide your distance.But I recommend about 40-50 yards. Something around 7 or 8 seconds. Do five repetitions. Do them back to back and track your time across all five sprints.

3) This week, juggle a smaller ball (remember you are moving up to size 5 next year) 10 times. If you can do 10 times, then do 10 with just your feet.

4) SIX good pushups. Six regular PLUS six diamond PLUS six wide (OK 18 pushups). KEEP YOUR BUTT LEVEL. No head bobs and no girl push ups. Do them right, that's why we are starting with just six.

5) Brush your teeth. Two minutes of leg lifts while you brush those pearly whites.

So if you think about this, you could accomplish all of this before your sibling eats their breakfast (assuming you are only doing the 8 minute run). It isn't hard and it isn't too much. You can do it. And if you start now, you will be more prepared for next week when things get more interesting.

Cheers,
rt

Mile Times

How did your eight minute run go? Nathan knows he can get his route done in under eight minutes, but here is his posted time.

Don't forget to brush your teeth.

And this week's goal is juggling 10 times with your soccer ball.

Brush your teeth

So proper brushing means getting the outside of your teeth (the part other people see), the tops of your teeth (where you chew) and the back of your teeth (the part your tongue hides behind). You should get the six different parts of your mouth, left, center, right, on both the top and bottom.

If you have an electric toothbrush, it will run for two minutes.

You know, two minutes is a perfect amount of time to work on your core muscles. You can do leg lifts while you brush your teeth. In fact, because you are on your back, the toothpaste won't leak out of the corner of your mouth while you brush.

Brush daily! Leg lifts until you don't even notice the two minutes pass by.

Cheers,
rt

Day After the Party

Well, if you played at all last night, you may be sore. In my case, I twisted an ankle and then today my knee went out. Haven't had this kind of pain in a while. I suppose it is going to be difficult for me to get myself ready for tryouts. My goal is that this blog will help me and you both.

While I'm here, I just wanted to say thank you for the thoughtful gifts you presented us. We are going to be doing a remodel and the gift card should supply a couple really nice toilets you all can try out next season. That is....if you work hard in the off season.

And once the work is all done, Dawn and I should be finding ourselves at a Mexican Kitchen in Seattle where they blend "ancient and modern to stunning effect" - Seattle Times.

Thank you also for the notes in the book. Those are precious to me and Dawn. If this was all you did, it would have been just as appreciated as it speaks from the heart. Someone said that we have a tight group of parents and this is special. Those encouraging words may be the motivation to keep going - it certainly wasn't the season record.

So I don't want to get caught on tryouts again. I'm looking to have one scrimmage going on and then about six drills set up around the other field. This will include juggling, sprint speed, endurance speed, shooting, passing, dribbling, and tackling. So if you are set in all these areas, then you're golden for next season.

So here's what I hope to do. I'll post a blog that suggests a workout. If I can, I'll post me (and or Nate) doing the workout to demonstrate it.

Something you can do to get started. Find a running route that takes you about eight minutes. Maybe you run away from your house for four minutes and then you run back.

Also, find a straight spot in your neighborhood that you can sprint about forty yards. You know, the distance from mid field where the referee doesn't give you the offsides call to the point where you tackle the ball.

Last, start juggling your soccer ball. The goal is to be able to comfortably do 10 in a row by the end of the week. If you can do that already, then 10 using just your feet. Don't quit until you've reached your goal. Then train every day with your ball.

After all it's nearly tryouts.