2014 Spring Training Week 2

Top to bottom, we are going to work on arms, core, and legs. We are going to try to keep it simple.

Summary

• Brush your teeth
• Stretch the Hip Flexor for 2 minutes (See Week 1)
• Do your push-ups and planks (6+6+6+6)
• Shower on your toes 
• Juggling

My kids were already complaining that two minutes of Hip Flexor stretches "hurt." I told them they might have stretched too far.

Look, if you are a week behind, that is OK. We aren't too far off the bump and I'm not trying to break anybody here. The goal is to do small things multiple times per day to improve muscle strength and stamina. So go back and read week 1. That will make sense out of the "Brush your teeth" and "Shower on your toes" comments.

The big thing I will encourage you on is to do your push-ups and planks 2-3 times a day. When you get up, before you shower, before washing your hands for meals, before you go to bed. Just make it a quick habit to drop down and knock out 15, now 18 good push ups. If you get behind on this, you won't be able to suddently do 45 good push-ups when soccer tryouts come around.

Juggling

The most important touch in soccer is your first touch. Too many times at our level of play, the ball hits our shins or feet and bounces three or four yards in front of us. Then, we turned a ball that was ours into a 50/50 ball with the other team. 

Juggling is one of the best ways to improve your first touch. Now, you don't have to get all tricked out and catch the ball between your knees and on the back of your neck and stuff. In fact, if catching the ball on the back of your neck during a game is a good way to get your head kicked. However, I have seen players move 20 and 30 yards juggling down field without the ball ever touching the ground.

Nagbe scored for Portland doing a nice bit of juggling, but I wouldn't highlight Portland here... So you'll have to take Maicon scoring for Inter Milan from about the same position with about the same result. Perhaps better in that he has to beat the defender and then execute the volley.

While this is all fun, the important thing is that when you get a hard pass, you can control it without the ball escaping from you.

Your Goal... Start with five touches just on your feet. After you can juggle comfortably with just five touches, increase your goal to ten. Don't be in a hurry. You want to have good clean touches. Do this for 10 minutes and then quit. Find another time during the day to try again. Just get consistent at whatever your number is. As you strengthen your muscles, you'll find you can juggle longer periods of time. So, eventually we'll switch from count goals to time goals.

Let me also encourage you to try all sides of your foot; inside, laces, outside and even your heel (although I would save this for much later). When you use the inside of your foot to juggle, you'll discover why a hackey-sack juggler can go for so long. There is a lot of control in the "cup" of your foot. 

Try it. Let me know how adding 10 minutes of juggling to your day changes your skills.

Cheers.

2014 Spring Training 1

You ready?
Top to bottom, we are going to work on arms, core, and legs. We are going to try to keep it simple.

Summary

• Brush your teeth
• Stretch the Hip Flexor for 2 minutes
• Do your push-ups and planks (5+5+5+5)
• Shower on your toes

Yesterday in Spring Training we marked the time it took to run to mid field. Most players were right around 7 seconds. Think of that like your 50 yard dash time.

Can you find a place to get your 50 yard dash time? Write it down. Then let's see if you can improve on that in the next month.

If you can't a soccer field, find a spot in the neighborhood that takes about 7 seconds to run. Maybe from the corner to a mailbox. In any case, get yourself a baseline.

Start trying these small things now because if you wait until tryouts, you will be behind. As the weeks go on, I'm going to swap things out with other things, including ball skills (Juggling!).

So get on it! Get ready! Challenge your parents! See who can stick to it more :). Don't turn on the TV (for movies, games or anything) until you knock out 5 minutes worth of exercise time.

Core
Last year, I told you to "brush your teeth" This is essentially two minute leg lifts. DO IT!

Core with Hip Flexor
If you want some variety, in the morning when you brush, just elevate the legs. In the evening when you brush, on your back, point your toes away from you, lift 10 inches off the ground and alternate pulling one knee up to your chest, then straighten and pull the other knee up to your chest.

Hip Flexor
First, sit on your duff and place your left ankle across your right knee. This would be a good leg to lean a book against and read. Now, roll onto that knee and put your head and hands on the ground. Now, without moving your left ankle from your knee, twist your body so your left heel can rest comfortably on the back or your left triceps. Now lift your legs off the ground. Slowly raise your head off the ground. You should now look something like this:

Do not try this at home.

OK I'm kidding. Keep it simple. Get on both knees with your toes pointed away from you. Bring your left foot up and place it flat in front of you so it is at a right angle (makes a square). Now, keeping your left foot flat on the ground, lean forward into it as far as you can. Hold it there for 20 seconds. relax, repeat 3x. Switch legs. 

Back Straight

You can do this standing as well, bring your knee up to your chest. Hold for 20 Seconds. This is a nice alternative that also works on balance. Make it tougher by being on your toes.

Push-ups with Plank Hip Flex Climbers

I'm starting back at the beginning. 5+5+5+5. Do yourself a favor and try really hard to keep your body level (no butts in the air, no knees on the ground). It's only 15 push-ups. 

• Do five regular push-ups
• Do five diamond push-ups
• Do five wide push-ups
• Do five (of each leg) Plank-Hip-Flex-Climbers

That is, do a front facing plank (elbows down, palms together, thumbs up, nose touching your thumbs)

Bring your Left knee up toward your arm pit (not your chest), then back. Repeat with Right knee.

Something like this:

Me as a kid ;)

Shower on your toes

Lastly, I'm trying to encourage you to be on your toes ALL THE TIME. Standing in a line? Be on your toes. Stirring something at the stove? Be on your toes. Cleaning the floor? Be on your toes. Flying your kite? Be on your toes. See if you can catch your parents standing around flat footed. See if they can catch you flat footed.

So! Taking a shower after practice? Be on your toes the entire time. This is particularly tough while washing your hair, but you can do it. You will build calf strength and balance through your legs and core.

So - brush your teeth and take showers. 

Cheers!

Well, time to start over again

This time around is going to be slightly different. I'm looking for three things.

Increase in burst speed. I'm looking to the hip flexors (think doubles, burpies, wall sits).
Improve first touch. I'm going to expect you are juggling your soccer ball.
Define your signature moves. You need to find the move that gets you a gap. A gap is enough time to shoot or pass.

I'll also challenge you to do your push-ups. I would like to see everybody at 45 push-ups by the time tryouts roll around. This is 15 normal + 15 diamond + 15 wide.

Here we go again... it's nearly tryouts!

Cheers.