Nobody saw that, right?
On Sunday, I'd found a local, rec women's soccer team. I didn't know they existed...well, I knew they existed, but didn't know they were actually running. Plus, I wasn't confident of my skill levels.
As it is, I have a lot of brushing up to do...needta increase my stamina. Though, I held out for an hour today, so...gett'n better. Yesterday, I only lasted 30 mins of practicing.
Working on ball control/agility right now. I know the areas I'm weak in...and some that need improvement.
With ball control, I'm pretty flexible...I can easily use my left foot even though I'm a righty. Passing and scoring. Feinting...definitely no problems with that.
I need to work on juggling. I can do between 6-9 in a set right now...it's supposed to help with ball control, but we were never taught it in any of the years I played soccer.
There's the drill I've been working on to practice with both feet and get in agility, too, as well as trapping, ball control, and passing. I set up about six paint cans (we didn't have any cones) about a foot to a foot and a half apart, and would weave in and out with the ball.
Weaving with the ball was easy, so I switched to tapping the ball with the outside of one foot, trapping it, and quickly tappnig it through the next two cans with the outside of the other foot. It involves jumping (to get over the ball), trapping (to stop the ball since the driveway is on a slight slope), agility (weaving in and out of the cans), switching (using my dominant/right foot and non-dominant/left foot), and ball control (not kicking too hard, but not tapping too soft).
If I hit a can with the ball, I start over. The highest amount of times I've gone through it is 4 so far without hitting a can. Better'n yesterday.
Did that for about an hour.
It's funny...when I was practicing yesterday, it was raining, so I slipped and fell on my backside when I was practicing passing/shooting drills against the wall of the garage.
Today, it was drier...yet I still slipped in between cans cause I turned too sharply and went down on my left side. Good thing I know how to fall correctly! Thank you martial arts and skating!
XD
Still, it was kinda embarrassing...I looked around to make sure nobody saw.
^^;;
Got a couple scrapes on my elbow and side of my knee, but they didn't even bleed. I guess after falling so many tiems on my left side from skating, I got a bit tougher. Plus, I wasn't moving as fast.
Hehe...
I also needta increase my dribbling speed. It's at a middle school/high school level...I need it to be at a college+ level.
I have natural skills in soccer...but I can still improve. And I'm going to have to if I wanna make the team, cause I dun do headers (hitting the ball with my head). To make up for that, I gotta show some exceptional skills on the field.
A run-down of training so far (subject to change as I work on other skills)...my practice goes from 30-60 minutes (seems to be at 60, now...the first day, I always start at 30, and this doesn't include stretching before and after, which takes about 5-10 mins):
-Jog 2 laps around the street, then walk a third lap
-Do agility and ball control drills/the 'can drills' for 45 mins
-Practice turning with the ball and shooting/passing against the wall (15 mins)
-Jog 1 lap around the street while dribblng the ball (dribbling speed and ball control)
-Sprint about 30-50m and/or do a 50m shuttle
As it is, I have a lot of brushing up to do...needta increase my stamina. Though, I held out for an hour today, so...gett'n better. Yesterday, I only lasted 30 mins of practicing.
Working on ball control/agility right now. I know the areas I'm weak in...and some that need improvement.
With ball control, I'm pretty flexible...I can easily use my left foot even though I'm a righty. Passing and scoring. Feinting...definitely no problems with that.
I need to work on juggling. I can do between 6-9 in a set right now...it's supposed to help with ball control, but we were never taught it in any of the years I played soccer.
There's the drill I've been working on to practice with both feet and get in agility, too, as well as trapping, ball control, and passing. I set up about six paint cans (we didn't have any cones) about a foot to a foot and a half apart, and would weave in and out with the ball.
Weaving with the ball was easy, so I switched to tapping the ball with the outside of one foot, trapping it, and quickly tappnig it through the next two cans with the outside of the other foot. It involves jumping (to get over the ball), trapping (to stop the ball since the driveway is on a slight slope), agility (weaving in and out of the cans), switching (using my dominant/right foot and non-dominant/left foot), and ball control (not kicking too hard, but not tapping too soft).
If I hit a can with the ball, I start over. The highest amount of times I've gone through it is 4 so far without hitting a can. Better'n yesterday.
Did that for about an hour.
It's funny...when I was practicing yesterday, it was raining, so I slipped and fell on my backside when I was practicing passing/shooting drills against the wall of the garage.
Today, it was drier...yet I still slipped in between cans cause I turned too sharply and went down on my left side. Good thing I know how to fall correctly! Thank you martial arts and skating!
XD
Still, it was kinda embarrassing...I looked around to make sure nobody saw.
^^;;
Got a couple scrapes on my elbow and side of my knee, but they didn't even bleed. I guess after falling so many tiems on my left side from skating, I got a bit tougher. Plus, I wasn't moving as fast.
Hehe...
I also needta increase my dribbling speed. It's at a middle school/high school level...I need it to be at a college+ level.
I have natural skills in soccer...but I can still improve. And I'm going to have to if I wanna make the team, cause I dun do headers (hitting the ball with my head). To make up for that, I gotta show some exceptional skills on the field.
A run-down of training so far (subject to change as I work on other skills)...my practice goes from 30-60 minutes (seems to be at 60, now...the first day, I always start at 30, and this doesn't include stretching before and after, which takes about 5-10 mins):
-Jog 2 laps around the street, then walk a third lap
-Do agility and ball control drills/the 'can drills' for 45 mins
-Practice turning with the ball and shooting/passing against the wall (15 mins)
-Jog 1 lap around the street while dribblng the ball (dribbling speed and ball control)
-Sprint about 30-50m and/or do a 50m shuttle