The Importance of Excellent First Touch

First touch skills are very important for any footballer to have. What this means is that you are able to control the ball from any type of pass that comes to you, from any direction.  The purpose of gaining proficiency in this is that it enables you to pass the ball on to another player, make the goal, or dribble down the field without breaking stride or getting tripped up.

Good first touch skills mean that you are controlling the ball in front of you rather than too far under your feet or too far out in front of you.  In either incorrect scenario, it becomes much easier for the defender to gain control of the ball.  When the ball is in control directly in front of you, you will have another chance to touch it with your foot before passing or scoring.  

A Great Way to Improve First Touch Skills

One of the easiest ways to improve your first touch skills is to kick the ball against a flat wall and then gain control of the ball out in front of you at the proper distance with the inside of your left foot and then with your right foot.  Kick the ball as hard as you can against the wall which makes it harder to control when it comes back to you.  This will improve those first touch skills on the field when a ball comes at you from different directions.

Repetition is the key in this exercise. Do these drills for 20-30 minutes every single day and you will see your first touch skills improve drastically. 

Two Important Factors Involved in First Touch

There are two major elements that come into play when it comes to having good first touch skills. The first one is always being ready to receive the ball. Stay on your toes, and watch for that pass.  The second element is not having a loose, floppy ankle, but making sure it’s locked and the foot is tight and in control.  In addition your balance and focus must be good too and in the proper place. Focusing on the ball and controlling it, is the goal, not worrying about where the defender is.   If you focus on them, you can easily lose control of the ball.

Additional Ways to Improve First Touch Skills

When you are doing your wall kicking drill, don’t go easy on yourself. Mild kicks against the wall won’t teach you anything. Really haul of and kick that ball against it as hard as you can. This will drive the ball back to you as hard as you kicked it and it will not come directly back to you as well. It will take skill to anticipate where the ball is going to go, and that teaches you to gain control quickly in on-the-fly situations.

You can also get another player to help with these skills and it will help them too.  Have the other player kick the ball at you from different angles and as hard as they can. Soccer isn’t a lazy sport and that ball isn’t going to come at you softly and easily. Practicing with players taking hard kicks at you can help you prepare for any match.  Once they kick the ball at you, have them try to steal it back. Your first touch skills will be crucial here, because you can maneuver it away and pass to a third person or make that goal.   Keep practicing every day and your first touch skills will show the results of your hard work.

Player of the Week: Bailey Dickinson

Name:
Bailey Dickinson
 
Age:     
8

Current Club:  
Woden Valley

Who is your favourite player and why?
Wayne Rooney. He is very skillgul and an excellent striker

Who do you want to play for?
Manchester United

What is your favourite subject at school?
Maths

What do you want for dinner tonight?
Kingsley's

What is your favourite football boot?
Nike Mecurial

What is your favourite song?
Wake me up - One Direction

Congratulations to Bailey for receiving Player of the Week.

How Much Practice is too Much For Young Athletes?

Nowadays, more youth participate in sports at an earlier age. Practices are longer, harder and more intense and games and matches are demanding and sometimes include long days in the heat and inclement weather.  While practice is needed to master sports, there is such a thing as too much practice for a young athlete.  It is important to find the balance between enough practice to ensure progress and improvement and not too much that it can cause long term damage and burn out. 

How Do You Know if Your Child is Practicing Too Much?

There are some basic signs that you can watch for that will give you a heads up that your young athlete is practicing too much.

·       Gets tired easily

·       Becomes Uncooperative or Surly

·       Gets irritated when practice is mentioned

·       Reduction in performance during games or practice

·       Lack of motivation

If your child is showing any of these signs, take a look at how often they are being required to practice and how long the duration of those practices are.  If the practice sessions don’t appear to be in excess, then the reasons for exhibiting the above signs may be something else that needs examining.

For a young athlete who wants to excel in a certain sport, it will require more practice than community sports participation will, but there is a fine line there and it’s up to the parent to make sure that their child is not being over trained. 

Training too much can cause injuries and can also cause the young athlete to want to quit.  This doesn’t mean not to push them.  Excellence in sports does require a certain amount of pushing limits, discipline and other traits, but push too hard and all that is accomplished is making the child hate what they’re doing.  As they get older, they will be able to handle more and more pushing and practice, but work them into it.

How much Practice is the Right Amount?

Much of this depends on the age of the child and the sport that they are participating in.  The younger the child, regardless of their talent, the more important it is to regulate practice and make sure that injuries are not sustained due to pushing them too hard.  In general, 18029 hours per week dedicated to practice is a good amount. Anything more than this, needs to be monitored closely by a sports doctor that is well versed in the training of young people.

A good rule of thumb to follow when increasing the amount of time a young athlete spends training is to raise the training time NO MORE than 10% each week.  A gradual building of training and practice time is much safer, healthier and easier for the child to adapt to and the likelihood of injury is slim. Also, in the young years of an athlete’s life, make sure that the majority of practice is spent on technique which will also prevent injuries as the training time increases each week.   

Are Protein Supplements Safe for Young Athletes?

With a vast selection of protein supplements available in stores and on the internet, it’s very easy for a young athlete to get caught up in the hype they promise.  There are some really good protein supplements on the market, but these supplements were not created for young athletes, they were created for adult athletes, and the tests run on them were run on adults as well.  

Even though it may not be the most popular way, younger athletes can improve their performance by eating a healthy diet, getting the right amount and the proper kind of fluids, training properly and not overtraining, and getting the right amount of sleep each night. It takes more attention and discipline to monitor all these things, which is why protein supplements are so appealing. They appear to be easier and provide quick results. 

The Potential Dangers of Young Athletes Taking Protein Supplements

Most protein supplements on the market today have other ingredients that can be very harmful to young athletes.  Creatine is a common ingredient in these protein powders and drinks, yet it is an ingredient that is not known to be good for young athletes to take.  It’s possible that taking these supplements at a young age can decrease performance, particularly in endurance sports or practice sessions lasting longer than an hour.

Energy drinks may seem harmless enough, but these typically contain ingredients such as

·       Taurine

·       Caffeine

·       Glucuronolactone

·       Guarana

·       Ginseng

These are not ingredients that young athletes should be adding to their diets even though it may give an initial boost in their performance at first.  There is an increased danger of heart problems, dehydration and heat related illnesses that are associated with these types of products.  Any kind of stimulant can also cause a decrease in performance due to tremors and coordination issues that can accompany them.

The Best Way to Get Protein for Young Athletes

Protein is important for good performance, but not to the detriment of the athlete. It’s easy for a healthy young player to get the protein intake they need through proper eating.  If protein powders are suggested, look for those that have no added sugar and no creatine or other substances that are not good for younger athletes.

One of the best sources of protein is eggs, which have 6 grams of protein per egg. Adding eggs to the athlete’s diet can have the benefits without the dangerous side effects.

Coaches and Trainers who Advise Young Athletes to Take Protein Supplements

If a younger player has been advised to up their protein intake and suggests protein supplements,   remember that most of the protein powders, pills and drinks are formulated for adults, so look for alternatives that are safe not only in the short term, but the long term as well.  If the coach agrees, use food sources first to up that protein and skip the supplements until they are older.  Protein IS an important part of the recovery process, muscle growth and endurance, so it is an important nutrient to have in the daily diet, but when it can come from food sources rather than just supplements, the benefits will far outweigh the benefits gotten from commercial protein supplements. 

Player of the Week: David Bozinovski

Name:
David Bozinovski
 
Age:     
7

Current Club:  
Monaro Panthers

Who is your favourite player and why?
Messi because he shows great skill on the field

Who do you want to play for?
Australia

What is your favourite subject at school?
Maths

What do you want for dinner tonight?
Chicken wraps

What is your favourite football boot?
Adidas

What is your favourite song?
Que sera by Justice Crew

Congratulations to David for receiving Player of the Week.

Improving Agility in Football

Agility is one of the most important skills a football player can have.  There are many factors that make up agility including:

·       Reaction speed and recognition – being able to tell what is about to happen or what needs to happen and being able to react in a speedy way to get it done without wasting precious seconds off the clock

·       Speed while making decisions – being able to fly down the field while accessing the game situation is a major skill that any team will value.

·       Rapid change of direction – In football, the ball is moving almost constantly and being able to change directions on the fly will assist in getting control of the ball and taking it to the goal.

·       Avoiding other players in a split second – No one wants to get broadsided by another player. The ability to avoid obstacles in the way, even human ones, keep the player on his feet and moving in the right direction

 

Agility is something that can be improved, even in a player that struggles a lot with it, but it takes dedication, determination and practice.  There are many exercises that a player can do to work on speed and agility and everyone regardless of skill level should add agility drills to their practice and work out sessions.  Even a player with excellent agility and speed needs to keep it in tip top shape with additional practice.

Cone-Line Drill

Cone-line drills are exercises that are performed around small cones that are lined up a certain distance from one another.  The player performs the moves in between, around and over the cones without touching them.  For the best agility work out, the player should stay on the balls of the feet and keep their body balanced.  There are a few different cone-line drills that can be performed, a few of the more popular ones that may be familiar are:

·       Follow the Leader – Involves two players, where one shadows the other trying to stay within 2 metres of them at all times. The player being followed should move in random directions, changing direction and going forwards and backwards with no warning. 

·       Slalom – line all the cones up in a single line and do different drills, weaving in and out between the cones without hitting them.  The drills can involve the use of a ball, but should also include some speed drills that just involve running or moving in side to side movements.

·       5 –10 - 5 drill - This is a great drill for increasing speed on changing directions.  In a sideways motion, run as fast as you can to the right for 5 metres, to the left for 10 metres and back to the right for 5 metres.  Use cones to mark the 5 and 10 metre marks. 

·       Running through a rope ladder or tires is a popular agility exercise for football players and it’ll have the same results for football players too.  The idea is to run as fast as you can through the ladder or tires without tripping and without touching the sides or walking on the tires/ladder.

The purpose of all of these drills is to improve the speed in which the player changes direction, moves down the field, passes the ball to other opponents and many other factors.  The above drills, when practiced regularly, will give a marked improvement to the player’s reactions and speed, making them a valuable asset to their team. All of the above drills can be utilized for young players as well with the only adjustments being the distance between the cones.   They will have the same great benefits for young players as adult players and should be a mainstay of any young footballer’s training sessions.

Preventing Injuries in Young Athletes

Injuries in youth sports can happen, but they do not have to be a way of life for a child involved in sports.  Most injuries, regardless of age, are due to the following factors:

·       Lack of preparation

·       Poor Diet

·       Poor Sleep

·       Poor Hydration

·       Inadequate attention spent on safety procedures

These are a just a few of the reasons that children can get injured during a sports activity.  By addressing the above issues, sports injuries can be reduced and in a lot of cases, eliminated altogether. There are those fluke type injuries that sometimes just can’t be prevented, but for the most part, making sure that attention is given to these contributing factors, will result in a lot less sports injuries and accidents for your child.

Lack of Preparation

Improper stretching and warm up or not warm up at all is probably the biggest reason children get hurt during sports.  Cold, tight muscles are much more susceptible to injury so taking the time to teach your child how to warm up, how to stretch and how long to do it can prevent the majority of potential injuries.   A good stretching/warm up routine is invaluable and will enhance their performance as well as their recovery time after the match. 

Poor Diet

“You are what you eat” is very applicable in the sports world.  When you put junk in, in the form of greasy fried foods, sodas, and unhealthy fats, it can make the child sluggish physically and mentally on the field, which in turn can lead to injuries and accidents.  Make sure your child has a good pre game meal, and post game meal and take this healthy eating and apply it to their everyday life.  Once-in-a-while healthy eating can be better than no healthy eating at all, but for the long term benefits and to maintain good performance, eating right every day is the best for their health and their bodies.

Poor Sleep

Plenty of sleep is a must for any young person, but one who engages in sports, especially competitively, is in even greater need of adequate amounts of quality sleep.  Having a quiet sleep space and a good bedtime routine will help your child be able to relax and get the kind of sleep they need to do their best on match day.  A child that stays up late and has a restless night due to playing loud video games before bed or watching TV until they fall asleep is sure to be groggy and tired during the match.

Poor Hydration

Heat stroke and other heat illnesses can be prevented by making sure that your young athlete is properly hydrated before, during, and after the match.  If they don’t like plain water, having them drink a good quality sports drink is just fine for maintaining hydration and ensuring that they don’t become dehydrated while on the field.   Make sure they have water/sports drinks during the activity as well and let them cool down with a drink, sipped slowly, after the match as well.

Inadequate attention spent on safety procedures

It’s important to teach youth who engage in sports the proper safety measures that every sport includes.  Wearing the proper gear, having properly fitting shoes and helmets, masks, etc if applicable are all important parts of teaching them the game and how to be safe.  Also teaching them how to avoid certain moves, or hits when it comes to interacting with others is equally important.  Even a child can get a bad sprain or tear in their knee from a hit from another teammate or competitor.  Wanting to win is one thing, a low blow I never something to teach a child, so make sure they learn what NOT to do when engaging in sports as well.

Overuse

One of the biggest ways of preventing injuries in young athletes is to make sure that they are not being pushed too hard.  Lightly stretching limits and encouraging growth and improvement is one thing, but wearing them out with long, hours long practices every night or spending hours and hours playing matches and games on a regular basis is a recipe for potential disaster.  Work the child into the longer hours and harder practices to avoid straining their growing systems.  It can be the difference between them loving sports and continuing into adulthood, ready for the harder load, and getting an injury during their youth that affects them throughout their lives.

If a child does hurt themselves during a match, be sure to give the injury the proper rest and treatment needed for a full recovery, even if they’re begging to play.  Playing with an injury can cause the injury to get worse or even become a permanent injury.  Taking care and letting things heal, will enable them to get back to playing soon and without long term effects.