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Football Tips

Here you will find tips and advice on how to 'improve your game'. Whether it is different drills to practice, just general advice about your approach to Football or maybe the benefits of good nutrition. Over the coming months we aim to provide regular updates for you, these will change on a monthly basis allowing you to build a portfolio that will be able to expand your Football Knowledge.

Goalkeepers and Strikers

Here are the key issues:

They are special to the Coach

They define the game - Win or Lose

They are always under pressure

They emotionally crave success

Their mistakes are easily observed

They are an easy target for criticism

For both Goalkeepers and Strikers the saying '99% concentration equals 100% failure' is absolutley true. These types of players define themselves in key moments within a game-and they never know when these moments might occur! These players are special because they more often than not define the game and so carry the burden of extra responsibility. They also carry the expectations of the coaches, their teammates, the fans, and the media, and either succeed or fail - with not much in between.

The player-coach relationship is so important and is at the heart of successful soccer. A good coach will discuss at the beginning of the season, a players job description, defining what exact performance is expected and what preparation a player should concentrate on.

A Goalkeepers qualities should be:

Physical - Strength/Agility/Stature/Fitness/Diet & Wellbeing

Technical - Handling/Distribution (Feet & Hands)/Dealing with crosses/Starting position/General Positioning/Quick Feet(Dealing with Back Passes)

Tactical - Knowing/Reading the Game/Decision making/Communication/Control of you Teammates in the penalty area/Distribution 

Mental - Positive attitude/Confidence/Toughness/Focused/Bravery

Emotional - Control/Clear,relaxed mind/Composure/Handling mistakes/Enduring self belief/Peace of Mind

Lifestyle - Professional/Stable life/Disciplined care of the body/Avoiding Celebrity temptation/Switching on & off (leaving football at work).

 

                                                                   

Nutrition 

Food rich in proteins are important for building and repairing muscles, but a varied diet containing every day foods will generally supply more than enough protein.

Maintaining hydration is important for performance. Fluid intake before, during and after exercise is important, especially in hot climates. When sweat losses are high, food and drink consumed must contain sufficient salt to replace these losses.

Whenever players meet in competition, the margin between victory and defeat is small. Attention to detail can make that vital difference.

Diet affects performance, and the food that we choose in training and competition will effect how well we train and play. All players need to be aware of their personal nutritional goals and of how they can select an eating strategy to meet those goals.

Getting the right amount of energy to stay healthy and to perform well is the key. Too much and body fat increases, too little and performance falls, injuries occur and illness results. Carbohydrate supplies the muscles and brain with the fuels they need to meet the stress of training and competition. Players must be aware of what foods they should choose to meet their carbohydrate needs and of how much and when these foods should be eaten.

 

Coming Next - Football drills!!