Your Body: The Benefits of Stretching

February 28, 2007

Its a simple and common task, stretching, or is it? Then why are so many players getting injured today with pulled muscles? Is it because they are over exerting themselves, are they not properly warming up and cooling down? Its hard to say but, the one thing I do know is that soccer players in general need to stretch out more frequently than they commonly do.

Stretching your muscles has numerous benefits such as; increased flexibility, enhances fitness level, develops body awareness, increases mental and physical relaxation, reduces potential muscle soreness and risks of potential injury to joints, tendons and of course muscle pulls and tears. Given the benefits, I’d say stretching should be a must but do we really understand the practice of stretching?

Brian Appleton put together a great resource on "How to Stretch" that I would recommend you read. Brian does an excellent job of laying out the process of warming up, stretching and cooling down your body prior to and after physical activity. This is an excellent resource for any player, coach, referee or individual wanting to learn better technique and practices for stretching.

I bring this fundamental activity up because I see so many players, especially at the grassroots level not taking the appropriate measures to ease their bodies into strenuous activity. Its very common to see kids young and old get out on the pitch and start taking shots at a goal without a proper warm-up and stretching routine. Moreover, it is our coaches and parents responsibility out there to help educate and set expectations for our kids to prevent injuries. In fact, it would do us all good to stretch or do activities such as Yoga or Pilates more often. For some soccer-specific stretching exercises here is a good link.

If you want to achieve great flexibility and posture as well as prevent injury, all the resources referenced here are a great place to start understanding the importance and benefits of stretching.

– Jason

** Jason Cronkhite is co-founder and CEO of Ziga-Zoga,
one of soccer’s
newest community-based websites. A former college soccer player,
and coach Jason’s background includes sports marketing, branding and interactive
marketing/media. He can be reached at jcronkhite<at>zigazoga.com
.

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Thank You Lamar T-Shirt

February 27, 2007

With the upcoming Pioneer Cup celebrating Lamar Hunt and all he has done to build up soccer in America, we wanted to do our part to help contribute to the effort and support the Dallas SCORES organization as well.

So, to honor and thank Lamar we created 3 T-Shirts which you can purchase from the Ziga-Zoga Store and have shipped directly to you. We will be donating all of our profit from the sales of these shirts to FC Dallas for Dallas SCORES.

We’d also like to ask that if you cannot be at the game, consider purchasing a shirt anyway and tuning into the game. The match will be on Fox Soccer Channel at 5:00 CST.

If you don’t want to buy a shirt, no problem but, please consider donating today….even if its just a $1 - it all adds up.

Get Stuck In!

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Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup Charity Match

February 27, 2007

We wanted to remind everyone of the opportunity to show your appreciation for Lamar Hunt.

Recognized as one of the greatest sports visionaries in American history, Lamar Hunt pioneered professional soccer in the United States. In honor of the late Lamar Hunt, the operator and investor of both FC Dallas and the Columbus Crew, the two teams will play in the inaugural Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup, a fundraiser for FC Dallas’ charitable Foundation. Net proceeds from the game will be donated to Dallas SCORES, an inner-city kids program in Dallas.

Dallas SCORES is the only after-school program in the Dallas area that uses soccer, creative writing and community service to build healthy bodies, healthy minds, and healthy communities among at-risk youth.

Dallas SCORES empowers students in urban communities using soccer, writing, creative expression, and service-learning. With teamwork as the unifying value, Dallas SCORES inspires youth to lead healthy lifestyles, be engaged students, and become agents of change in their communities.

Dallas SCORES, an affiliate of the national program America SCORES, serves over 288 youth in the Dallas Independent School District every day after school our kids play soccer and express themselves through poetry.

The match information is as follows:

FC Dallas vs. Columbus Crew
Sunday, March 11 at 5 p.m. CT
Pizza Hut Park
Frisco, Texas

We ask that all of our friends, partners and fans support this great cause as we honor Lamar Hunt. There are three easy ways to show your support for the Lamar Hunt Family, FC Dallas’ Foundation, and Dallas SCORES.

(1) Reserve Your Seats Now for the game on March 11th: You may select your own price per ticket and the net proceeds will benefit Dallas SCORES.

(2) Make a Contribution: If you are unable to attend the game but would like to show your support, please make a contribution that will benefit Dallas SCORES.

If you would like to make a contribution, please click on this donation link.

Thank you for all your help on this fantastic event! Lastly, check out all the latest news and information about FC Dallas on the new blog.

Get Stuck In Today and donate!!!!

– Ed, Jason, Steve, and Chris (The Ziga-Zoga Team)

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Your Game: The 4 Goal Game

February 26, 2007

Continuing with our series on small sided games, this week the game is the 4 Goal Game. This is a really fun game for players, which promotes transitional speed of play, quick thinking and good organizational shape on both sides of the ball.

Depending upon the age and skill level of the players, set up a square field with 4 goals at each corner of the square just off the touchline. Just for guidance, set up a field about 20×30 yards and expand or reduce the dimensions as applicable.

Each team will defend two goals and attack two goals. There should be no keepers or snowbirds (players waiting upfield for a counter-attack). You can restart with kick-ins or dribble-ins.

As a player, the objective is to play the ball quickly, maintain possession and out think your opposition. Focus on creating space and gaps to penetrate behind your opponent to create scoring opportunities. Quick checking to teammates with the ball and redirecting play as quickly as possible should be your objective. The player on the ball should always have three options to distribute and if he/she does not you and your teammates are not working hard enough to get open.

On defenese, keeping team shape is critical. You must focus on blocking passing lanes and anticipating what your opponent is trying to orchestrate. Stay close to your mark and make him/her work to get the ball - don’t let them have the opportunity to recieve the ball uncontested. The less time your opponent has to think about what to do next the better. If your opponent has time with out pressure to beat you - they will eventually score.

Coaches, my best advice is to let the players play and allow the game to teach them. When a team is getting scored on frequently, they will figure out quickly they need to adjust their strategy and work harder. If they just don’t get it, then you might step in and offer advice.

So, get out and play! And if you’d like to share your experiences or further insight about the 4 Goal Game feel free to comment here or email me at jcronkhite<at>zigazoga.com .

– Jason

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Positive Body Language = Positive Results On The Pitch

February 23, 2007

As players advance though the club system, college game or beyond, physically gifted players are going to be at every position. But many times the difference between the good players and the great ones is the ability to remain mentally sharp and positive regardless of the circumstances.

Mistakes are going to happen, even to the best of the best, but the ability to shake them off and continue to make plays can be a rare quality.

How do you remain focused and positive during the ebb and flow of an intense game? Much of it has to do with remaining positive – especially in body language.

Think about it: how many times in a close game have you have seen a significant momentum shift cause one of the teams to exhibit negative body language? You can see it as clearly as the color of the uniforms.

Players would be wise to remember the power of positive thinking – or specifically the power of positive body language – can really make a difference.

So, what happens if the negative momentum shift happens to you and your team? How do you reverse it and counter the negative play with a positive play of your own. You start with maintaining positive body language.

Here’s an intriguing explanation of the concept in Soccer – The Mind Game (by Steve Bull & Chris Shambrook; ReedSwain Publishing; ISBN 1-59164-095-4) that reinforces how you can work on it yourself. Here’s an excerpt:

“Our body, body language and physiology play a very important role in how confident we feel. It’s really important to recognize the type of body language that accompanies being confident. If our thoughts are positive, but everything about our body is acting negatively (head dropped, shoulders slouched, avoiding eye contact, moving lethargically), then unsurprisingly it’s going to be difficult for the thoughts to have a long-lasting impact. Therefore, we have to practice changing our body language to help either kick-start or complement our positive thinking. Players need to know what positive body language is and act accordingly.

A useful way to deciding how body language needs to be positive is to identify a role model who has excellent body language. You can usually look at top players as good examples of helpful body language. Think of Alan Shearer with penalties or Roy Keane when he is controlling the midfield. From a goal-keeping perspective, there is no better example than Peter Schmeichel at the top of his game.

"You can usually look at top players as good examples of helpful body language. Think of Alan Shearer with penalties or Roy Keane when he is controlling the midfield."

The posture of these players, their movement, eye contact and gestures are all very positive and these positive behaviors would certainly match up with positive thoughts underneath.

You can encourage players to take on the body language of key role models at critical moments in games, or merely as part of their consistent preparation for matches. Once a role model has been identified, it’s easy to try to emulate them and benefit from the confidence they have developed in their game.

Identify who you would like to use as a model to really help develop the positive, optimistic, professional attitudes that go hand in hand with confident performance. We know that success breeds confidence, but we also know that confidence breeds success.”

So if you’re a player, remember to keep your body language positive not only for you, but for the comforting, positive vibe it sends to your teammates. If you’re a coach, remind your players to maintain positive body language when the other team seizes the momentum. If you have examples of how the power of staying positive has worked for you, please email me at sarters<at>zigazoga.com and we’ll pass it onto other players, coaches and parents who make up Ziga-Zoga Nation.

- Steve

**Steve is a founder and president of Ziga-Zoga, one of soccer’s newest community-based websites. He’s a current and longtime club soccer dad at the Premier and D-1 levels in Texas and has been fortunate to accompany teams to the top national tournaments from coast to coast. Steve has a media background that includes radio, newspaper and serving as a reporter/editor for The Associated Press and United Press International. He also has extensive marketing/advertising experience that includes sports marketing expertise involving professional teams/organizations, national cable programming and college conferences.

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WUSA League Update

February 21, 2007

In case you missed this, here is a WUSA League Update with Tonya Antonucci…

Rumors about the return of women’s professional soccer to the United States are nothing new. Recently, however, a new round has been circulating and these rumors seem to have teeth. Fair Game checked in with Tonya Antonucci, CEO of the Women’s Soccer Initiative, Inc., the non-profit group charged with leading the re-launch efforts and instead of the usual “We are cautiously optimistic that the league will return …,” she offered the following exciting bit of news:

When?

The re-launch of women’s professional soccer in North America is moving forward on schedule based on the goal of relaunching the league in the spring of 2008. We are confident that we can publicly state our intentions for 2008 mainly based on the interest we are seeing from investors and markets which give us the back drop to reach our goal of relaunching with eight teams.
Where?

We are in advanced discussions with and/or in the process of finalizing legal documents with several markets. Where we are at in the process varies market by market but collectively the markets we are talking to are as follows: Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas, Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City, Atlanta, Cary, NC, Rochester, NY, Washington D.C., New York/New Jersey, and Boston.

Who?

We are in discussions with more than the minimum goal and we anticipate that some of these interested markets may look to form partnerships with others who may own or control a soccer specific stadium.

We’re pursuing a close partnership with Major League Soccer which would include some owners in common. It would also include partnerships with MLS owners in some markets where they own or control stadiums. Lastly, we are in discussion with Soccer United Marketing, the commercial arm of MLS to potentially be our partner in marketing and selling our national sponsorships and national marketing rights.

WUSA?

The issue of the name of the league and rebranding the league is still on the table. It’s something that the owners are considering and discussing and we intend to speak to our fans and equally important continue to speak to potential sponsors about the rebranding effort. We certainly think there’s equity in the WUSA brand and it means something very positive to the fans and we may very well elect to use that name again, but it’s still something that’s in discussion. The WUSA brand for fans and for many marketers stands for a fantastic product. It stands for a very important time for our society and women’s professional sports. It represents some really great female soccer players including a strong association with Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Joy Fawcett and others. We think that the brand does still resonate and has a lot of value and emotional connection for fans. The question is more on the business side.

How Can We Help?

I think it’s important for fans to remember that a professional league is not a guarantee as we saw with the WUSA. I think that once we get the league back on its feet, fans will have it in the back of their minds that it’s not enough just to support it in your heart and spirit. You need to do everything from getting into the stadium and getting season tickets to watching games on TV that you can’t attend in person to getting on the internet and following the games and the sport online and everything that goes along with just supporting the league and particularly your team, in your market, in a way where you feel that you’ve done all you can to make sure that this doesn’t go away a second time.

Moving Beyond a Message

One of the major components of the relaunch will be the way that general consumer press and sports media cover our league. We need time and space devoted by beat writers and sports journalists to our sport. We need the dialogue in the media to move beyond “Isn’t it great and it’s socially important that this league came back,” to a discourse about the x’s and o’s of the sport. I think it’s important to make sure that we move from message to sport in terms of how we have coverage in the media. We need to develop the relationships in the media in order to achieve that and our messages need to reflect what’s going on on the field in terms of the sport and that’s going to be a key component into appealing to a broad range of fans.

This article was contributed by Gayle Bryan of Fair Game magazine, a soccer magazine with a difference because it’s
all about women’s soccer, nothing else. From the youth leagues,
through the collegiate system to the senior leagues and the new
generation of stars in the U.S. WNT, we will be focusing on the people
involved in the women’s game at every level. It’s all about the real
people who are dedicated to making sure that women’s soccer remains the
No. 1 participation sport in America and that America keeps the No. 1
spot in the world of women’s soccer. For comments or questions about this article you may post them here or contact Gayle directly at gayle@fairgamemagazine.com

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Creating Power & Flexibility with Lunges

February 21, 2007

Competitive athletes often engage in advanced training measures before their bodies are physically ready. I am referring to weight training as advanced measures. Many young players without guidance — or misguidance — are led to believe that to improve strength one must lift weights. Now, this is true, but not absolute.

Weight training can be detrimental to soccer players or an athlete in general if not properly executed. So, before jumping right into weight training exercises make sure you understand and know how to perform the proper technique of exercises and effects the exercise can have on your body, both positive and negative.

As a coach, my recommendation prior to beginning a weight training regime is to focus on core body strength by applying resistance with your body mass first. If you have difficulty performing an exercise utilizing your own body weight then adding weight training exercises is not a smart step. Plenty of strength can be gained from exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and others that force resistance based on the individual’s body mass.

For soccer players especially, power & flexibility are key to strong performances. Thus, by focusing on core strength areas such as the abdominal region and upper legs — core strength areas for soccer players — it will enable players to excel at tasks like winning 50/50 tackles, shielding an opponent on the ball or breaking away from a defender in the final third.

An excellent exercise that requires no weights is the "Deep Knee Lunge." The deep knee lunge is a simple exercise that requires one to step forward with the small and upper back firm and head forward, while dropping one knee to the ground. Then the player should come back to a stance and step forward again or if comfortable enough take another step forward dropping the knee again. To maintain balance and keep the upper body in an upright state it is often suggested to keep your arms above your shoulders with hands placed on the back of the neck. You should also consider walking about 20 yards to get the feel for the exercise.

To start with, a player should do about 3 – 5 repetitions at 20 yards, but always listening to your body. If done consistently deep knee lunges are tremendous for building and firming legs. Lunges also promote flexibility in the hips, since the stretch of the movement is obvious. This exercise can also be done as a warm-up before playing to get your blood circulation moving. As your strength progresses, consider expanding the length at which you or your players walk like 30-50 yards yet remaining at 3 – 5 repetitions.

With any exercise that is new to an individual or coach, it is always best to consult a professional before taking on the task. There are many, many resources available to understand how to perform this exercise and we welcome you to post examples here. For starters, here is a simple video:

** Jason Cronkhite is co-founder and CEO of Ziga-Zoga,
one of soccer’s
newest community-based websites. A former college soccer player,
Jason’s background includes sports marketing, branding and interactive
marketing/media. He can be reached at jcronkhite<at>zigazoga.com
.

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The Counterattack And Other Transitional Tips

February 19, 2007

Possession is critical at any spot of the field, but it’s particularly true in the midfield or your defensive third where a “dispossession” or loss of the ball can trigger a quick counterattack.

The best counterattacking teams are not only fast physically, but also have the ability to mentally transition into the attack after forcing a turnover or winning a 50/50. Anticipation also plays a key role in the counter, especially if the other team is slow to transition.

So if you do lose possession, always be vigilant of getting back on defense and helping out to slow the counter. Some coaches maintain that the player who loses possession should be the first back to help out.

I came across several great points about the counterattack in an overview written by Dave Sarachan (D.C. United) in Attacking Soccer (by Joseph A. Luxbacher; Human Kinetics; ISBN 0-7360-0123-9) that every player and coach should remember. Here’s an excerpt:

“We have all seen this before – a young player dribbles past an opponent and just as he is about to shoot, he is dispossessed by an opposing player. Disappointed, the player who lost the chance to score drops his head and mentally drops out of the game. At the moment the play was over, could the player have helped his team by quickly recovering, becoming a defender and winning the ball back? It happens at every level in every sport. When a team loses possession of the ball, everyone on the team must become a defending player. Simple, right? You’ll agree that the concept of transition from attack to defense and defense to attack is paramount in the overall development of the soccer player.

What is transition and how is it important to soccer? With youth players, the time gap between an attacking action and a defending action is huge. A great example of a successful youth training scheme is the Dutch system. At Ajax in Holland, youth players play small-sided (4 v. 4) soccer in small areas of play. The action in these games encourages all players to attack while in possession of the ball and to defend when possession is lost. A game like this will expose a player who drops his or her head or is too slow to respond to a change of possession. More importantly, playing against better players teaches something a coach cannot.

Good teams and good players punish those who make a slow transition from attack to defense and defense to attack. Goals are scored. Is there a better way to convey a message or to extend a reprimand than to have the opponent score against the player who is slow in transition? We all know that an ideal attacking action gives the team with the ball numbers-up advantage, such as 6 vs. 5, 5 vs. 4, 4 vs. 3 and so on. Players and teams must have certain qualities to be effective in transition play and quick counterattack.

First on my list is speed. The speed I mention is not just physical running speed – it is speed of thought and decision making. Players who possess running speed and technical speed have a great advantage in transition play, but a player who is quick in switching gears upstairs, who can read the play early, who can execute technique on demand, will gain advantage with quick counters.

"Good teams and good players punish those who make a slow transition from attack to defense and defense to attack."

Second, players must be technically proficient in three areas – short and long-range passing, receiving and running at speed while in possession of the ball. We have all watched enough soccer games to recognize that successful counterattacking teams can play quickly in transition and can play balls over distance.

The expression “It’s not long ball if it lands to feet” is appropriate for teams that choose to play with counters in mind. Teams that look to counterattack must have certain characteristics with their 11 players. Counterattacking teams usually do well to keep their “shape” and have in their attack one, two or three players with speed.

In training, coaches can provide an environment for players to develop speed of thought and quick play in transition from attack to defense and defense to attack.”

Players should remember that the counterattack is not only about physical speed, but also the thought process needed to execute. If you’d like to share tactics you use to practice and execute counterattacks, please message me at sarters<at>zigazoga.com and we’ll pass it onto other players and coaches who make up Ziga-Zoga Nation.

- Steve

** Steve Arters is co-founder and President of Ziga-Zoga, one of
soccer’s newest community-based websites. A longtime club soccer dad,
Steve’s background includes media, marketing and sports marketing. He
can be reached at sarters<at>zigazoga.com.

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Making Good Decisions Under Pressure

February 16, 2007

"In short, mentally tough players remember the sports psychology adage, ‘control the controllables."

At one time or another, all players make mistakes, it’s just that some have the ability to make far less than others and a rare few just make it look easy, especially with the game on the line.

And it’s certainly not to say that developing players who make mistakes under pressure won’t learn valuable lessons of how to handle it in the future, but we’ve all seen players with ability to handle pressure better than their peers.

Granted, the players who are mentally sharpest are usually the best conditioned athletes, but that’s a future post for the “Your Body” segment.

If you think back to the players you’ve either played against, watched or coached, the ones who you’d probably consider great always seem to have a reassuring confidence, composure and the ability to play at the highest level under the most pressured situations – never getting too high or too low.

This is manifested in the final 10 minutes of an intense 1-1 game when you feel incredible relief when the ball is on the foot of certain players and not being handled by ones who either don’t want it (known as becoming invisible) or don’t know where to go with it when they receive it.

So, how do good players become great in the category of becoming mentally tougher and making good decisions under pressure? I recently ran across an interesting explanation in Soccer – The Mind Game (by Steve Bull & Chris Shambrook; ReedSwain Publishing; ISBN 1-59164-095-4) that made several salient points. Here’s an excerpt:

“Mental toughness has general components about preparing for performing and it also has specific components that are all about how mentally tough players think within a match. Their ability to make the right decision at the right time is no accident – it results in the quality of their preparation.

They can clearly make good decisions about what is and isn’t important when others around them might be focused on things that are happening that are not within their control, or are not really crucial to the outcome of the game.
Under pressure, many players begin to focus on issues that are out of their control. They begin to argue with officials, they might begin to focus more on winning a personal battle with a specific opposing player rather than staying focused on what needs to be achieved for the team. Mentally tough players stay focused on the things over which they have control.

In short, mentally tough players remember the sports psychology adage, ‘control the controllables.’ Rather than thinking about ‘good decision-making under pressure’; it’s helpful to think of this characteristic as ‘not making bad decisions under pressure.’ You don’t really notice the truly mentally tough players making good decisions because you accept that these are going to be the kind of players who give you consistent performances and seem naturally to do the right thing at the right time.

In short, mentally tough players remember the sports psychology adage, ‘control the controllables.’

These players don’t actually make bad decisions under pressure. They don’t rashly dive in, they don’t give the ball away at critical moments, they don’t get involved in off-the-ball incidents, they don’t drift out of the game, they don’t argue with officials. They do give you a sense of confidence, control, assuredness and optimism when they are on the ball.

The players who don’t make the bad decisions under pressure don’t let the situations they are in change their thinking. Whether they are a defender, goalkeeper, midfielder or attacker, they stay focused on their role and what they need to do in their position to keep the shape of the team and ensure the right tactics are being employed.“

So, if you want to become a mentally tougher player or want players under your tutelage to do so, continue to work on focus, confidence, composure and positive reinforcement. Let me know how you’re working to become mentally tougher or if there’s something we can pass onto other players, coaches or parents at sarters@zigazoga.com.

– Steve

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Performing With Composure

February 14, 2007

"Relaxation techniques can and will help you with performance and reduce
injury, as well as help you off of the pitch to live a healthier life."

Players, of almost any level of soccer, can experience a great deal of pressure and stress, which can definitely affect their performance on the pitch. Obviously, as the level of play increases (i.e. professional) and there are the added stressors of fans, media, championships and such, the affect of this can cause even greater issues. I know that many reading this can attest to the fact that they have suffered from stress, anxiety, and tension during competition that has caused a decrease in performance, a missed penalty kick, or other issues on the pitch. On top of the performance issues that stress can cause, there are also the physical repercussions, such as injury that can occur do to increased stress levels. This isn’t a problem that only mediocre players suffer from, the best players in the world to the average recreational players can suffer from stress, which has altered the outcome of a play, shot, or match.

How can one overcome stress, either pre-match, within a match, or even at a specific time in a match, in order to have a better frame of mind in order to perform at the height of their talents.

One of these are breathing techniques. As a player, in soccer or any other sport I have participated in, I would practice breathing techniques and they were a valuable tool to assist in my efforts in reducing my stress levels. Relaxation with controlled breathing can help with both mental and physical anxiety. Like any other skill in soccer, any player can master this technique by practice and continued use.

I will share the breathing exercise that I used. When starting relaxation techniques, one should begin this exercise once a day for approximately 20 minutes at a time. Find a quiet place, with no outside distractions, and either lay down or sit still.

1. Close your eyes, relax, and focus on how you are breathing. The first 3-5 minutes, you should focus solely on how you are breathing and the rise and fall of your chest. As you continue this process, notice how your breathing becomes relaxed.

2. The next step is just listening to your breaths. As you relax more your breathing will get louder. Allow your breathing functions to remain calm and steady for 3-5 minutes.

3. Every time you exhale you should now focus on relaxing the muscles in your chest, as your muscles should fall deeper and deeper. You should continually maintain a calm and steady breathing pattern. This step should last for another 3-4 minutes.

4. Now your muscles and breathing should be totally relaxed, and your should be breathing deeply. You should now focus again on listening to your breathing. For about 8-10 minutes, listen to your breathing and maintain your steady pattern. At the end of time time, start a count down from 5-1 and open your eyes on 1.

This exercise will take some practice to master and to reap the full rewards of its benefits, but after one continually engages in its practice pre-match, one deep breath during competition will begin to trigger relaxation. I would use this during stops in the action on the pitch, such as throw-ins, goal kicks, and free kicks. These stops in action are great times to relax and refocus during the middle of competition. Once your body is used to this exercise, one deep breath, can relax stress, anxiety, or tension in your body and re-establish inner-peace so you can continue with the match at hand.

Relaxation techniques can and will help you with performance and reduce injury, as well as help you off of the pitch to live a healthier life.

– Chris

** Chris Campasano covers and provides editorial on the
US National Team & MLS for ZigaZoga.com. He can be reached at
ccampasano<at>zigazoga.com.

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