GAME BODY MIND OFF THE PITCH NEWS

24 Key Elements To Being A Great Footballer

Have you ever wondered what makes a footballer great? Do you dream of being a great footballer one day? Well, what is it that makes one a great footballer? I’m sure there are many opinions and suggestions to these questions Read more

New Year Theme – Total Football!

Happy New Year Ziga-Zoga Nation! Are you ready to make 2008 the best year you
can? 

We are and want to make sure you achieve the most you can
this year. We are in the process of
planning some exciting things. To start
the year off, Coach Gary Littlefield and ZZ have teamed up to lead the community
in a focused training initiative designed to make you the best you can be.

Starting this week and continuing on throughout the year we
are going to dig into the Key Elements of a being Total Footballer. We are going to post articles, have interactive
discussions, cool podcasts and videos, opportunities to learn from expert
coaches and professionals, plus some really cool events and more.

Here is a snap shot of things that we will look at together:

• Personal Assessment – Knowing where you are.
• Your Strengths - Developing Your Strengths For Nearly Perfect Performance.
• Goals – setting them and achieving them.
• Vision – How well do you see the field of play?
• Technique – ways to develop and dominate.
• Explosive Speed – strategies for blowing by your opponent.
• Strength & Agility – get strong and flexible.
• Stamina – outlasting your competition.
• Mental Strength / Preparedness – building sharp minds.
• Marking / Defending – tactics to shut down your opponent.
• Attacking – scoring goals is the only way to win.
• Being Coachable – no one knows it all, keep an open mind.
• Nutrition - Taking care of you, knowing what to eat and how to stay sharp.

If
you have something specific you want covered let us know. You’ll want to keep an eye on the ZZ Blog
Feed, Forums, Game – Body – Mind Tabs, Videos and …. Heck you gotta get
involved to elevate your game. If you
think you’d like to contribute as a coach, player, referee or knowledgeable
support just let Gary and I know.

Let’s
GET STUCK IN!

Jason
Cronkhite

On Holiday In Nawlins

Hello all, hope you had a great Christmas wherever you are.  I’m on my way to New Orleans or "Nawlins" to spend some time with family.  So, I’ll be recharging and gettin ready for 2008.  Until next year, here’s a video for some fun

Developing A Core Team On ZZ

To all those interested in writing about, developing video tutorials or podcasts about soccer / football training tactics in the areas relating to Game, Body & Mind - I am looking for a few people to discuss a business opportunity with.

At ZigaZoga.com our core focus is to provide a collaborative environment for seriously passionate players, coaches and supporters of the game.  We are looking to strengthen the knowledge base with the depth of our global community through our members understanding of the game.

So, we’d like to open up a conversation with you, if you have such and interest.  Further, if you already write a blog, produce a podcast or video show I am interested to explore opportunities with you about how we can help one another.

I believe that when collective intelligence can be applied in an open social environment the implications can produce great benefits for all involved.  Therefore, if you are interested in creating innovative, dynamic and passionate soccer knowledge I want to hear from you.  Please drop me a note here.

Weekly Featured Footballer — Asa Beard

This week we are featuring Asa Beard.  Originally from Salford, UK, Asa is now giving it a go in the states.  With  a few stints in clubs like Airbus, Stockport County and Manchester City Asa feels he’s learned a lot from the experience he’s gained and now he’s determined more than ever to make his mark on the football world.

Recently, Asa and I have been exchanging email and I think he’s heading down to the Pro Soccer Combine in Sanford, FL.  Below is a little glimpse of Asa.  Good Luck & Get Stuck In!

If you know of a footballer that you think needs to be featured let me know.  Just have them logon to ZigaZoga and upload their video.  Every week I take a look at the videos and pick a player or coach to feature.

   

 

Find more videos like this on Ziga-Zoga

Join The Fight For Al Bangura

If you have not heard about Al Bangura’s heart wrenching
story, my good friends over at SoccerLens.com posted a riviting
article offering a petition to the British Parliament . With all the media craze in the
UK,
Ahmed and his team are offering up at least a solution to the troubling situation Al is in.

The situation hits home with me because I deeply care about
what is happening around the world where others are not so fortunate. I’m specifically speaking about issues of
extreme violence like what Liberia is recovering from; human trafficking of players and health issues like the AIDS epidemic in Africa. 

Along with Ahmed and others, we care about Bangura’s issue and
want your help to do something about it.  Moreover, I hope this article incentivizes you to to get involved and take action by supporting at least one of the problems mentioned here. 
If you catch this post and are in the UK please participate in the
petition process. Al and his family deserve a better chance in life and he has worked extremely hard to get to where he is today given the challenges he had to fight against to get there.

Because of Bangura’s case and other similar story’s, we are in the process of establishing the Footballers For Peace Foundation to aid in issues such
as the situation Al had to fight through to reach his height at Watford. Unfortunately for Al, we can
only do so much and his case is one of many that needs significantly more
attention in this world. Children should
not ever be in a situation where they are forced to leave their home for survival and then along the way be taken advantage of. 

Bangura’s case is one of the beautiful story’s that might
turn out horrible if asylum is not granted. So, please act by expressing your support. Contact Claire Ward at the British Parliament wardc@parliament.uk and express your concern. Lastly, if you can please bring more attention to the issue by voting for the story or blogging about it.  

Pro Soccer Combine 2008 January 9-11

I was talking to my friend Dennis Currier, Head Coach at Univ. of Dayton, and he was telling me about the Pro Soccer Combine in Sanford, Florida (the Orlando area).  For all you aspiring players out there who would like to try and make this tryout, it is probably your best use of time and money for the US market anyway.

Daryl Shore of the MLS Chicago Fire runs the combine and there are scouts from many teams in various leagues to inlude:  Major League Soccer (MLS), United Soccer League (USL) I & II, the Premier Development League (PDL) and Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).

There are many benefits to players seeking to be discovered.  For one, you pay for one tryout and get seen by many coaches rather than paying for individual open tryouts, which are often not run as well.  The cost is $329 since it’s after their early registration deadline and here is the form that is required for registration.  Please make sure that you also read the FAQ (frequently asked questions).

The Pro Soccer Combine is produced by InfoSport Inc. and the benefits to players include:

1. Increased Exposure - Regardless of a player’s talent level and soccer background or experience, it is a team’s AWARENESS of that player that will put them on the short list of potential signees. Attendance at InfoSport’s Pro Soccer Combine is one of the best ways to ensure that a player’s COMPLETE soccer resume and professional evaluation is in front of the key decision makers for the entire professional soccer community. Players from our past events that have signed professional contracts came from schools and programs of all levels.  The staff at every InfoSport Pro Soccer Combine is also comprised of coaches from the pro community (MLS, USL, MISL, etc.)

2. Professional Evaluation - InfoSport’s Director of Soccer is Daryl Shore, a current MLS and former A-League coach. The written evaluations on each combine participant are based upon years of professional and collegiate soccer talent scouting and evaluation at the highest levels. The coaching and evaluation staff he assembles for the combine comes from the pro soccer ranks of the USA. For a list of former and current InfoSport Pro Soccer combine staff, please click here.

3. Credibility - InfoSport and its staff have years of credible experience in professional soccer. When a team reviews a report generated by Daryl Shore and InfoSport, it can be assured that the data and evaluations are of the highest professional quality and accuracy. The coaching and scouting staffs that have worked with players at past InfoSport events have come from the MLS, USL and MISL ranks.

4. 12-Month Exposure - Pro Soccer Combine participants have their combine and career data housed on the InfoSport web site for at least 12 months, allowing professional teams around the world, the ability to search online, 24 hours a day, for players to fill their roster openings. Personal contact information for each player is made available so interested parties can contact players directly, eliminating the delay of a middle party.

5. Worldwide Data Sharing - Unlike team, league or agent-sponsored free agent camps, InfoSport makes player data from our event available to every professional soccer team in the world.

I hope this information is useful for all the aspiring players out there.

Featured Footballer Vid: Ryan Lindsay Styles It UP

This weeks featured footballer is footy freestlyer Ryan Lindsay.  Ryan hails from Leinster, Ireland and  spends hours upon hours ballin.  He’d like to get noticed and play in America some day. 

Ryan you’ve got some great footy skills and I want to encourage you to show us what you’re made of on the pitch.  I’d love to see you twist up some defenders with your skills.  Then, maybe someone will take a closer look at what ya really got than just me :-).  Hopefully, this little feature foreshadows what’s to come?

 

Find more videos like this on Ziga-Zoga

Weekly Featured Footballer — Aaron Shanahan

Last week we featured Tommy Drake, the clutch goal scoring midfielder.  This week we’re featuring a clutch goal stopping machine Aaron Shanahan.  He began playing with St. Pat’s Athletic club at 18 and has played for several clubs in the Ericom Irish League such as, Kilkenny City FC and Dundalk FC.

Now 23,  Aaron is looking to build a bigger profile for himself and we hope he can.  Check out his video below.  Talk about spider man reactions!

You’re Invited To Soccer PubCamp In Baltimore Jan. 18-19

Fashioned after the technology focused BarCamp, we’re creating a Mash-Up event called Soccer PubCamp.  The event will take place Jan. 18-19 alongside the NSCAA convention at The Wharf Rat Pub.

Visit Soccer PubCamp and learn more about how you can get involved.  We need sponsors, volunteers, bloggers, geeks, soccer coaches, referees, players and anyone that wants to participate is welcome.

We’ve already taken care of a few things but we have about 6 weeks to get a lot more done.  Here is a list of some things we have on our to do list:

1. Networkers & Buzz Masters:  we need network masters and bloggers to get the word out prior to the event and need flyer distribution the day before the kick-off party on Jan. 18th.
2. Resource Rounder-Uppers:  we need things like projectors, paper, markers, pens, nametags, paper towels, garbage bags,
   toilet paper, surface cleaners, kitchen gadgets for breakfast/lunch,
   ice chests, garbage cans. etc. Put the list on the wiki (we need to create it) and try to get
   people to bring or donate as many of these as possible. Borrowing is
   way better than buying whenever possible.
3. Need the following leaders:
   • Sponsor wranglers: Drafts a message to send to
     potential sponsors, follows up leads from others for potential
     sponsors, collects info, logos (in vector format), and money from
     sponsors and also sees that receipts (if necessary) are issued at the
     end. This is your accounts receivable person and it’s a key thing to
     get right.
   • Food Czar: It’s not completely required for a
     Barcamp, but it’s definitely the standard. You have x number of people
     to feed for 24 hrs, including a pre-party, a basic breakfast, and a
     lunch. Obviously, you can only pay for as much of this as you have
     sponsor money for. See that breakfast and lunch get taken care of
     first, and then pay for as much of the pre-party as possible. Best to
     keep the meals simple (but good), have some veggie options, and try to
     keep costs down. This will be your biggest expenditure.
   • T-shirt Master: Not only do people like shirts,
     but they’re possibly your biggest offering to sponsors since it’s a
     shared promotional item. Basic shirt is your barcamp logo on the front,
     all the sponsor logos (tastefully) arranged on the back (I recommend in
     1-color only). The range of shirts out there is enormous, but people
     will appreciate a good quality, non white (or black) colored,
     well-fitting shirt. It’s a bit more expensive, but providing some
     women’s shirts (not just unisex smalls) is a really nice touch. (I
     recommend American Apparel or Bella fine-jersey t-shirts - not the
     super tight fitted kind). Try to have t-shirts ordered (quanities
     decided and artwork submitted) 2 weeks before your event. 10 days at
     ABSOLUTE minimum. Remember, weird things happen in the supply chain.
     Check in with your t-shirt vendor often if you want to see your shirts
     on time.
   • Wi-Fi Guru: People are going to want wi-fi, and
     may even need it for their presentation. In order to provide this,
     you’re going to need a decent internet connection and several routers
     to handle the traffic. Someone needs to set this up and keep it running
     during the camp.
4. Community Czars:  we need people who can help facilitate our group discussion and interactive chats prior to the event.  A community page has been set up on ZigaZoga.com (login for access) and you can find a community chat widget on the home page on the left hand side.  We also need people who can work the event and greet people, run for things if needed and just be there to support the event.
5. Technology Gurus:  we need all kinds so get stuck in!

There is probably something else but I’m tired of writing about this now so if you want to learn more about what this type of an event has in store for you check out the BarCamp Blog and here’s a vid from the BarCamp Austin.

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