How to improve your soccer between practices or How to get better at soccer when there is no team practice.

If you will take time to do these skill practices 3 times a week, your coach can focus on teaching team play.

Juggle the ball 100 times.  Begin by dropping the ball to thigh, or foot and pushing the ball gently to try to repeat the contact.  Foot and thigh need to be level with the ground when contact is made with the ball.  Repeat until there have been 100 touches.

Lobatta (push the ball back and forth between your feet) 25 in place, 25 moving forward, 25 moving backwards. 

Roll overs (roll bottom of cleat over the ball while moving the ball forward) 25 right foot while moving forward, 25 left foot while moving forward. 

Toe Taps (alternate putting bottom of your cleat on the top of the ball) 25 in place, 25 moving forward, 25 moving backwards. 

Locomotion (Push ball forward with laces or cup of the foot, stop the ball with bottom of the cleat, then restart quickly pushing the ball forward again) 5 starts and stops and restarts. 

Train Wreck (Start locomotion,when putting your foot on top of the ball draw your foot back keeping the ball in front of you as you turn your body to push the ball back the way you came from)  do 5 reversals with your right foot and 5 reversals with your left foot. 

Scissors ( push the ball with the outside of your foot three times in a row, on the forth time don't push the ball out but step over the ball and push the ball with the outside of the other foot at a 90 degree angle from the direction you were going) do 5 with your right foot and 5 with your left foot. 

Double scissors (do single scissors but fake going 90 degrees the other way by stepping over the ball with your other foot and then continue in the first direction) do 5 with your right foot and 5 with your left foot. 

Big Kick Fake (bring foot at ball with full body preparation for a hard long kick but stop foot on the ball or beside the ball and continue in the direction you had been dribbling) do 5 with your right foot and 5 with your left foot.

Cut back (while running at full speed, cut the ball from the line you are running in with the outside of your foot to change direction 45 degrees)  do 5 with your right foot and 5 with your left foot.

Shielding the Ball (with arms out and knees bent keep the ball on the opposite side of you using the foot furthest from the defender)(if you do not have a partner to practice with move the ball around as if your shadow is the defender) do this for a minute with your right foot and a minute with your left foot.

Spin Move (Step over the ball blocking the defender from the ball and pull the ball with the other foot backwards and around the defender while shielding the ball, turning toward the ball and keeping it in front of you as you turn then accelerate away from defender) do 5 with your right foot and 5 with your left foot.

The offsides rule

Offsides is a rule that prevents players from sitting near the other team's goal to receive a pass and score a goal while not having a defender in position to stop the shot.
It only applies in the opponent's half of the field.
There must be 2 defensive players between the offensive player and their goal when a pass from further upfield from the goal is kicked to be received by the offensive player. This is usually the goalie and a defender but if the goalie is upfield, there must be two defenders closer to the goal than the player being passed to.
Once the ball is kicked by a teammate, if they started in an onside position, they can run to the ball and play it even if they beat everyone to the ball and they are then closer to the goal than any of the defenders.
The ball counts as a defender. Thus the reason for taking the ball down near the goal line and passing it back to the middle away from the goalie.
Sometimes a line referee will signal an offside position without seeing if that player is involved in the play. The assistant referee is only supposed to signal the offsides if the player that was in an offside position is involved in the play. If the player that is offsides makes no attempt to play the ball, the offsides should not be called, but it is sometimes.
Being exactly even with the defender is not offsides. However, an arm of head or foot is enough to allow the assistant referee to call an offsides.

Follow up meeting Azzurri u 10 girls

There will be a follow up meeting at the Cooke home at 1216 Highland Dr. Yuba City Calif. on May 15, 2010 from 3-4 p.m. to get better acquainted and to follow up on soccer homework.

Futbolito

The Futbolito Schedule is out. San Jose is 6-19-10. cost $120.00 per 7 man team. Contact coach Cooke if you are interested.

Azzurri under 10 girls team meeting

Coach Cooke is having a team meeting for his new under 10 girls azzurri team at his home on sunday May 2 from 1-4 p.m. Swimming is appropriate for all. All of the family is invited.

Tryouts

Unbder 16 boys tryouts will finish Saturday March 20 beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the Riverbottoms Soccer Complex. Anyone interested in playing for a competitive club should show up with a white T Shirt, proper soccer equipment and water.

Diablo Cup

The Azzurri Eagles, a u-15 boys team, played well in the Diablo Cup. They were defearted by a strong Diablo Team that won the tournament, and by Bay Oaks. They were successful in Sunday's game defeating BocaBoca 2-1. Players that improved substantially over the season include Marco Chavez, Alfredo Hernandez, Skyler Ripley, Jaime Ruiz, and Rafe Smith. Players that continued to work hard and continued their effective leadership through hard work include Milad Rahim, Hector Ramos, Nestor Morales, Frankie Avila, Collin Olmstead, and Thomas Mehler. Strong Goalie play and defensive play was contributed by Victor Alcantar and Jose Mendoza. Skillful play was also provided by Jonathan Trejo, Eduardo Ramirez, David Sherman, Fernando Lopez, Brandon Barriga, and Pedro Valencia.