How To Kick A Soccer Ball

When it comes to know how to kick a soccer ball, there are two things that an expert coach must teach his players ? accuracy and power.

Accuracy

It is a wrong assumption that good placement depends solely on striking a precise part of the ball. The truth is other way around. In fact, the more important thing for the players is to drive their kicking foot in the direction of their target.

The coach must also examine the knee of the players? kicking foot in order to ensure that their ankle is moving straight through the ball without lateral or vertical deviation. Have the players concentrate on its height relative to the floor. The ball must move directly towards the target.

Now, let me give you a specific example. Let me tell you how to produce a low, hard shot. Have the players follow through by moving their entire body forward. Their ankle should not be rising or deviating while driving it through the ball. Do not let them try hard because then the players may end up hopping forward and landing on the kicking foot.

Power

When kicking a soccer ball, power is another important element that can make a huge difference. Do not have the players try to swing harder in order to generate more power. If they do so, they are very much likely to lose control or risk injury.

An expert coach understands that the Power comes from quickness of the execution. Have the players use the elastic quality of the leg muscles. If the players think that way, they will be able to jump much higher. They need to squat and leap rather than leaping up starting from a squatting position.

When they are kicking the ball, they should take the elastic quality of their leg muscles. They should minimize the period of time when their kicking leg is changing direction from retrieval to propulsion.

However, accuracy and power do not come easily. You need to practice that through repetition or without a ball through polymeric exercises. After all, practice makes a man perfect, and if you want to learn How to kick a soccer ball, you must practice the right way.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of how to kick a soccer ball. His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

FIFA WORLD CUP GERMANY 2006... Catch your soccer fever in investing now!

Place your bet not on the ball but outside the field...

Soccer or football is the world's most popular ball game. The 2006 FIFA World Cup is just than less than 2 months away. The World Cup is the world's most popular soccer tournament where the best 32 teams around the world will play each other to win the soccer's most prestige prize, the World Cup!

Traditionally, during major tournaments and games, the main focus is on the tournament itself and World Cup is one of these games. Most people are either concern on which teams have won, lost or draw and the score between the teams. During the World Cup, soccer gambling and betting enjoyed huge followings in globally. Most people will place bets on the game and teams that played. There are also other effects it has on the world. Soccer fans and enthusiasts who are in different time zone will stay overnight to catch a game and some even neglected their jobs. World Cup is also a period where increase in gambling activities and decrease in productivity in most countries.

But the pros far outweigh the cons. Hosting countries will enjoy the prestige of holding the event and also enjoy increased in revenue from hosting the event. The hosting country of World Cup will always enjoyed a short period of economic growth due to increase in number of tourist visiting the country and the revenue from tourism. From statistics, for the period within 3 before and after the event, the hosting country will enjoy a short-term economic growth and has a positive impact on the equity markets. The market condition will be good and hence conducive for investment. The equity markets and consumer staples will outperform the broad markets and the normal period.

Germany's 2005 GDP is US$2.452 trillion up from US$2.362 trillion in 2004. It's average GDP growth is 0.5% in a period of 5 years. On 2 occasions that Germany hosted the World Cup and European Championship in 1974 and 1988, domestic stocks outperform the broad markets in the same periods from April to August. Thus, Germany will be a good place to invest as most of the stocks will perform well from now till August.

Companies who sponsor or directly linked to the event will also enjoy a short-term growth during this time. There are 15 Official Partners of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They are Adidas, Anheuser-Busch, Avaya, Coca-Cola, Continental, Deutsche Telekom, Emirates, Fujifilm, Gillette, Hyundai, MasterCard, McDonald's, Philips, Toshiba and Yahoo!. All these partners not only gained in publicity from sponsoring the events but also enjoy a short period of growth in their stocks. Expect the stocks of these companies to outperform the broad market in these few month periods.

So, it is good to place your bet on the stocks of these companies as they might increase in value during these period. Adidas, Coca-Cola and Fujifilm will be my top 3 picks of stock to outperforms the market in these periods.

Here is my reasoning:

Adidas is the world's 2nd famous sports brand after Nike. More media coverage means more sales for Adidas. The sporting goods sales should rise as the matchs progress. Adidas has enjoy a period of steady growth in its net income from EUR $208 in 2001 to EUR $383. With all the fundamentals in place, Adidas will not doubt perform well in these periods.

Coca-Cola is always present at most major sporting events and World Cup is one of them. More media coverage, means more sales of its soft drink. Furthermore, Coca-Cola always outperforms consistently during major sport evening such as World Cup. The operating income for 2005 is US$6085 Million up from US$5689 Million in 2004. Currently, Coca-Cola is value at above US$40 per lot. It is expected that the stock will enjoy substantial rise in value during these periods.

Fujifilm is in imaging business. It is undergo restructuring in business structure since last year. Though is photo film and related products have declined, its digital solution is quickly gaining popularity. As soccer has huge following around the world, the World Cup with its worldwide media attention is beneficial for digital imaging technology. The reported operating income for FY2006 is 70.6 Billion Yen and it is expected to increase to 80 Billion Yen in FY2007. I foresee the stock will have some gain in value.

But, in soccer there's this saying. "The ball is round. Anything can happen!" Please exercise your investment with caution.

Jason Chew is an aspiring Investor and Entrepreneur. http://www.investyourwaytosuccess.com

Footwork Soccer - Using Sticks

When it comes to improving footwork soccer skills, one very simple yet effective tool is sticks. You can create a great training course with them ? no matter whether you purchase some, use kindling, or use fallen twigs. However, if you are going to use the fallen twigs, make sure they are straight.

Size

Sticks that are 4-5 feet long and 1x1 inch are good enough for the purpose. Lay them down as if they are the rungs of a ladder. Now, being an expert coach, you can have the players do various exercises, such as running, hopping, and ball work.

Various Exercises

You can start with running drills. In this method, have the players step once or twice between each stick. While doing so, the players must change direction at each turn, shuffling sideways between the sticks. You can also have the players run between the sticks lengthwise.

Another thing that you can have the players do is hopping. Have the players hop on one foot or two feet. The players must hop with variations, such as forward, backward, sideways, etc. what is more, they should also alternate feet while doing so.

Ball Practice can also improve footwork effectively. In this method, have the players dribble around the sticks. Ball practice may also include passing the ball through and sprinting after it or passing exercise through the channels between the sticks.

You can also have the players shuffle between the sticks and pushing the ball from the end of one stick to the next stick. However, for this specific exercise, make sure that they position balls at both ends of each stick.

Sticks can also be used to improve the footwork of the goalkeepers. You can have the goalkeeper?s practice catching and saving balls while shuffling through channels or sprinting through them.

Of course, you can explore the various other possibilities, using your imagination. An expert coach will certainly come up with an infinite supply of drills and activities.

In fact, when it comes to using the sticks to practice different exercises to improve the footwork soccer, there are virtually endless possibilities.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of footwork soccer. His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Drills Soccer: Make Complex Things Easier

Coaching drills soccer is probably the most complex coaching assignment in sports. It involves an understanding of specific skills and specific fitness training.

It is the vision, strategic and tactical thinking skills of the coach that make a winning team. What is more, the coach needs to use variation in his / her methods depending upon age groups and gender being coached.

Coaching Drills Soccer

The expert coach is always fully prepared before the practice session starts. When it comes to coaching soccer, discipline matters much. Therefore, make sure that you are ready with all the equipments you need.

Moreover, since a coach also needs psychological skills to deal with all aspects of individual and team mental preparations, it is very important to have the practice grids ready before the team arrives.

The coach must stand in a position where all the players can hear him. Again, he must be brief in explaining the objective of the drill and key coaching points.

For a 15-20 minute drill, the coach must not take more than 3 minutes with explanations and demonstrations. Always remember that it is not the quantity that matters, but the quality.

However, you must make sure that all the players have understood the things he explained. Ask them if everything is clear to them. If not, clarify the same.

Once, you have explained the objective of the drill and key coaching points; you should stand outside of the drill area, not in the middle. Keep a close watch on the activities of the players, observe them and see if they can solve any issues by themselves.

If there is something you need to correct, you should stop the drill and demonstrate the step to correct the mistake. Psychology plays an important role in coaching soccer.

Therefore, do not forget to praise players for correcting it. Now, once you find perfection in the players, increase the complexity to keep players challenged.

When it comes to coaching drills soccer, it is not the coach who should be sweating and be tired, but the players.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of drills soccer.
His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,
resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Drills For Soccer - Speed Dribbling

Dribble around cone & pass relay race is one of the best ways to teach the players regarding drills for soccer. Speed dribbling i.e. running with the ball, turning, passing and receiving at game-speed while under pressure is very important.

This method teaches the players all of these things, such as speed dribbling, passing, receiving, turning, and kicking a ball while running and under pressure. Furthermore, it also teaches the receivers to move to the ball.

Easy Set-up

The set-up is very easy. To start with, the coach should divide the players into teams with two players per team. However, this is no hard and fast rule.

If one of the teams has an extra player, or a parent also want to play, it should be allowed. In this method, there is a turning cone, which is placed about 6 to 15 steps from the starting cone.

The players have to race around the same and the dribbler can pass to the waiting teammate as soon as he goes around the turning cone. There should be a point system, such as one point for each completed pass.

Teaching the Passers

The passer learns how to kick the ball while running and under pressure or how to pass quickly after having made a turn. One important thing is that the method teaches the passer that he / she should quickly move after making a pass and not stand still.

Teaching The Receivers

One common mistake that the young players make is that they wait for the ball to come to them, instead of going to the ball. This method helps the receivers learn that they should not wait for the ball to come straight to their feet.

Instead, they must anticipate the pass, be alert and move to the ball. Coaches can also teach the receivers to come to slow or short passes so they get to the ball quickly.

This method is simple but carries valuable advantages. The method really works and the best thing with this method is that it is self-teaching. The set-up for these drills for soccer method is very easy and you will certainly see fast results.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of drills for soccer.
His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,
resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Coaching Soccer Drills: Dribble for Lots of Activities

When it comes to coaching soccer drills, there is variety of fun, yet effective ways to teach the players about the same.

These methods will not only improve the practice attendance but your team will also play better and win more games. One of such methods is dribbling across a square.

Dribble Across A Square (U-6 and Up)

This is the best way to teach dribbling and how to use the bottom of the foot, the inside & outside of the foot to stop the ball, and turn. This is something that the U6-coaches must read and learn about.

This method will effectively teach the players how to dribble in traffic. As per this method, first, make the square 5 or 6 adult steps wide. Now tell the players just to dribble across and stop. Do not let them turn and dribble back.

The moment they have all dribbled across, have them all face inward and dribble back across to the opposite side and stop. You need to consignee this approach for at least 6 to 8 times.

Each trip includes dribbling across and stopping each time until they have crossed the square. One important thing that the coaches must note is that the players have to focus on their own ball only. They should not try to kick anyone else's ball.

Furthermore, the coaches should not teach turns at this stage. They do not even need to keep scores. You just have to encourage the players and let them have fun.

The best thing with this method is that the set-up is easy and everyone has a ball. This way, it can be a great warm-up. Teaching the players about dribbling through cones is good but dribble across a square is a much better method to teach and evaluate dribbling skills of the players.

Coaching soccer drills like this does not only help the players? brain learn to process a lot of activity, but it also helps them learn how to use peripheral vision, and to make correct, instinctive decisions and maintain composure when under pressure and in heavy traffic.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of coaching soccer drills.
His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,
resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

Coaching High School Soccer - Some Quick Tips

Coaching high school soccer is something that can make a huge difference for winning or losing soccer games.

The strategies regarding the soccer formations, styles of play, soccer defence, the speed of play and free kicks are some of the most important elements that can give the high school soccer players a winning edge over the other team.

Playing With Much Slower Or Weaker Team

It is very important for the coach and players to keep in mind that playing with a much slower and weaker team can slow down the team?s play. An expert coach understands that this is a potential problem for coaching soccer at high school level.

Actually, when you play against a much weaker or slower team, your team will dribble more or play more slowly. This can work as a disaster because when you get to play a good team, it is obvious that your team will take ten to twenty minutes to adjust back to the faster game speed.

This will give enough time to your opponent team to take control of the game. Always remember that even a single goal deficit against a tough opponent will not be an easy cake to overcome.

Therefore, a good approach is to consider playing your substitutes or second team against a weaker or slower team.

Weight And Speed Training

Weight and speed training is another factor that most of the soccer teams overlook at the high school level. A good coach knows that in order to make a winning team, it is not just the impressive skills, good instincts and field vision that the player needs to work on, but his strength and speed. High school soccer players must spend a significant amount of time on weight and speed training.

Using A Sweeper Is Often Better Than A Flat Back 3 Or 4

In high school soccer game, when the Flat Backs know that they have a Sweeper backing them up, it allows them to play more aggressively and to mark closer and take chances to win 50/50 balls.

Overall, when it comes to coaching high school soccer, you must understand that at higher levels, skills of the players are more or less similar, but what makes the big difference is which team is faster and stronger.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of coaching high school soccer.
His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles,
resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Win Draw Loss Method

How To Improve Your Soccer Bets is a series of articles that describe some well known and well used statistical techniques that will help the soccer punter make more informed bets. Each of the techniques has its own advantages and disadvantages and using them in isolation will improve your chances of winning. However, together they will prove invaluable in your battle with the bookies. In each article we will describe in detail how a particular method works giving you enough information for you to go ahead and create your own forecasts. We will also give you information as to where you can already find websites that use this technique in comprising their weekly forecasts.

The statistical methods described in this set of articles will help you to arrive at a better decision about the match, or matches, that you are betting on.

In this article we will be describing the well known Win Draw Loss method.

Here are the basic rules?

The Win, Draw, Loss method is very simple and takes into account the proportion of past wins, draws, and losses over a specified period of time. By calculating the number of wins, draws and losses for both the home and away sides and then combining them it is possible to produce a statistical probability of the possible outcome of the game.

Here is how a typical calculation is made?

1. For a specified period of time the number of wins, losses, and draws are counted for each side. This could be for a whole season or you may wish to have a rolling time period, say the last six months for example. 2. The percentage probabilities for home wins, draws, and away wins are then made. For example, the home win percentage is calculated as follows:

(( HW + AL) * 100) / total number of matches

Where,

HW = number of home wins by home team

AL = number of away losses by away team Once you have a percentage probability for each outcome a decision can be made on the most likely outcome.

Let?s look at a simple example of how you could apply this?

First of all you would collect the data for a specified period of time and for each of the three possible outcomes, i.e.

HW = number of home wins for home team
HD = number of draws for home team
HL = number of home losses for home team
AW = number of away wins for away team
AD = number of draws for away team
AL = number of away losses for away team

TOTALGAMES = HW + HD + HL + AW + AD + AL

HOMEWIN = ((HW + AL)*100)/TOTALGAMES
DRAW = ((HD+AD)*100)/TOTALGAMES
AWAYWIN = ((HL + AW)*100)/TOTALGAMES

This gives you a percentage probability for each of the three possible outcomes.

Now let?s extend this to provide 1, X, 2, 1X, and X2 predictions?

To do this we can employ a simple voting system, here is how it works:

First we set three thresholds;

DRAWTHRESHOLD = 35%

AWAYTHRESHOLD = 45%

HOMETHRESHOLD = 55%

Then we initialise our voting counts for each method;

DRAWP = 0

HOMEP = 0

AWAYP = 0

Now we compare each of the calculated probabilities against our thresholds to arrive at a vote count for each outcome;

IF DRAW > DRAWTHRESHOLD THEN

DRAWP = DRAWP + 3

ELSE

HOMEP = HOMEP + 1

AWAYP = AWAYP + 1

END IF

IF AWAYWIN > AWAYTHRESHOLD THEN

AWAYP = AWAYP + 3

ELSE

HOMEP = HOMEP + 1

DRAWP = DRAWP + 1

>

END IF

IF HOMEWIN > HOMETHRESHOLD THEN

HOMEP = HOMEP + 3

ELSE

DRAWP = DRAWP + 1

AWAYP = AWAYP + 1

END IF

This means we now have a total vote count for each of the three possible outcomes. Next we can deduce our final 1, X, 2, 1X, and X2 predictions based on the voting as follows;

IF HOMEP > AWAYP AND HOMEP > DRAWP THEN

PREDICTION = ?1?

ELSEIF AWAYP > HOMEP AND AWAYP > DRAWP THEN

PREDICTION = ?2?

ELSEIF DRAWP > HOMEP AND DRAWP > AWAYP THEN

PREDICTION = ?3?

ELSEIF HOMEP = DRAWP AND HOMEP > AWAYP THEN

PREDICTION = ?1X?

ELSEIF AWAYP = DRAWP AND AWAYP > HOMEP THEN

PREDICTION = ?X2?

ELSEIF HOMEP = DRAWP AND HOMEP = AWAYP THEN

PREDICTION = ?X?

Now it?s your turn?

Of course you may choose to use different values to those shown above and by experimenting you may come up with better values to use. So, you could create better threshold values and decide to collect data over any period of time you like. Experimenting with threshold values and durations will let you home in on the best settings for you.

Here is a list of all the articles in this series?

How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Rateform Method
How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Footyforecast Method
How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Win Draw Loss Method
How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Simple Sequence Method
How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Score Prediction Method
How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Superiority Method

Malcolm Nossiter is the owner of http://www.1x2monster.com and http://www.footyforecast.com. He has been providing hundreds of 1X2 tips every week since 1999.