Freestyle Soccer Tricks Astound and Amaze

The soccer ball is no longer just used for the sport of the same name. Now, thousands of people across the globe are currently showing off some incredibly skilled moves in a sport known as freestyle sport. While not a sport in the general sense (there are no teams and often no winner), freestyle soccer instead showcases complex and innovative tricks that are eye candy for anyone watching. Whether their bouncing a soccer ball off the back of their necks or jumping rope while sending a soccer ball flying into the air with only their head, practitioners of this growing sport trend are continuing to break new grounds and astound fans and spectators with some really amazing tricks.

There are many different types of freestylers who are perfecting soccer tricks year round. Most of these types tend to focus on one area of the body, or perhaps a certain shtick that makes a trick unique and memorable. For example, one freestyler may focus on soccer tricks that pertain to the lower body, while another may focus on upper body tricks. To get even more specific, there are those that make only practice and invent tricks that involve the head, or the foot, or even the neck. If the body part isn't enough for one person to focus on, they make try jumping rope while bouncing a ball or riding a bike, perhaps. Freestyle soccer tricks are really only bound by a person's imagination.

There are two main types of freestyle soccer tricks: the air tricks and the stall tricks. The basic principles are used in both, to make sure the ball doesn't hit the ground while at the same time keeping it moving continuously. It's a difficult task, but once achieved, it can be one of the coolest things to watch. The difference between these two types of tricks is in how these basic principles are achieved. In air tricks, the soccer ball is bounced off the body and oftentimes it gets some great air. The thing is, the ball is mostly in the air, which is not the case in stall tricks. Stall tricks involve keeping the soccer ball moving, but on the body rather than on the air. For example, one freestyler may hit the soccer ball in the air, catch it on the back of his neck, and move his neck in such a way where the soccer ball will sit there, rolling, and never falling to the ground until the trick is over.

As you can see, there is a lot of skill needed to perform freestyle soccer tricks. It takes a lot of practice and familiarity with the ball itself. One needs to feel comfortable with the soccer ball in order to get it to do what one wants. Without getting anymore Zen-like, I'll just mention that freestyle soccer tricks can be some of the most creative ways to use a sports ball, and one can only wonder how the sport will continue to grow and evolve in the future.

For more information about soccer tricks, you can visit Stanley's website at http://devzone.info/soccer.

The Coaching Ball Revolutionize the Way Kids Learn to Kick a Soccer Ball

Now there is a soccer ball that will guarantee that you will strike a soccer ball low and on target and that will show you where to kick a soccer ball to swerve it or loft it. The Coaching Ball IS soccer's new training revolution! The Coaching Ball is the soccer ball to improve YOUR technique. Youth Soccer will benefit from the strong training experience that the Coaching Ball provides.

The Coaching Ball guarantees to:

? Help soccer players improve their passing and shooting.
? Ideal for all ages.
? Helps improve accuracy.
? Simple to use.

Dual use as it can be used as a regular soccer ball as well.

The coaching ball is the latest and most effective training aid for soccer players of all ages. Prepare for the next tournament or season with the latest soccer training aid with the Coaching Ball. Developed by a fully qualified British coach, the Coaching Ball helps soccer players to visualize where to make contact with the ball. Used by professional coaches, PE teachers, grass roots soccer clubs, soccer academies and parents and grandparents across Europe, the simple patented design allows immediate results to be seen.

Improve Soccer Skills

Developed by a fully qualified British coach, the Coaching Ball helps soccer players to visualize where to make contact with the soccer ball. This simple but highly effective technique lays a solid foundation that gives all children an equal chance of realizing their soccer potential. The "Coaching Ball" has been developed to give budding soccer stars a head start. A unique product, the Coaching Ball enables young soccer players to sharpen their skills from the moment they can walk!

The Coaching Ball is made with a new 2 tone advanced hi-tech PU outer layer with a 4 layer backing (65% Polyester and 35% cotton). The bladder is made of latex with a butyl valve. It is hand sewn in a child labor free environment. The Coaching Ball has brightly colored patches (2 component durable ink printed) labeled with simple directions, such as "Strike", "Loft", and "Swerve". The ball is placed on the floor and the relevant panel kicked according to the shot you require.

The Designer explains

The colored patches allow learners to identify the exact area of the football to strike in order to make the desired pass and is ideal for even the very young beginner".

With pressure on parents to provide expensive training for their future soccer stars, the Coaching Ball is an inexpensive and effective tool to encourage children to develop their soccer ability. The Coaching Ball is proving successful with professional clubs, with Premiership clubs undertaking field trials of the ball.

Why wait? Give your young soccer player the competitive advantage he or she deserves. The Coaching ball is a perfect gift for soccer players of all ages!

How to use the Coaching Ball:

1. Place the ball onto the ground (valve at the top)

2. Ensure you can see all of the panels.

3. Kick the ball on the correct zone for the pass you wish to achieve.

4. It's as simple as that!

Applications

You don?t need to be a professional coach to achieve immediate results.

? Strike
-The Drilled Pass
- Direct passes
- Shooting

- Penalty kicks
- Swerve

( Can be used with the inside and outside of the foot)

- Passing Corners

- Free Kicks

- Passing around obstacles

* Loft

- Passing

- Goal Kicks

- Defensive clearances

- Chipping the ball

M. Burbank is the co-owner of www.thecoachingball.com and www.supergoalie.com. The coaching ball is a revolutionary new training aid for soccer players.

Training to Prevent ACL Injuries in Soccer

Soccer is enjoyed both competitively and recreationally by all ages. Participation in any sport however can potentially lead to injury. Injury to the ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament, is a common injury to those participating in soccer. Rehabilitation and treatment following an ACL injury is costly and will most likely result in significant loss in playing time for the athlete. Injury or rupture of the ACL can occur during contact or non-contact situations such as running and jumping. During running, injury most often occurs with quick directional changes, rapid decelerations and torsional or rotational movements. The landing phase of jumping with varus (outward) and valgus (inward) stresses at the knee accompanied by rotation also stress the ACL and can possibly result in injury. In an effort to decrease the incidence of ACL injuries, a preventative training program should include neuromuscular training. Traditional lower extremity strengthening programs have utilized machines to exercise the quads and hamstrings. These programs do little to improve dynamic strength and stability which are very important in knee joint control on the soccer field. Neuromuscular training involves challenging the proprioceptive system via various balance and stability activities. Through neuromuscular training, dynamic joint stability can be improved and hopefully decrease injury.

Neuromuscular control or stability relies upon the proprioceptive system. This system consists of proprioceptors or sensory receptors within the ACL and the other soft tissue structures within and around the knee joint. These receptors are located throughout or body and provide our brain with information of position sense and joint stresses so that our muscles may respond appropriately and protect our bodies from injury. A neuromuscular training program typically consists of balance exercises on the involved limb, dynamic joint stability exercises, plyometric exercises, agility drills and sports specific exercises. Balance training may include double or single leg stance on flat surfaces, a wobble board or even a trampoline. Dynamic joint stability training involves controlled balance movements such as lunges, balanced reaching activities with the upper or lower extremities, step-up and step-down exercises, squatting with or without weights on different surfaces and single leg squats. Plyometric or jump training involves quick and powerful movement involving pre-stretching of the muscle to produce a stronger muscular contraction. An example of a plyometric activity would involve jumping off of a box and then exploding up and over another obstacle. These exercises help to facilitate quick directional changes and control in landing and jumping activities. Jumping exercises using plyometric training might include two and one legged jumping on a trampoline, 180? turning jumps and vertical jumps.

Sports specific skills training activities include running, lateral running, backward running, shuttle runs and agility drills. Agility activities may include figure 8 running, quick directional changes which are not preplanned but rather directed by a coach or trainer, passing, kicking and throwing activities.

The training program should include enough exercise to induce muscular fatigue for the athlete and train the appropriate muscular responses. Proprioceptive deterioration can increase with muscle fatigue; therefore the training program needs to include enough repetitions to create some fatigue in the athlete. The training should also be performed throughout the ROM of the joint to stimulate and train different receptors at different angles of joint motion.

Beth Bartels is a Physical Therapist at Excel Physical Therapy in Nebraska. You can learn more about this topic and others by signing up for the FREE newsletter at www.excelpt.com