Soccer Game

Soccer Moms Gone Wild: When Parents Need To Be Refereed At Youth Sports Games

The news of parents losing control at youth sporting events seems to never end. In Bethesda, Md., officials of a soccer league have banished all the parents from one team from the sidelines of the first two games. The reason? Some parents apparently harassed a referee over a call at a match between 13-year-old girls last season. The parents have to watch – some with binoculars — from no closer than 100 yards away.

As a youth soccer coach in San Francisco for the past seven years, I have seen and heard about some scary behavior from parent spectators. Once when I was refereeing a match between six-year-olds, a mom from the other team ignored my repeated requests for her to stay off the field per league rules. She kept following around her little tyke, and afterwards, she and her husband confronted me angrily about “being so serious” at a kids’ game. I chose not to engage, but the encounter left me rattled because it easily could have led to an ugly shouting match, and quite possibly violence.

Indeed, I got off easier than another parent ref in our league. A dad flew off the sidelines to attack him when the ref put his hand on the shoulder of the man’s son to make a point during a game between second-graders. The dad was banned from attending his son’s games for the rest of the season, and the incident helped prompt a crackdown by the youth soccer league against aggressive parental behavior. As part of the league’s efforts, parents were required to attend special group seminars on how to behave at their kids’ games.

“After yet another season of parents and or coaches suspended or expelled for alleged assault, dogs, alcohol, profane and threatening behavior, it’s clear we need to do something,” the youth soccer league’s director wrote in an email announcing that henceforth all parents would have to attend behavioral seminars. “When I have field marshals who are in tears (again) because parents are bullying them – we need to do something.”

I will say the vast majority of parents behave like adults should. They mostly cheer when appropriate, applaud politely when an opposing player has to leave the field because of an injury and generally leave the coaches and referees alone. The more prevalent problem, in my experience, is parents who coach their own children too much from the sidelines, or fail to follow team rules like showing up to games on time.

But one rogue parent can spoil a whole afternoon. Jugglers, have you witnessed any bad adult behavior at kids’ games? How should youth sporting leagues crack down on out-of-control parents? Should all parents on a team be punished – not just the one causing a problem?

By Jim Carlton.

Live Soccer TV Links

Who Invented Soccer? The Far-Reaching Roots of Soccer

"Who invented soccer?" this is the famous question most people asked about the famous sport. As we all know, Soccer is widely believed to be one of the most popular game in the world. Many people wonder who invented soccer and how the game came into being.

Many cultures and nationalities claim the game as their own invention, but there are few definite claim that decides who is right.

People in ancient China was so unsure of recognizing the game soccer or football as their own invention even though early history traced back that soccer game is familiar to a game called cuju in China. The ancient Romans and Greeks also had a game similar to soccer or football as well as people in Medieval Europe. In ancient soccer like game, pig bladders were engaged as the ball and puffed up and leather from animal skins was fed with old rags and straw to look like a spherical shape that could be manipulated around with the feet.

The modern roots of soccer as we know today can be traced back to mid 1860's in England. It became popular because schools started competing with each other. However, during those times, there are slight problems due to lack of universal rules to follow.

It was then in 1963 that Football Association (FA) formed to establish one set of rules so each teams could have a fair game.

Today, there are many soccer teams around the world having a lot of famous soccer players which form a long legacy in the history of soccer.


By John Escribar

Soccer Ball, Free Soccer Drills for players of all ages.

The goal of soccer training is improved performance, injury prevention, soccer skills and tactics. Improved performance should never come at the cost of an injured player. Goal #1 is injury prevention in a soccer conditioning program. Goal #2 is to improve performance.



You will learn beginner and advanced soccer techniques and tactics. Coaches will learn about formations, tactics and overall player and team development for soccer.



You will learn how to kick a soccer ball, how to pass a soccer ball and how to shoot and control a ball. Your individual skills will improve by following the drills on this site.

How to Play Soccer

When you are coaching and teaching players how to play soccer, having an understanding of "the Principles of the Game" is essential knowledge that will help your players adapt to any situation. Whilst not commonly taught or described in coaching manuals, The Principles of the Game are the very foundation of playing soccer. These principles

1. Have remained the same for as long as the game has existed, even though we may not have know it at the time.
2. Apply to the game regardless of different systems of play and the different formations played by teams
3. Will withstand the evolution of the game
4. Will always apply regardless of whether your team, or the opposition team plays a 4-4-2 system or a 3-5-2 system or a 4-3-3 system.

In fact the principles of play are vital in coaching because understanding them will make it far easier to deal with and exploit variations in formations and systems of play that you will encounter from opposition teams.

Getting players to an acceptable technical or skill level is a mandatory part of coaching, but understanding these principles will help you get the most out of your skilled players.

The principles of play are divided into 2 categories

Attacking Principles

The attacking principles apply when our team has the ball is looking to:

1. Keep possession of the ball
2. Move the ball forward into an attacking position
3. Create chances to score a goal

Defending Principles

Conversely, the defending principles apply when the opposition has the ball, and our team needs to:

1. Prevent the opposition from creating a chance to score a goal
2. Limit the opportunities for the opposition to get into attacking positions
3. Regain possession

Attacking Principles of Play Basics

When your team has the ball, the Attacking Principles apply, regardless of the position that the ball is on the field. The five principles of that govern play when you are attacking are:

1. Penetration
2. Depth
3. Width
4. Mobility
5. Improvisation

Defending Principles of Play Basics

Conversely, when the opposition has the ball, the Defending Principles apply, again,regardless of the position that the ball is on the field. The five principles of that govern play when you are defending:

1. Delay
2. Depth
3. Balance
4. Concentration
5. Control/Restraint

This article has covered the basic concepts of the Principles of Play, and I believe that it is essential to understand these principles when teaching players how to play soccer, and when coached correctly will equip players with all of the required knowledge to combat any side that you come up against.

Nigel Reed has been involved in soccer during the 60's, 70's and 80's as a player and has been coaching youth soccer in Australia since 2000. Learn more on How to play soccer and take advantage of the Free Soccer Drills on Nigels website Good luck with your coaching, unless you play my team of course and remember Practice Makes Permanent

© 2009 Coaching-Youth-Soccer-For-Success

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nigel_Reed

History of Soccer

Almost 150 have passed since soccer was officially born in a Tavern in London, under the pens of several clubs that formed the Football Association and wrote up the Laws of the Game. In such a short time, soccer went on from a local phenomenon around England, to an international game that is watched and loved by close to 3 billion people worldwide.


Soccer sparked countless of legendary stories throughout its existence and I'll try to take you on a historical cruise over this section of the website, where I'll cover the roots and evolution of several aspects of the game.

-----------------------------------------------------------
The History of Soccer

We're living in a World where soccer is an international frenzy and to many, even a religion. The fact that a church was formed in the name of Diego Armando Maradona, the Argentinean legendary striker, proves me right. It's hard to imagine the World without soccer, but *gasp* this world once existed. Follow me through the article below, and I'll tell you how soccer was born and how it evolved throughout history.

----------------------------------------------------------
The History of Soccer – Ancient Times

It's hard to say who invented soccer and there are several opinions regarding this subject. Sure, the country that invented modern soccer as it is known today is England, but historical references attest that diverse forms of soccer were around for ages.
For example, a military document found in China attested a game called Cuju, played around the second century B.C. It wasn't soccer per se, but it did involve kicking a leather ball through a small hole in a piece of silk cloth strung between two high poles.


It definitely wasn't an easy game to play! Just consider how many of today's strikers have problems missing a 7 meter wide goal, let alone put a rugged leather ball through a small hole.


Other Asian countries show us that the history of the game of soccer was probably born in this area. But the pleasure of kicking a ball with some sort of purpose wasn't necessarily solely Asian.


Mesoamerican civilizations also devised a game played with rubber balls, which resembled a combination between soccer, basketball and volleyball. The game involved two teams, playing in a sort of basin dug below ground level, with baskets strapped in several locations on the side walls. The teams would then have to kick the ball towards these baskets, and score a goal.


Obviously, kicking a ball through a ring somewhere up on the wall is hard enough as it is, but considering the fact that they were playing with a rubber ball, which is harder to control, gives us a perspective on why central and south Americans are so skilled at modern day soccer.


Ancient Greeks and Romans also had their own versions of the game, or they imported the ones coming from Asia. One game, called Pheninda was a combination between soccer and rugby, which was popular amongst the ranks of the Imperial armies.

----------------------------------------------------------
The History of Soccer – Middle Ages

As we go forward on the history of soccer timeline, we notice that the game has gradually entered European territory, Europe being the place where modern day soccer will start in several centuries. Middle age soccer is covered in a combination of myth and historical facts. One popular form of the game (Mob soccer) involved entire villages or towns and was rather chaotic.

The teams could have unlimited players, as long as they were from the same village or town. Both teams had to kick the ball towards specific landmarks, and defend their own.


To add more chaos, the ball was made out of inflated pigs' bladders, or leather skins stuffed with all sorts of materials.


Picture two masses of people running towards a poor pig bladder ball, kicking, stomping, punching and pushing each other in the attempt to kick the object to some area...


In medieval France, a game called "La Choule" was usually played in town gatherings, such as just after Sunday church, or on special occasions or holidays.

The game itself looked like a combination of soccer, handball, hockey, baseball and kickboxing, since the players of each team had to strike the ball into the opponent's goal, using whatever means necessary and whatever accessories necessary.


For example, one record shows that players were allowed to use sticks or clubs to hit the ball around, although it wasn't always the ball that got hit.


The game was violent in nature and I assume there were plenty occasions where the after-church Choule match ended up with another trip to the church to confess some violent sins.


In England, the game was surrounded by an aura of violence and was considered a dangerous and sinful game. As such, it was banned in 1314 by Nicholas de Farndone, the Mayor of London.


The motive of the ban, as read from de Farndone's decree, is that the game causes "great noise in the city, caused by hustling over large foot balls" of the public "from which many evils might arise". That is also the first reference to the game as "football".

Despite this ban, soccer became to grow in medieval England and it was not long that it was introduced in English public schools in order to keep young boys fit.


The game started becoming slightly more organized, with well defined teams, positions, referees and coaches (deemed "training masters" in early records).


Still, rules would differ from school to school, but the essence was still there.


The examples above come from very clear historical references, but like I said, there's also a great deal of myth surrounding the history of soccer during that period. One legend says that soccer was actually born at public executions, where the henchman would deprive a poor soul of his head, then toss it into the crowd where the masses would kick it with anger.


Although the barbaric nature of this "game" would fit the mentality of the time, there's no proof that this kind of events actually sparked what will soon become organized soccer.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The History of Soccer – Birth of the Modern Game
Since soccer was growing strong in English public schools, the idea of having an organized tournament sparked in the 19th century.


At the beginning of the century, soccer matches between schools were played on a regular basis, but since not every school had the same rules, it was hard to find common grounds for larger tournaments. Soccer also spread beyond the school yard and institutions, factories and other organizations started creating their own teams.


In 1862, a solicitor by the name of Cobb Morley, formed a semi-professional soccer club in Barnes, called the Barnes Club. Seeing that the game needs more organization if it were to be played properly, he suggested creating a governing body for soccer in a local newspaper and the idea grew roots.


On 26 October, 1863, his idea was put to practice, as the founding members of several soccer clubs around London met in the Freemasons' Tavern in the English Capital, setting the base for the future organization, who was deemed "Football Association".


Cobb Morley is rightfully considered the father of soccer, but that's not just because he was the one to spark the idea of the Football Association. He also drew up the Laws of the Game, probably the most important document in the history of soccer, since it held all the official rules around which the game would be played.


Cobb Morley's rules were accepted by the Football Association on the 8th of December, 1863 and have since stood as the game's constitution, although they were slightly modified throughout time to meet the needs of modern soccer.

-------------------------------------------------------
The History of Soccer – Engulfing Earth
It only took around 3 decades after the first official rules of soccer were laid down by Cobb Morley and the English Football Association and the game was already wide spread throughout Europe, Australia and the Americas.
The first national teams were formed at the brink of the 20th century and national leagues were popping up all over the World.


By the 1930s, many of the European and American nations were already part of an international soccer governing body called FIFA (Federation of International Football Associations).


Although not everyone joined FIFA as soon as it was formed, throughout time, countries started seeing the benefits of an international governing body for soccer and got in.


Despite its romantic advance in the 19th century, we're currently living the best days in the history of soccer. Today, soccer is truly an international sport and it's statistically proven to be the most popular game in the World, being enjoyed by almost 3 billion people world wide, on all continents.


The World Cup, a tournament organized by FIFA every four years, is considered one of the most important international tournaments, together with the Olympics.


Not all countries will participate in a World Cup though, as reaching the final stages of the tournament requires going through a tough qualification process that each continent organizes separately.

Soccer Mom

With E. Kinney Zalesne

The soccer mom is in decline.

Married, middle-class but working suburban moms whose primary concern is how to enrich their children while they are away at work are declining in numbers, in influence and even as a key swing vote.

New preliminary 2008 census figures show that the percentage of households with their own kids under 18 has hit a record low of 30.7%. This is in sharp contrast to the situation in 1960, when nearly a majority (48.9%) of households had such children.

This is indicative not just of a decline in soccer moms, but in kids and population growth in general. Women are marrying later, developing their careers more, and having fewer children. And surprisingly, among those households with kids, there is a countertrend of more moms opting to become full-time moms, a trend that is also likely accelerated by the severe recession and job losses in the economy. In 1994, only 19.8% of married-couple families with children younger than 15 had a stay-at-home mom; last year that figure was almost 24%.

Microtrends

Forget about huge, sweeping megaforces. The biggest trends today are micro: small, under-the-radar patterns of behavior which take on real power when propelled by modern communications and an increasingly independent-minded population. In the U.S., one percent of the nation, or three million people, can create new markets for a business, spark a social movement, or produce political change. This column is about identifying these important new niches, and acting on that knowledge.

A household with kids and a working mom not only isn't the norm today, it isn't even close to the norm. Two-thirds of all households have no children in them at all – but most of those households now have something else – the internet – as the new force that can bring them together around their interests and needs.

Moreover, many of the trappings of the soccer-mom way of life are giving way to a new urbanism that was long predicted but had never before materialized. Suburban and exurban growth itself has slowed to a crawl and instead the new areas of growth are in our cities. More people are looking to walk to work and shopping, giving up the idea of the house and the lawn and instead opting for the maintenance-free lifestyle of condos. Cities with over a million people (outside of New Orleans) have been growing now at a rate of twice their previous growth rate. Minivans hit their high watermark in 2000, selling 1.3 million while sales have dropped down to 441,156 as of October 1, 2009. They have been replaced by SUVs, new crossovers, and a resurgence in just plain old cars. Even the surge in kids' soccer has peaked, with growth slowing to a trickle.

And on TV fewer top-rated shows are about family life, as more and more focus on crime. Cop shows – a window into gritty urban life – dominate the top 10 list with four out of 10 in the week of September 21, 2009. ABC's new comedy "Modern Family" – a mockumentary of new family life –didn't make it to the top 10.

In the 1990s, policy makers turned their attention to keeping kids safe and occupied after school, and they are still hard at work on some of those problems – looking at the nutritional value of snacks, for instance, or President Obama moving to ensure every child healthcare coverage. But the new, smaller policies getting more attention today are in a different vein – distracted driving, privacy, hybrid car and taxi legislation, and universal broadband. More and more policies focus on our own everyday lives instead of the lives of our children.

Of course, the commercial and housing implications of these changes are enormous. More households with fewer rooms will become the norm – and in upscale homes, more emphasis on the kitchen, the home office, and exercise areas. Fast food companies will have to become even more aggressive in growing new customer groups alongside families with kids. One financial publication this week featured the new empty nester "baby boomer consumer" in a cover story as the latest trend worth a marketer's time.

But these demographic changes are not about economics, except at the margins. They are essentially about people's basic lifestyle choices. We are going from everything being based around our kids to everything being based around education, work and the emerging new adult lifestyles. People in Europe -- and increasingly here in the U.S. -- are choosing more often than not to get married, not to have kids and to live a life that is more about, well, themselves.

Life expectancy has also played a major role in the shift – when it was 46 years in 1900, most people lived their whole lives as part of a family – going from growing up in one to having one rather quickly. Today a child born here may live to 100 – with less than half of his or her life spent as part of a nuclear family. Even if birth rates were booming again, households with kids would still shrink as a function of the total population, just because of increased life expectancy.

As a result, soccer moms as the leaders of a new lifestyle are being supplanted by new groups at both ends of the age spectrum. Among youth, the growth of ethnic groups has been much as demographers predicted: new Latino and other communities are quickly taking root and creating far greater diversity than ever before. Seniors are living second lives of renewed consumerism. And in the last election, it was moderate upscale men who were a key swing vote for Obama. Each of these are candidates to become the new group defining our culture – the next "Soccer Mom."

So when you look at the numbers, the heyday of the Soccer Mom is passing. They will continue to exert a measurable influence, but in a world of evolving microtrends, they are on the decline. And on the rise are single, urban workaholics, Internet-junkie empty nesters, and new immigrants taking root.

Hot Soccer moms

It's always exciting to watch live football games and be treated to breathtaking moves as well as hot soccer mom. Everyone loves the contact sport. Children, teenagers, and adults are hooked to world class football. Even gender is not an issue when it comes to soccer as men and women crave for the sport. Women in particular are fascinated by the athletic looking individuals playing on the field and bringing out all the skills they have. Let's face it, these handsome players most of the time win the affection and attraction of the beautiful and charming girls. But the story does not end there.

Pretty and amiable mothers also love to watch thrilling matches. Most of the time, they go out with their little kids. At times they get so focused on the game and their kids that they do not notice the male fans staring at them. These mothers who hunger for soccer are hot items in the venue as they usually wear sexy and tight clothes. It's always a satisfying thing to see beautiful and attractive mothers during a soccer game.

The World Cup as well as the major football leagues throughout the world takes pride in its festive atmosphere and huge audience attendance. It is interesting to note that through the years the attendance of women in a match has considerably increased. This can be mainly attributed to the fact that women's football is already getting more popular than in the past years thus their interest in the sport has increased much. As a consequence, even young girls are already drawn to the game. They conquer the various game venues with their hot soccer mom.

Finger Soccer

Think soccer is too tiring? Or maybe you just don’t want your kids play outdoor? Well, worry no more. You and your kids can now play soccer indoors with just two fingers. Unbelievable? This latest craze is called finger soccer, wherein you just let your fingers do the kicking on the right while holding a bottle of chilled beer on the other. This is indeed a perfect bonding activity for families and buddies alike. So how is it played? It is very simple, just like the actual game. There is an actual soccer game board and each player would have their own pair of minute “soccer shoes”. Soccer balls and goals are also part of the set upon purchase of the finger soccer game. Some may even have scoreboards, cones and stickers that would serve as uniforms/home colors for each team.

Feed your cravings any time of the day, any weather of the year with this Finger Soccer game at the convenience of your own home.

Soccer Techniques

Soccer Techniques

When we speak of speed, we are referring to the time required to execute a technique or a skill. But don’t be fooled, speed alone is no guarantee of success in soccer.In modern soccer, speed is of paramount importance. Back in the days, several top teams carried one or two slow moving players whose selection was justified by their outstanding ball skills. Such a luxury could not be tolerated in today’s game. There is so little time to work the ball, so little space in which to control it, that no successful team can afford any slow movers.

Speed Of Movement.
Many athletes, especially track sprinters, are able to run very fast along a set course or a straight line. But this is only half the requirement. How many of these sprinters are able to stop suddenly, take off again or even change direction? These are the basic requirements of a soccer match.
Many people claim that a player is born either fast or slow and cannot be made into a speedster if he does not possess the natural genetics. To some extent this is true, but with the right training, speed can definitely be improved. So how do we improve our speed? How do we go about getting match sharpness?

Sprint Workout.
Place 6 cones on the ground spaced 5 metres apart. Starting from the first cone, jog at an easy pace to the second cone and make a flat-out sprint to the third; walk to the fourth cone while relaxing with deep breathing exercises; jog from the fourth to the fifth cone and finish the run with another flat-out sprint to the sixth and final cone. Allow sufficient time for recovery ( about 2 minutes) and then repeat the circuit.
Another great sprint exercise is this, measure out a distance of approximately 100 metres and mark the end/finish line with a marker or cone. Set yourself a time to run the distance, using 75% of your maximum effort. A good rough estimate is 14 seconds although this time depends on the age and physical condition of the player. Having run the 100 metres at 75%, walk back to the starting line while doing your deep breathing exercises. The walk back should only take you approximately 1 minute. Repeat this sequence 10-20 times depending on your level of fitness.

Sprint Exercises.
The exercises below are valuable aids to improving speed as they concentrate on developing your leg muscles.
Hoping a set number of times on each leg.
While jumping on the spot, jump high and perform scissors movements with the legs, to the front, the rear and to the sides.
While jumping on the spot, land alternately with the legs astride and with the feet together. The arms should be swung to assist with balance.
While jumping on the spot, draw the knees and heels up as close as possible to the chin or chest area.
Jump and spin completely around in a full circle. Alternate with spinning to avoid dizziness.
Ball Exercises
Introducing the ball into exercises is what soccer is all about and till this day I don’t understand how some coaches deprive their players of the ball.
A basic wall is required for these exercises,
Throw the ball at the wall from a distance of about 5 metres. Sprint after the ball and trap it on the half volley or catch it on the instep before it hits the ground.
An extension to this exercise is to place a cone about 5 metres from the wall. This time throw the ball against the wall from a distance of 3 metres, turn around, sprint around the cone and return in time to trap the rebound on the half volley.

Speed Of Thought
Speed of thought is an attribute for which no specific exercises are really applicable. It’s the process where the brain translates thought into action to deal with a situation. Speed of thought is a valuable asset to any player. From my experiences (open to debate), I have found that it differs greatly from one player to the next. However, the player who trains the hardest and puts the most effort into these drills is invariably the one who develops superior speed of thought.

Please check & find here my other Guide about Massage Tips