So, now we may well be in the 2nd day of pre-season training. And while we are beginning to feel the lactic acid build up in our muscles, and maybe have a few bumps and grazes, and are experiencing the slightest hints of fatigue beginning to creep into our legs.....let's look at an important, but taken-for-granted piece of training equipment. The lowly soccer ball.
Now, you may think this is ludicrous. Of course the soccer ball is important, and of course you need the soccer ball to train. Yes, I agree. But a few of the points about the Importance of the Soccer Ball that I want to share with you (from a Goalkeeper's point of view--as always) are listed below:
1. It is important to always have a good number of balls for GK training. There used to be a series of training videos (actually they were movies back then) put out by an English soccer and rugby company called 'Mitre' back in the 1970s that featured England National Team players like Peter Shilton, Kevin Keegan, Trevor Brooking. These films showed, in depth, training drills and exercises performed by the England players at Bisham Abbey the England Center for Sport. The Mitre Films were very popular with most college coaches of the day, and at the beginning of each drill, the narrator would list off what was needed for the drill and at the very end of each list, he'd say--in his very English accent--"and a large supply of footballs". But I digress......my point is, when training GKs, you should have at least 2 balls per GK being trained. Actually I prefer to have 3 per GK. That way, we are able to serve/shoot enough balls to keep a drill going--and we don't have to spend too much time chasing errant shots/serves.
2. Balls should always have enough air in them. Balls need to be "aired up"! Training with a soft soccer ball, quite simply, B-L-O-W-S. No pun intended. Put a small pump in your bag, along with inflating needles, and always be sure to take a few minutes prior to training to air-up the balls. Properly inflated balls are easier to serve, easier to shoot, and easier to follow the flight of.....thereby making them better for training.
3. If possible, use match balls for your training. Example: if your team uses an adidas Brazuca ball for games.....use an adidas Brazuca ball for training. It just makes sense to get used to the same ball you'll see in games in your training sessions. Each ball has different characteristics in it's flight, it's compression, it's ground-path. If at all possible, use match balls for training. If not possible, at least nab 2 or 3 match balls to add-in to your training balls so that you are aware of the match ball characteristics. It might make the difference in that match-winning save later in the week!
4. Be sure to take care of your balls. Kind of goes without saying, eh? Anyway, make sure that your daily training balls are put away and stored in a cool, dry place after training. Take the time to brush or wipe any dirt and grass clippings off of balls before storing them after training. If the balls are wet, make sure there is a fan running that will help circulate air around them so that they do not become water-logged and/or lop-sided.
5. I always made the GKs take care of the balls on the teams I coached. Just made sense to me. The GK's job is to corral the ball in a game....why not create that mystic connection with all soccer balls by having the GKs take care of them every day? Made sense to me. (I gotta' say, however, the GKs hated being in charge of the balls. "EV, our job is hard enough!" My answer was always, "Yep. Your job is hard. Now, go take care of the balls."
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the opposing forwards always shoot straight at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
All the Best--EV
Now, you may think this is ludicrous. Of course the soccer ball is important, and of course you need the soccer ball to train. Yes, I agree. But a few of the points about the Importance of the Soccer Ball that I want to share with you (from a Goalkeeper's point of view--as always) are listed below:
1. It is important to always have a good number of balls for GK training. There used to be a series of training videos (actually they were movies back then) put out by an English soccer and rugby company called 'Mitre' back in the 1970s that featured England National Team players like Peter Shilton, Kevin Keegan, Trevor Brooking. These films showed, in depth, training drills and exercises performed by the England players at Bisham Abbey the England Center for Sport. The Mitre Films were very popular with most college coaches of the day, and at the beginning of each drill, the narrator would list off what was needed for the drill and at the very end of each list, he'd say--in his very English accent--"and a large supply of footballs". But I digress......my point is, when training GKs, you should have at least 2 balls per GK being trained. Actually I prefer to have 3 per GK. That way, we are able to serve/shoot enough balls to keep a drill going--and we don't have to spend too much time chasing errant shots/serves.
2. Balls should always have enough air in them. Balls need to be "aired up"! Training with a soft soccer ball, quite simply, B-L-O-W-S. No pun intended. Put a small pump in your bag, along with inflating needles, and always be sure to take a few minutes prior to training to air-up the balls. Properly inflated balls are easier to serve, easier to shoot, and easier to follow the flight of.....thereby making them better for training.
3. If possible, use match balls for your training. Example: if your team uses an adidas Brazuca ball for games.....use an adidas Brazuca ball for training. It just makes sense to get used to the same ball you'll see in games in your training sessions. Each ball has different characteristics in it's flight, it's compression, it's ground-path. If at all possible, use match balls for training. If not possible, at least nab 2 or 3 match balls to add-in to your training balls so that you are aware of the match ball characteristics. It might make the difference in that match-winning save later in the week!
4. Be sure to take care of your balls. Kind of goes without saying, eh? Anyway, make sure that your daily training balls are put away and stored in a cool, dry place after training. Take the time to brush or wipe any dirt and grass clippings off of balls before storing them after training. If the balls are wet, make sure there is a fan running that will help circulate air around them so that they do not become water-logged and/or lop-sided.
5. I always made the GKs take care of the balls on the teams I coached. Just made sense to me. The GK's job is to corral the ball in a game....why not create that mystic connection with all soccer balls by having the GKs take care of them every day? Made sense to me. (I gotta' say, however, the GKs hated being in charge of the balls. "EV, our job is hard enough!" My answer was always, "Yep. Your job is hard. Now, go take care of the balls."
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the opposing forwards always shoot straight at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
All the Best--EV