Kid’s Corner Kicks eNews Magazine for Youth Soccer Players
INDIANA SOCCER December 1, 2011 Authored by: Steve Franklin Director of Coaching Education
Kid’s Corner Kicks Official eNews Letter of Indiana Soccer Youth Players
The purpose of this eNews Letter is to provide you with monthly tips on training; fitness; recruiting; cool videos; news about you (which you pass along to me) and other interesting tidbits. I hope you enjoy it.
Cool Sports Illustrated for Kids Cover Builder {Click on this link} Cover Builder and you can make your own SI for Kids magazine cover.
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If you think you have to be 7-feet tall or 300 pounds to make it in the sports world, think again. When it comes to sports, everyone always assumes that bigger is better. The 5' 7" Messi is one of the most dangerous strikers in soccer history. He was the World Player of the Year in 2009. He's been named to the FIFPro World XI, basically the world AllStar team, each of the past three years. In the past year alone, he led his club team, FC Barcelona, to titles in the Spanish League, Spanish Supercup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. Messi also led Argentina to the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. So when the 2010 World Cup starts up this summer, be sure to keep an eye out for the little guy.
Training Activity for ALL Ages: “Kerby” The game is also known as Kerbies in some parts. Two players stand opposite each other on the street. The first player chips the ball and tries to hit the opposite curb. If the ball hits the curb and rolls back to your side of the road you get a point and another go. If the ball hits the curb and bounces back up without hitting the road and you catch the ball it is worth three points. Anything else and it is your opponents turn. A couple of players (friends) have a ball and lines up on the side of a square/rectangle. Each player will pass their ball and stay where they are. The objective is to pass the ball as close to the other line without it going over the line or “into the sea”. The player whose ball is the closest wins. Play until someone gets three. Players can go one at a time or all at once. Variations: 1) Vary the distance every time. Whoever wins the round decides what the new distance will be. 2) Alternate feet each time. 3) Ball must be chipped off ground but still can’t go past the line.
The Ladder Each player juggles the ball with the feet only. Player juggles the ball once on the right foot then once on the left foot, then two on the right foot then two on the left foot, then three on the right - three on the left - etc. Go up to 5-10 and then go back “down� the ladder. Try to get one more each time you play.
Cartoon of the Month for Youth Soccer Players
WILL BRUIN: Houston Dynamo Rookie Interview
How to Make Christmas Soccer Ball Cookies By Tracy Fox – a Soccer Mom
As a teacher, I'm a natural sucker for cuteness and kids. I'm the Mom that that makes sure that her son has a cute backpack/lunch box (Red Sox, of course), cute haircut (just short enough to spike, if needed), and cute clothes (collared shirts and preppy shorts to school). I'm sure my kid could care a less about that sort of thing, but I know he'll thank me later.
When the sport's team parties come around, I'm the sucker who volunteers to create end-of-the-season treats. Our undefeated soccer team deserved something special this year: Soccer Ball Cookies. Never having made Soccer Ball Cookies, I googled the title and didn't care for a single picture that I saw. They all looked a little too much... well... not like soccer balls. So I came up with my own plan... a three day cookie project. {click on the link to find out how to make your own cookies}
Christmas soccer cookies
FOX 59’s Soccer Mom –
Angela Ganote Recently Paco Espinosa, Marketing Director for Indiana Soccer and Steve Franklin, Director of Coaching Education were joined by Savannah Haley and Jacelyne Smith, Youth players/members of Indiana Soccer for an appearance on Fox 59’s morning show. Host Angela Ganote, a soccer mom herself, got in on the demonstration promoting the Indianapolis International Festival which was recently held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Check out the video clip by clicking the following link: Indiana Soccer on Fox 59 .
The following is an article I took yesterday from Soccer America. I believe too many of you young players are leaving up to your coaches or parents to secure the goals prior to training and games. Climbing or hanging on the goals or nets, has the potential for the goals to tip and possible cause a life threatening injury. The video at the end will show you why!!
Making Goals Safe for Your Training By Randy Vogt
The goals are 8 yards in length by 8 feet high. The youngest age groups in youth soccer will often use smaller goals. The goalposts must be white. Should referees come to a field with goalposts that are not white, play the game and report the color of the goal posts to the league. Check to make certain that there are no holes in the net that the ball could squeeze through, such as an opening between the net and the crossbar, goalposts or the area between the net and the ground. I cannot tell you how many times that I have been to fields that have been played on that day in which there are several visible holes in the nets that the ref did not try and tape. Every once in a while, the official’s view of a shot resulting in a goal will not be ideal. Perhaps he or she was screened or was at a bad angle or the sun was in the referee’s eyes. Making certain that there are no holes before the game eliminates potential problems on the vitally important task of whether to count a goal during the match. Interestingly, according to the Laws of the Game, it is not necessary for the goals to have nets. Hopefully, every game that you will be officiating will have them. Only once in my career was I ever confronted with refereeing a match without nets. This is a time when having your cell phone in your referee case with important phone numbers of league officials, referees and assignors is useful so that you can find out what the local league’s opinion is of playing a game without nets. Many portable or temporary goals now have wheels near the front post to help move the goals. When you are checking the goals, make sure that the wheel is pushed back off the goal line.
Most importantly, though, is the fact that the goals must be anchored to the ground. Should the goal not be anchored, the home team or host organization is responsible for placing weights, sand bags, etc. on the back and sides of the goal to make certain that it will not fall over. Should they not do this upon your prompting, do not start the game. To illustrate how dangerous this could be, pick up one goal post off the ground to demonstrate to all concerned how easily the goal can be dislodged. But be sure that there are no players or others nearby when you do this! A decade ago, I was an assistant referee for a tournament game played near where I live on Long Island. Before the match, I checked the south goal and it was sufficiently anchored. During the first half, the north goal, which had been checked by the other assistant referee (AR), fell over. Obviously, the other AR did not check to see if the goal had been anchored. Thankfully, nobody was hit or killed. The goal was immediately anchored so that the game could continue. There is no bigger safety issue on a soccer field than falling goals. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, from 1979 to 2008, at least 34 fatalities and 51 major injuries in the United States occurred have been linked to unanchored or portable soccer goals. An estimated 120 people per year were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries stemming from soccer goalposts during the period from 1989 to 1993. The serious injuries and deaths have been the result of blunt force trauma to the head, neck, chest and limbs. Most of these serious injuries and fatalities occurred during practice sessions when nobody such as coaches or other adults checked the goals to see that they were anchored before training began. Another concern is goals not being used for training but that remain unanchored on soccer fields. Taking a couple of minutes to check that the goals are anchored upon arriving at the field could save a life and a lifetime of regret. Please take the time to watch the following video with your family.
�Zach’s Law PSA-Promoting Soccer Goal Safety�
Photo of the Month