The USA soccer squad has been given a very favorable World Cup opening round draw. The tournament begins June 11th 2010 with host nation South Africa playing Mexico. The United States begins play the following day, June12 against European powerhouse England. After that first deadly match the U.S. team gets much easier opponents. On June 18th they will face Slovenia, a mid –level European team who made it through qualifying by the skin of their teeth. Then, on June 23rd the boys from the states square off against Algeria, who does have home-continent-advantage, but still should not pose too much of threat to the stars and stripes moving on to the round of 16. As the top two teams in each group advance, wins against Slovenia and Algeria should be all that is necessary. A draw versus England would e breath-taking, a win would be cause for celebration, and a first place finish in the group would guarantee a “weaker” opponent in the knockout stage.
The soccer World cup begins on June 11th 2010 with the host nation of South Africa squaring off against Mexico. This is the biggest sporting event in the world. It is a tournament that happens every four years and is viewed by billions around the world, in nearly every country. The games will be played in South Africa during the afternoon and evening local hours. This means that in the United States, the games can be viewed live in the morning and early afternoon hours. Most games will begin between 7:30am and 2:30pm EST. This should make for very accessible viewing for youth who are home from school for the summer. Most working adults however, unfortunately, will once again miss out on the greatest game in the world being played at the highest level possible. Do yourself a favor set the DVR and when you come home at night, watch a game or two. Just watch the three USA round robin games. If you still aren’t a fan after that, so be it.
The World Cup Trophy
The World soccer Cup begins on June 11th 2010 with the host nation of South Africa squaring off against Mexico. This is the biggest sporting event in the world. It lasts for one month with the championship game being played on July 11th 2010. 32 nations have made it to the tournament through qualifying rounds of continental play. These 32 teams are broken up into eight groups of four teams each. The tournament begins with round robin play among the four teams in each group, guaranteeing each nation to play at least three games. After the round robin play is done, the top two teams from each group will move on to the knockout stage, wherein the remaining 16 teams will set up like a traditional single-elimination tournament. 16 teams will become eight, eight will become four, four will become two, and those two will play for the most coveted athletic prize in the world: The FIFA World Cup.
Kids soccer training is different than training high school or college students. Instead of getting a bunch of motivated sports players, you often start off with quite an unruly bunch. Yet with proper training, you can turn these kids into amazing soccer players. How do you do this? By keeping it fun, by building a great soccer culture and by instilling a sense of value in your players.
Keep it Fun
Remember that for kids, the only motivation for playing is fun. There are no awards or trophies on the line. There are no scholarships on the line. The only reason for playing is to have fun. A lot of coaches mess this up by yelling at their kids. This is a surefire way to destroy self-esteem and teamwork. Doing this will take the fun out of the equation, causing poorly performing players and sometimes even having kids drop off your team. No matter what you do, keep it fun. Believe it or not, you can build an amazing kids soccer team even while everyone is having a lot of fun.
Build a Solid Soccer Culture
When your kids first come to your team, they’ll probably be loud, disruptive and unruly. That’s perfectly fine. It’s important that as your team progresses, you start to instill a sense of soccer culture. You stress the importance of being on time. Your kids learn the importance of treating their fellow teammates with respect. You convey a real sense of what being part of a team is like. Kids will likely have never experienced this before. That’s only natural. As their coach, it’s your job to slowly lead them into a soccer culture they’ll enjoy being a part of. Proceed only as quickly as they’re ready to change.
Instill a Sense of Value
Kids will enjoy soccer a lot more and improve a lot faster when they believe they’re a valued member of the team. You can do this by acknowledging and celebrating specific instances of success, no matter how small. If someone’s passes were good, let them know. If someone made a great shot, let them know. A lot of coaches believe in more of a “tough love” approach to coaching soccer. Although this is certainly a valid method, it’s important that your kids feel valued first, before you start to employ tougher methods of training. If you don’t do that first, your kids will likely feel like they aren’t a valued member of the team. If you can build your team while having fun, while building great soccer culture and while instilling a sense of value in your teammates, then you’re well on your way to building a kids soccer team that will win game after game after game.
Author: Thomas Karapatsos
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The USA soccer squad has been given a very favorable World Cup opening round draw. The tournament begins June 11th 2010 with host nation South Africa playing Mexico. The United States begins play the following day, June12 against European powerhouse England. After that first deadly match the U.S. team gets much easier opponents. On June 18th they will face Slovenia, a mid –level European team who made it through qualifying by the skin of their teeth. Then, on June 23rd the boys from the states square off against Algeria, who does have home-continent-advantage, but still should not pose too much of threat to the stars and stripes moving on to the round of 16. As the top two teams in each group advance, wins against Slovenia and Algeria should be all that is necessary. A draw versus England would e breath-taking, a win would be cause for celebration, and a first place finish in the group would guarantee a “weaker” opponent in the knockout stage.
