Quick Tip: iSoccer for Parents and Coaches
Quick Tip: iSoccer for Parents and Coaches
We encourage every coach and parent out there to actually score themselves on the iSoccer Assessment! Competing against mom, dad, or coach to see who can improve the most is a great way to get players excited about spending more time with the ball. It doesn’t matter what scores you get, as long is everyone is having fun and players are improving their touch.
- Parents: iSoccer is all about improvement, so even if you have never played soccer before, take the Assessment with your child, set up a player account for yourself, and see who can improve the most. Make a game out of it and get the whole family involved!
- Coaches: Challenge your entire team to beat your scores or the amount you improve. Not only will players take iSoccer more seriously, there will be extra motivation to try and beat coach!
Getting involved in your player’s development by taking the Assessment yourself is an effective motivational tool and creates a fun game as well. So the next time your player is about to score themselves, grab a ball and join them!
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
First Featured Club: Bozeman Blitzz FC
First Featured Club: Bozeman Blitzz FC
We are excited to present Bozeman Blitzz FC in Montana as our first Featured Club! Starting with only a few teams using iSoccer last year, it has now exploded across the club. The Blitzz FC are an incredible example of how an entire organization, from the players, to the parents, to coaches, can truly embrace a culture of technical development and individual improvement.
about how iSoccer impacted their club:
- Used creativity: Gave players stars to iron onto their jerseys for raising their Skill Level at fun award ceremonies.
- Technical Director Dan Ferguson on feedback from parents: “Instead of sitting on the couch playing Xbox [players] were out in the backyard trying to level up.”
- Staff Coach Tyler Eischen on tangible improvement: “Players don’t have to score a goal or make a pass… They know they are getting better by going on iSoccer.”
- Blitzz Player on why he likes iSoccer: “I use iSoccer to help motivate me to become a better player”
If your club would like to partner with iSoccer, let us know at clubs@isoccer.org.
Quick Tip: Get Ready for Tryouts
Quick Tip: Get Ready for Tryouts
Whether tryouts are going on now, or they are a few weeks away, it’s the perfect time for players to set a quick goal to raise two of their iSoccer Skill Levels. Parents and coaches can help too – follow these steps!
- Pick two iSoccer Skills: Whether it’s non-preferred foot dribbling, passing, or aerial control, pick the two skills that you want to improve the most.
- Score yourself once or twice a week: Track your progress until tryouts.
- Practice on your own: Be sure to spend time with the ball working on those skills in between scoring yourself.
- Raise your level: If you spend time focusing on only two of your weaknesses, you will be amazed at how you can improve those specific skills. Raise your iSoccer level and your confidence before tryouts!
Tryouts can be a stressful time, but whether you make the team or not, try and prepare yourself as much as you can. And even if you don’t have tryouts coming up, setting goals around only two skills is a great way to become more and more comfortable on the ball.
Cheers!
The iSoccer Team
Quick Tip: Maximize Your Time Juggling
Quick Tip: Maximize Your Time Juggling
At a soccer camp recently, a player who could juggle over 600 times took the
iSoccer Assessment. He scored a 10 on Non-Preferred Foot Juggling. His response: “I guess I’m not as good as I thought!”
1. Isolate the Feet
Often, the strong foot makes up for poor touches by the weak foot resulting in high juggling numbers. Isolate the feet, plus use other specific juggling combinations to truly sharpen skills.
2. Add Space and Time Constraints
Just like in games, external factors force players to focus on each touch. How many left foot juggles can you do in 20 seconds? 5? Try to get to 10! 30? Try to get to 35! And so on.
Idaho Youth Soccer and iSoccer.org Announce Partnership
iSoccer.org is Now an Official Technical Development Partner of Idaho Youth Soccer
San Francisco, CA and Boise, ID – Idaho Youth Soccer and iSoccer.org are pleased to announce their new partnership to help raise the technical level of youth soccer players throughout the state.
iSoccer.org will aid in Idaho Youth Soccer’s commitment to individual player technique at the grassroots level. The San Francisco based company has developed an on-field assessment and online training platform, which helps make technical development fun, engaging and measurable.
“We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Idaho Youth Soccer, and are excited to help every player in Idaho have more fun with the ball!” says iSoccer founder and CEO Scott Leber.
Much of iSoccer.org is free to use through Basic subscriptions, including its new mobile app for iOS/Android, and both Idaho Technical Directors Steve Adlard and Skyler Bell have encouraged players and coaches of all ages and skill levels to take advantage of this resource. For those who wish to do more with iSoccer, they are able to upgrade to Plus subscriptions. The easiest way to learn more is to register free at www.iSoccer.org.
“IYSA is excited about our partnership with a brand like iSoccer that is innovative, and constantly searching for ways to help players get better at playing the game, but always keeping a focus on having fun,” Bell said. “iSoccer is a great way for players to challenge themselves technically, and gives them something to work on while playing on their own in their backyard. It is something we plan to use for our Olympic Development teams as well.”
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About Idaho Youth Soccer
Idaho Youth Soccer is non-profit and educational organization whose mission is to foster the physical, mental and emotional growth and development of Idahos youth through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition. Our job is also to make it fun, and instill in young players a lifelong passion for the sport.
Idaho Youth Soccer is also the representative of US Youth Soccer in the state of Idaho. US Youth Soccer is largest member of the United States Soccer Federation. US Youth Soccer is a nationwide body of over 600,000 volunteers and administrators, and over 300,000 dedicated coaches, most of who also are volunteers. US Youth Soccer registers over 3,000,000 youth players between the ages of five and nineteen.
About iSoccer.org
Founded in 2008 by Scott Leber, iSoccer is a technology company with a passion to “raise the level of the game, one player at a time” and make soccer more exciting along the way. iSoccer has taken the concept of blended learning (combining online individualized resources with traditional education systems) and applied it to sport, revolutionizing the way players interact with the game. iSoccer is the social game within the game that motivates players to spend more time with the ball.
For more information, please visit www.iSoccer.org
Quick Tip: Energize Players with 20 Seconds in Practice
Quick Tip: Energize Players with 20 Seconds in Practice
Using time constraints in practice makes training more effective for players of any age:
- Turns skills training into a game! How many can you do in 20 seconds?
- Gaming psychology kicks in, and each player’s work rate naturally goes up.
- Creates a new dynamic in training that’s exciting and fun.
- Apply time constraints to any drill or exercise – get creative!
See a team use 20 seconds in practice, and why Sparq uses time constraints:
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Why 20 Seconds? 20 seconds strikes that ideal balance of having a player perform the specific skill consistently while becoming tired, but not exhausted. Players of all ages and skill levels begin to sharpen their ability by pushing themselves and maximizing effort during the 20 second window. |
So take 20 seconds beyond the iSoccer Assessment, and use it in your next training session to motivate players to work harder with the ball!
Quick Tip: Find a Wall!
Quick Tip: Find a wall!
Here is a little advice from an all-time great on the best training tool out there:
Dennis Bergkamp, the great Dutch striker said that when he was a young player at Ajax, they had little three foot high walls. He would knock the ball against it for hours. Every time he hit the ball, he would know whether it was a good touch or a bad touch. He would do it over and over, trying to establish a rhythm.
“I would also hit the ball against the side of the house… Hitting the ball with both feet, seeing how long I could return the walls passes without losing control. I found out later that so many pros spend lots of their childhood doing that.”
- from More Than Goals, by Claudio Reyna
So whether you are a player training on your own, or a coach instructing your team, the message is simple this week – go find a wall!
Once you do, don’t forget to test your iSoccer Passing Skills and see if you can beat your high score
Good luck and have fun this season!
Quick Tip: Setting Monthly Goals
Quick Tip: Setting Monthly Goals
The beginning of the month is always a good opportunity to set goals, and although it may seem like a small thing, setting an iSoccer goal is an easy way to get motivated. Be sure to sweeten the deal with a fun reward for reaching your goal!
1. Coaches: Team Goals
Setting a team goal is a great way to get everyone working together as a group and excited to spend more time with the ball. It can be as simple as, “If we raise our overall iSoccer team level by May, we’ll go out for pizza!”
2. Players: Personal Goals
Whether you want to raise your overall level this month, or focus on a specific skill that you have been struggling with, set a personal goal for April. Beating your high score and achieving your goal is a great feeling and you’ll know that you’re becoming a better player!
Newest Featured Player: Takumi
Featured Player: Takumi
We are proud to present Takumi as our newest Featured Player! He has taken his game to the next level with iSoccer, and is a great example for every young player who is looking to have more fun with the ball:
Age: 9 – Lives: Madison, WI – Club: Wisconsin Rush – iSoccer Level: Blue, 6.8
- He works on his iSoccer skills all the time, and says that in games, “I feel more calm and feel like I have more fun.”
- His message to other players about iSoccer: “You guys should try and do this ’cause it’s really fun and you get better and better each day you do it!”
- On weekends, Takumi, his older brother, and his parents all practice iSoccer as a family: the parents count and the kids try to raise their scores.
- In only 5 months, on the iSoccer Six, Takumi went from a 5.5 Green Level to a 7.3 Brown Level!
If you or someone you know has what it takes to be the next iSoccer Featured Player or Team, send videos and stories to isoccer@isoccer.org, or you can post them to www.facebook.com/isoccer.
Good luck, and have a great season!
Cheers,
The iSoccer Team
Quick Tip: iSoccer for Busy Coaches and Parents
Quick Tip: iSoccer for Busy Coaches and Parents
One of the most common things we hear from coaches and parents around the country is that they don’t have the time or expertise to do the full iSoccer assessment. So here is how, in just a few minutes each week, anyone can use iSoccer to motivate players:
Let players know what they will be doing next week, and encourage them to practice that skill and assess themselves at home. Be sure they have all registered for free at iSoccer.org where they can log scores and do more on their own.
So remember that iSoccer can be used in easy, simple ways that get players excited to spend more time on the ball!
Good luck and have fun this season!
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