Inside iSoccer.org

Go to www.iSoccer.org to begin Raising Your Level!

In the last twelve months, the De Anza Force have logged 1,245 iSoccer scores and Raised Their Overall iSoccer Level +18.85%. Every single player has raised their technical level and feel more comfortable with the ball during games. The Force are an iSoccer Featured Team because of there incredible commitment to maximizing the potential of not only team but also every individual on the team. Congratulations to the De Anza Force on being an iSoccer Featured Team and motivating and inspiring teams near and far!

In the last 12 months, each player got thousands of focused touches on the ball. Because every player knew their iSoccer level, they were able to push themselves to raise their individual level. Thus, when they were practicing, they were motivated to be faster, more accurate and more consistent so they could beat their highest score. And that is what iSoccer calls deliberate, focused and more efficient training!

In the words of their Coach Andres Deza; “Last year the skill level gap between all the players was wider. The team was a little more unbalanced. The level began to drop off a bit when we began making adjustments. This year it was great to see a much more balanced team. Most players were able to execute technically. They were comfortable with the ball playing out of the back under pressure and keeping possession until the right moment came to make an attacking play.”

In fact, their technical level improved so much, at the young age of 12, they even surpassed the College Women’s 50th percentile in Toe Taps, Foundations, Juggling PF, and Juggling NPF. Please note that our continually growing Women’s College Standards includes the top 3 teams from 2010: Notre Dame (1), Stanford(2) and UNC(3)! Not bad for 12 year olds!

Here is what the girls had to say about technical ability:

“It helps us perform. Passing out of the back is really dangerous so we have to be able to pass and receive quickly.”

“When you do a drill repetitively. Your muscles remember the skill and it becomes second nature.”

“I used to juggle 3 or 4. Now I can juggle over 40 with my preferred foot and over 30 with my non-preferred foot.”

“In games, it helps us control the ball more.”

To close, these technical improvements are worthy of high praise – but there’s more. They just won the Nor Cal State Cup. They just won Surf Cup. And they are currently ranked the #1 U13 girls team in the country by Got Soccer! Of course, iSoccer does not take full credit for the team’s on field success. But we are proud to be a piece of the De Anza Force training program by making their players sharper and sharper on the ball.

Congratulations De Anza Force! Keep Raising the Level!

Go to www.iSoccer.org to begin Raising Your Level!

In the second year of the players taking the iSoccer Assessment at the Region IV Girls Camp, over 1,100 girls were assessed in just under three weeks this summer in Moscow, Idaho.

[Official Press Release from Demosphere]

08.11.2011– Falls Church, VA. In an effort to raise the level of technical ability of youth soccer players nationwide, Demosphere International, Inc. has named iSoccer its Official Soccer Assessment Partner. Demosphere, the leading provider of web-based tools for sports organizations, will work closely with iSoccer, the leader in technical assessment and online youth soccer training software, to deliver a highly effective and motivating program for players, parents and teams across the country.

iSoccer, the Leader of the National Standards Project, is an online training platform that motivates players of all ages and abilities to improve their technical skills. A revolutionary program, iSoccer uses standardized testing, web technology, and competitive learning to drive positive, objective results.

“Based on Demosphere’s relationship with hundreds of recreational clubs around the country all the way up to U.S. Soccer, we are very excited about this new partnership,” stated Scott Leber, Founder and CEO of iSoccer. “Our mission is to ‘Raise the Level of the Game’ and we believe we are taking a great step forward by working together. We look forward to providing a valuable assessment and motivational tool to tens of thousands of clubs, teams and players in the their network and being a platform for them to Raise Their Level!”

While many features of iSoccer are free, Demosphere customers will receive a 10% discount if they choose to upgrade to a premium account using the code ‘Demosphere’.

“iSoccer has developed strong momentum in the technical assessment market so it was a natural partnership for us,” commented Marketing Director Sean Rose. “With many of our customers already using iSoccer, we see a tremendous benefit to exposing everyone to their industry-leading tools.”

About Demosphere International, Inc.:

Demosphere is an Information Technology company based in Northern Virginia that has catered to the technology needs of sports organizations for over 21 years. From league and state administrative tools to website development and registration services for U.S. Soccer, Bermuda FA, and hundreds of community organizations, Demosphere has invested heavily in sports so they can reach their highest levels with the logistical support of advanced technology. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.demosphere.com.

About iSoccer:

iSoccer is an award winning, online training and coaching platform that provides players, coaches and clubs with the tools and motivation to improve the technical ability of youth soccer players. Players, teams and clubs are able to assess their current level using the proprietary iSoccer Assessment, analyze their strengths and weaknesses using sophisticated tracking tools, target their training with a customized practice session builder and download over 500+ iPod ready video clips to help raise their technical level through self-guided training. For more information, visit the iSoccer’s website at http://www.isoccer.org.

Here is the new US Men’s National Team Coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, speaking on ESPN a year ago during the World Cup in South Africa. He focuses on two main points that he thinks would help US Soccer improve on the world stage: 1. involving players of all socio-economic backgrounds and 2. being better technically.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves Coach Klinsmann! It comes as no surprise that we at iSoccer are in complete agreement with both of these statements as 1) the iSoccer assessment is freely available to
all youth players, and 2) Our mission is to Raise the Level emphasizes technical development…. Time will ultimately tell, but at iSoccer, we believe that this is right (and necessary) direction for US Men’s Soccer.

And here is Coach Wilmer Cabrera of the U17 Men’s US Team after the U17 World Cup in Mexico.

“Unless we have an unbelievable team where we have six, seven very skillful players who can make the difference on the field. But we don’t have those types of players. I haven’t seen those players yet.”

“We have to grow, little by little. And I’m not blaming anybody. It’s the system. It’s cultural. I’m part of this culture. I can’t change what I cannot change. I want to try to help where I can. “

Sense a consistent theme here? We have to Raise the Level!

PS. We also felt that it was important to note, that as the U20 World Cup kicks off today in Colombia the US will not be present. We did not qualify….

Charlotte Soccer Academy, a US Soccer Developmental Academy and ECNL Club, partners with iSoccer to take Raising the Level of its players to another level!

Brad Wylde, the Executive Director Charlotte Soccer Academy, stated “iSoccer’s training module is a fantastic motivational tool for young players too continue to develop their technical ability during practice and more importantly during their own time. Having gone through the 16 skills that each player is assessed on, it is very easy to conduct for a team as well as an entire club and covers all aspects of the game for all field positions. Its a great way to set a bench mark for each age group or level and inspires players to work at their game through continuous testing on each skill each season. We at Charlotte Soccer Academy are excited about implementing this program throughout our club at both recreation and competitive levels”

“Charlotte Soccer Academy is a leader at every youth level across the US and we are excited to be partnering with them. Brad and the entire organization have created a wonderful environment to develop players in North Carolina, and we look forward to being key ingredient to motivating their players to raise their technical level,” states Scott Leber, the Founder of iSoccer.

Nadeshiko Japan! A word unknown to the soccer world outside of Japan, Nadeshiko is the name used for the Japanese women’s national team. It means beautiful flower.

Nadeshiko Japan made lots of noise by knocking off host Germany, 1-0, to reach the semifinals, and the team will make history if can beat Sweden on Wednesday and reach the final. You can’t find many people inside Japan these days that are not following their beloved Nadeshiko, which is led by Homare Sawa, the team captain who is scored a hat trick against New Zealand during the qualifying round. Sawa is perhaps the best known Japanese player, having played in five World Cups and three Olympics.

Japan’s current team has been together since the Beijing Olympics, where it finished fourth. And while Japan has a long history in women’s soccer, it has not enjoyed success like this summer’s until recently. Japan formed its women’s national league in 1989, which helped the national team qualify for the first World Cup in China in 1991, and it has qualified for every World Cup. Japan had only advanced out of the group stage once before this summer, when it lost to the United States, 4-0, in the quarterfinals.

In fact, Japan won only one game in its first three trips to the World Cup, but several years ago the Japanese Football Association decided to get more serious about women’s soccer. The J.F.A.’s Captain’s Mission mandate set in motion a better network for identifying players, along with better coaching and the involvement of former national team players. Of note, all though more women coaches have become involved with the game, there is still only one in the country who holds the SQ License, which is the equivalent to the A License given out by U.S. Soccer. She is Midori Honda, who served as Japan’s captain at the first World Cup and was the first woman to pass the difficult exam and receive the license. Honda is currently an assistant coach for Japan’s under-20 team.

Still, not a lot of money or resources are put into the women’s game. Compared with some of the world’s powerhouse programs such as America or Germany, the difference is staggering. I have conducted thousands of soccer clinics for over 500,000 kids over the past 20 years and over all the number of girls playing the game has remained flat. So the pool from which to select players is still very small. However, the organization for identifying and the emphasis on training technical skills at a very young age has been the difference. So although the number of players has neither increased or decreased over the years, better resources and training methods have produced better results.

The woman have the same set up for national training centers as the men. There are 47 regions and each has a training center program. These are not facilities in the physical sense, rather the name of the program. They meet monthly to provide specialized training for select players, and that training culminates in a national camp in December that brings together the best 15-year-olds in the country.

Soccer is a year-round sport where players play 365 days a year, men or women. You can not help but produce good, technically sound players if the content and emphasis is on technical skills.

This is what is happening in Japan.

Tom Byer, the former director of Coerver Coaching Asia, was born in the Bronx. He has lived in Japan for more than 25 years, where he is known as Tom-san, and has conducted more than 2,000 soccer events for more than 500,000 children. He also appears on a nationally televised, daily show for children.

Two words from iSoccer: Love It!

You know the iSoccer assessment… But what happens when you limit the rest and do each iSoccer assessment back to back to back to back as a workout – You Get iSoccer Gone Bad! This 11 workout can be done by players of any age at any level…. But beware, it will be TOUGH! Technical execution is a very simple concept: How quickly, accurately and consistently can you perform the most basic skills. Now see if you execute technically as your body get more and more tired!

Click HERE or the Workout Below to Download!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Together, We are going help motivate players, parents and teams by empowering them to ‘Raise Their Level’ while having more fun!

Cincinnati, OH – June 2, 2011. In an effort to raise the level of technical ability of players and create a more motivating environment, SAY Soccer has partnered with iSoccer as their National Player Development Partner. SAY Soccer, a leading national youth soccer organization, will work closely with iSoccer, the leader in technical assessment and online youth soccer training software, to deliver a highly effective and motivating program for players, parents and teams across the country.

According to Doug Wood, the National Operations/Marketing Director or SAY Soccer, “iSoccer gives SAY Soccer members the ability to look past the win loss column and focus on the players technical development. With iSoccer, players have the tools to develop a strong foundation that is vital to building confidence, having fun and seeing real improvement. We are equally excited for our coaches and leagues to experience the synergies iSoccer will bring. The ability to assess training methodology on a broad scale has never been this easy and effective.”

“We are very excited to be working closely with SAY Soccer to help ignite player development within their organization,” said Scott Leber, iSoccer Founder and CEO. “SAY Soccer has a commitment to providing the best possible experience for recreational players across the country and although we definitely want our players to compete on the weekends, we also want to ensure they are developing. iSoccer will provide a tool for each and every SAY Soccer player, that if they choose to make the commitment, will be able to maximize their potential and take their soccer ability to the next level!”

Although many features of iSoccer are free, SAY Soccer members will receive a 10% discount if they choose to upgrade to a premium account using the Promo Code ‘SAYSoccer’.

About SAY Soccer
The Soccer Association for Youth, USA (SAY Soccer) was founded in 1967 in Cincinnati, Ohio where it remains nationally based today. SAY provides a wide array of services and support to our members including but not limited to insurance, coaching and referee support, legal and administrative support, US Soccer Affiliation, publications for all members, Online Store, and an opportunity for children to experience the game of soccer in a fun and safe environment. SAY Soccer is “The” Leader in Youth Soccer Support. Learn more at www.saysoccer.org.

Here are some wonderful excerpts from an interview with Barcelona’s Xavi:

“Some youth academies worry about winning, we worry about education. You see a kid who lifts his head up, who plays the pass first time, pum, and you think, ‘Yep, he’ll do.’ Bring him in, coach him. Our model was imposed by [Johan] Cruyff; it’s an Ajax model. It’s all about rondos [piggy in the middle]. Rondo, rondo, rondo. Every. Single. Day. It’s the best exercise there is. You learn responsibility and not to lose the ball. If you lose the ball, you go in the middle. Pum-pum-pum-pum, always one touch. If you go in the middle, it’s humiliating, the rest applaud and laugh at you.

It’s a pity. Talent has to be the priority. Technical ability. Always, always. Sure, you can win without it but it’s talent that makes the difference. Look at the teams: Juventus, who makes the difference? Krasic. Del Piero. Liverpool? Gerrard, or Torres before. Talento. Talento. When you look at players and ask yourself who’s the best: talento. Cesc, Nasri, Ryan Giggs – that guy is a joy, incredible. Looking back, I loved John Barnes and Chris Waddle was buenísimo. [Open-mouthed, eyes gleaming] Le Tissier! Although their style was different I liked Roy Keane and Paul Ince together, too. That United team was great – my English team. If I’d gone anywhere, it would have been there.

Think quickly, look for spaces. That’s what I do: look for spaces. All day. I’m always looking. All day, all day. [Xavi starts gesturing as if he is looking around, swinging his head]. Here? No. There? No. People who haven’t played don’t always realise how hard that is. Space, space, space. It’s like being on the PlayStation. If the defender’s here, play it there. I see the space and pass. That’s what I do.

It’s good that the reference point for world football right now is Barcelona, that it’s Spain. Not because it’s ours but because of what it is. Because it’s an attacking football, it’s not speculative, we don’t wait. You pressure, you want possession, you want to attack. Some teams can’t or don’t pass the ball. What are you playing for? What’s the point? That’s not football. Combine, pass, play. That’s football – for me, at least. For coaches, like, I don’t know, [Javier] Clemente or [Fabio] Capello, there’s another type of football. But it’s good that Barcelona’s style is now a model, not that.”

Club career
Joined Barcelona’s youth system at the age of 11 and made a scoring first-team debut aged 18 in the 1998 Spanish Super Cup final. He has made 557 appearances for the club, scoring 56 goals.
3 Champions Leagues 2006, 2009, 2011
1 Club World Cup 2009
5 La Liga titles 1999, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010
1 Spanish Cup 2009
4 Spanish Super Cup 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010
1 Uefa Super Cup 2009

International career
Represented every Spain youth team from Under-17 to Under-23 level, making his senior debut in 2000 at age 20. He has scored eight goals in 99 appearances. He has also scored twice in eight matches for Catalonia
1 World Cup 2010
1 European Championship 2008
1 Under-20 World Cup 1999
Olympic silver medal 2000

Individual career
The world’s best playmaker, he completed 104 passes more than the next most prolific passer at last year’s World Cup which Spain won. He has made more assists than any other player in the past two La Liga and Champions League seasons
European Championship player of the tournament 2008
Champions League final man of the match 2009
Fifa World Cup All-Star Team 2010
Fifa Team of the Year 2008, 2009, 2010
Uefa Team of the Year 2008, 2009, 2010
Third place in Ballon d’Or 2009, 2010
La Liga Player of the Year 2005

Full Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/feb/11/xavi-barcelona-spain-interview