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De Anza Force U13 Girls – An iSoccer Featured Team
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!
iSoccer at the 2011 Region IV Girls Soccer Camp
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.
MI Chill SBC Soccer Club Creates Own iSoccer Video
Two words from iSoccer: Love It!
NEW Video – iSoccer Explained in 2 Minutes
What a great idea… A simple 2 minute video to summarize iSoccer. This video provides a fast overview of iSoccer’s Training Model: Measure. Track. Improve while also showing the 16 different assessed skills. It is a great place to start for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of iSoccer!
iSoccer Visits Japan
iSoccer Visits Japan From Toyko to Osaka to Kyoto to Tsuyama!
Japanese Youth Player Development
Talk about getting your touches in! The Japanese youth system emphasizes technical development and it really shows. From the training event in Osaka to the tournament in southern Japan (Tsuyama) the quality of the players was remarkable. From a very young age, individual development is key to overall player development.
The Japanese youth system is built on this idea that a solid ‘technical’ foundation is hugely important for continued success in the game.
Did Japanese Youth Players respond to the iSoccer Assessment?
In a word, Yes! The players knew the skill we were testing – Toe Taps. It was amazing to see the intensity level rise as the players performed a fairly routine skill, like Toe Taps, while recording a score under a time constraint. The same holds true around the world, “If you can measure, you can improve it” AND”Assigning a score to a skill raises the intensity level 15% to 25% (and in some cases even more!)”
Domo Arigato Japan!
The Time in Now to Start Raising Your Level
“What you can MEASURE, you can IMPROVE”
Raising Your Level Starts Today!
Knowledge is Power
What can the assessment results show you? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Have you been improving? Setting a baseline with your initial assessment allows your to objectively measure your improvement. The assessment has been carefully designed for players of all ages and levels not just to see where you currently stand – but also to equip you with the knowledge and tools to get more out of your training.
How do you Compare?
Until now, players have only been able to compare themselves within their local region. With a nationally standardized assessment, 12 year old Mikey from Alabama can see how his scores compare to 12 year old players from New York, 14 year old players from Florida – the comparisons are endless. The ability to measure yourself against others allows players to see their strengths and weaknesses and then to target their training accordingly.
The Test: Simple, yet Honest
How hard can it be to dribble in a figure 8? To pass a ball off a wall continuously? These tests may seem easy, but when we add a time constraint and make the test measurable, we’ve found the test results to be quite revealing. This test, along with the 15 other assessment skills, effectively measures your ability in each area of the game.
Together, we can continue to Raise the Level of the entire country… Join the movement and Help Set the Standard!
iSoccer is Proud to be working with Youth Soccer Insight
http://www.youthsoccerinsight.com/main/
iSoccer is proud to announce a new relationship with Youth Soccer Insight. Youth Soccer Insight is a great new way for players, parents and coaches to see and hear what leaders in youth soccer are saying and doing. There are videos from professional players to high level coaches to nutritionist to recruiting experts – All in one place! What a great resource for players and parents of all ages!
Here is a Blurb from Youth Soccer Insight:
“Discover the secrets to improve your game with an exclusive look into the world of soccer experts. YSI offers an all-access pass to the experts, so you can gain valuable insight on every aspect of the game.”
Use the Promo Code “isoccer” to get over 3 months of free access!
National Assessment Topic #6: Ball Striking
Excerpt from Beckham, Both Feet on the Ground
“All the strengths in my game are the one Dad taught me in the park twenty years ago: we’d work on touch and striking the ball properly until it was too dark to see. He’d kick the ball up in the air as high as he could and get me to control it. Then it would be kicking it with each foot, making sure I was doing it right. It was great, even if he did drive me mad sometimes. ‘Why can’t you just go in goal and let me take shots at you?’ I’d be thinking.”
The Most Common Coaches Response
“I could not believe our players inability to strike a ball clean. From only the 18 yard line (and 12 yards for younger players), very few of my players were actually striking the ball into the net. If they did hit the net, it was mostly a chip and not a driven ball. Far from a clean strike. And their non-preferred foot effort made it clear we need a lot of work. Overall, the ball striking assessment made it very clear to me and the players we need to really focus on this.”
Simple to Understand, Hard to Perform
The ball does not move. The goal does not move. All you have to do is strike a stationary ball into the goal before it hits the ground from five distances with both feet (6, 12, 18, 24, 36 yards). You start from the 6 yard line. The catch is if you miss the goal or fail to get it to the goal in the air with both your right and your left feet from any distance, you do not get to progress to the further distance. Simple, right?
The iSoccer Ball Striking Assessment
This video demonstrates the Ball Striking assessment in action. This is a great opportunity to work on team communication. Tell your players “to figure out” the most efficient system to have players run through the assessment. How many chasers? How many near the goal? How many ball placers?
The Wall Again is the Best
Like passing and aerial control, a wall could be the best individual training partner. Just like David Beckham, deliberately work on a specific type of strike, not just kicking to kick! Choose any of the 70+ FREE Ball Striking videos (courtesy of US Club Soccer) to begin raising your ball striking level! (Ball Striking videos are only free for one week)
Five distances, both feet: How many can get out of 10? Watch the Ball Striking Assessment Video!
http://www.isoccer.org/assessment
Together, we can continue to Raise the Level of the entire country… Join the movement and Help Set the Standard!
National Assessment Topic #2: Juggling
What is tested in Topic #2: Juggling
Juggling consists of 3 skill assessments, each 20 seconds in length. The first is Preferred Foot juggling: How many times in a row can you juggle, using only your preferred foot, in 20 seconds? Now try it with your Non-Preferred foot for the second juggling assessment. Last but not least, try it with your Head. No matter how good you are, it’s always a challenge to get just one more touch.
MLS Player Taylor Graham of the Seattle Sounders joins the National Standards Project!
Why do we test the Preferred and Non-Preferred foot separately?
When you’re juggling, every touch sets up the next. One bad touch makes the next one that much harder. Alternating feet or juggling with the thighs allows players to compensate for possible bad touches with good touches from their preferred foot. Isolating each foot
separately provides a more realistic assessment of their ability and encourages the player to focus on improving both of their feet.
Why do we limit the time for juggling?
Soccer is a game of doing simple things very quickly and accurately. Therefore, we wanted to create a test that challenged players to improve the speed and accuracy of their touches, not just the quantity. This forces players (like the boy in the video above) to have complete control over every touch, which is much more difficult than simply keeping the ball in the air for an hour.
Maintaining and improving a personal juggling record is definitely a great idea as well, however, juggling at pace, under pressure from time constraints, and isolating different surfaces, can really accelerate the rate of improvement for a young player.
New York Red Bulls vs Santos, 3-1 Red Bulls
The first ever game at the new Red Bull Arena against Santos was an all-around excellent soccer experience. We couldn’t have asked for better weather and getting to the stadium on the Path train from the city was a piece of cake. The Santos fans brought their drums, which livened up the atmosphere outside. And of course, the 3-1 result in favor of the home team, mixed with some entertaining, highly technical play from the Brazilians, made for a great night of soccer.
Luckily I captured captain Mike Petke’s goal (the second of the three) and the ensuing crowd revelry on tape. Watch the video and click on the image thumbnails to see them full size. The images below show the first goal. Look at them in order to see the free kick, the rebound, and the celebration.
First Ever Goal in Red Bull Arena:
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