Rochester Pride - RSC Lightning '96

The success of a soccer team requires a great deal from the players and the families involved on the team: time, commitment, dedicated effort in training among them, and also a strong financial commitment to cover costs associated with league registration, tournament registrations, uniform & equipment costs, training facilities, training fees among other things. The bottom line is that the costs involved in a year’s span for a travel soccer team run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Throughout the year, the players and families work as a team to help offset the costs involved with certain fundraising projects. But even so, in the end, the costs associated in such an endeavor can really begin to strain the budgets of working families. This is why our sponsors are so greatly appreciated. Every bit helps, and every bit matters. If your sponsorship contribution covers the cost of one or several uniform kits, the rental fees of training facilities for one week, or the entry fee for a tournament, that is a contribution that is significant. All sponsorship funds go straight into the general team account and equally benefit the entire team. Checks may be made out to: RSSC Thunder ‘90 To become a part of the team and make a sponsorship contribution, or even if you just have some questions about sponsorship, please feel free to contact: Karen Finet, Team Manager (248) 475-2254 or Ken Hernandez, Head Coach (248) 875-7300 Or just ask any of the players’ parents on the team and they will put you in contact with us.

What to Do, Step By Step This is an excellent warm-up routine, which, if done properly and intently, will fully prepare you for the match or training session so that you may be your very best that day. This is by no means the only good warm-up routine on the planet - but it is a great one and the one I want you to learn and use. All throughout stretching and warm-up, take water at any point you feel you need it. First Step - START WITH A LIGHT JOG. About 5-10 minutes from touchline to touchline to get blood flowing to the muscles and prepare your muscels for a proper stretch. The pace should be easy. This raises your body temperature. Jog slowly, perhaps skipping and moving sideways as well. Make no sudden bursts or movements-nice and easy does it. Change up the sort of jog each ½ turn across the field or so. Here are some variations to use: · high knees · high knees (with the "We Will Rock You" rhythm) · heels to butt · sideways-on right/left shuffel · sideways-on right/left cross-over steps · backward · easy kick to high hands · touch ground right/left · phantom headers · arm circles as you jog Next Step - STRETCH PROPERLY AND THOROUGHLY. When you are a bit warmer, stretch each muscle group. For thourough explaination and instructions as to how to stretch each muscle group, go to the “Safety” selection on the menu to the left. A NOTE ABOUT STRETCHING: STRETCHING IS NOT A RACE - IT'S PREPARATION. There might be some people on your team that think warming up is a waste of time. If you have any doubts about warming up and stretching, just remember that ALL professional teams make their players warm up before practice and games. That's a big part of what keeps them healthy, and makes champions! The Golden Rules of Stretching · Never "bounce" when stretching. Do things slowly. If you feel any real pain, stop the stretch. · Hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds.... MORE IF YOU NEED IT. You know your body the best. You know what you need more than I do. So if a particular muscle group needs more attention, then attend to it. Do not ignore your own body and do not cheat yourself of proper preparation because the only result of you doing so is that you will hurt yourself. · Do a variety of stretches that will help you get ready for your soccer game. · Remember that everyone is different - if you are not comfortable with a stretch, do another one or discuss it with Carlee or me - but do not avoid stretching altogether. It is important to stretch your whole body for soccer, not just your lower body. These stretches will give you a good all-round preparation for your training or game. It is a good habit to stretch from the toes up to the head so as not to accidentally skip over any muscle groups. Ankle Calf Hamstrings Quadriceps (or Quads) Groin Back Shoulders and Side (1) Head & Neck After Stretching: Jog a bit and move around again. Now it's time to ease into full game speed and intensity as you begin the 1000 touches portion of your warm-up. Next Step - 1000 TOUCHES Now it’s time to pick up the intensity and get “in touch” with the ball. Gradually work harder and faster so that you are fully warmed up before the session or game starts. Never sprint or kick the hall hard until you are fully warmed up. This entire 1000 Touches Warm Up should take bout 7-8 minutes. Next Step - SHOWOFF TIME Continue your warm-up using the ball for another 5 minutes using your very best stuff. Run your best moves. Try your fanciest tricks. Try your best to impress each other and anybody else who may be watching you. NOTE: This is the closest I will ever permit you to come to showboating - so you might as well take advantage of it. Here are some other ideas. · Juggling - feet, thigh, chest and head. Stay loose and relaxed! · Traps - toss the ball up high (or better yet, kick the ball up high from your juggle!) and bring it down under full control with a good trap & 1st touch (head, chest, thigh, foot) and then accelerate away for 10-15 yards then do a turn. · Running with the ball – accelerate & decelerate under full control of the ball. · Pattern Dribbling Next Step - PARTNER WORK CONTROLLED TOUCH & COLLECTION SERIES · Dead Stop · Inside of Boot · Outside of Boot · Dead Stop Trap · Inside Leg Trap · Chest Trap · Inside Boot Punch-Back · Instep Punch-Back PARTNER PASSING · One Touch · Two Touch · Three Touch SMALL GROUP PASSING · Pass & Move Maximum Touches · Pass & Move 2 Touches · Pass & Move 1 Touch PASSING & SHOOTING · Accurate pass @ 20 yards · Chip Pass (20+ yards) · Instep Power Shot · Volley · Header COMBINATION PLAY · 1-2 (Wall Pass) · Overlap · Thru Ball · Takeover Next Step - SHORT-SIDED GAME(s) Finally, organize several short-sided games in confined space Passers vs. Defender(s) – change defenders with each turnover or every 30 seconds. 4v1; 3v1; 4v2; 5v2; 5v3; 2v2v2 Even sided keep-away or line soccer 3v3, 4v4 or 5v5 FINAL STEP · Team Stretch - this very last Team Stretch is as much for bonding and ritual as much as anything else. It is generally during or immediately after this Team Stretch that we will re-cap that days focus and gather for our “Crash The Goal” battle-cry. You should have been stretching and warming up for at least 30-40 minutes (longer if you can) so that when the game starts. You are warm. You are focused. You are prepared to win. You are all systems go!

After intense exercise, a cool down period helps circulation, lactic acid levels, and other body functions to return to normal gradually. If a soccer player suddenly stops moving after intense exercise, he will feel faint and possibly see stars. During exercise the blood vessels taking blood to working tissue expand along with the increase in heart rate and blood flow, during exercise the blood flow to the working tissues is 4 - 6 times higher than at rest. Muscle contraction aids in returning the blood to the heart so when the player suddenly stops running, blood gets stranded in the lower body and there is not enough to feed the brain, this causes a light-headed feeling and sometimes fainting. Lactic acid levels can increase to five times their resting levels during intense exercise. The slow removal of the excess lactic acid can cause post-exercise soreness. To avoid this discomfort lactic acid levels should be lowered as soon as possible. While some lactic acid goes to the liver and is made into glucose, most of it reverts to pyruvate, enters the mitochondria and is broken down through the aerobic system to provide energy for low-intensity work. Inactivity after exercise lowers the need for energy and lactic acid clearance will be slowed considerably. But if the cool down consists of moderate to light exercise, the energy from the lactic acid will be used more rapidly and the post-exercise soreness will be less. The 10 to 15 minute cool down period immediately after exercise should consist of one or two jogging laps of the field and a period of stretching. If the recovery exercise is too intense it will be of no benefit and may even prolong recovery by increasing the lactic acid build-up. Remember, the laps are not a victory charge, a race, punishment, or time to show how fit you are. Start them slowly and end even slower.

5 Steps To Mastering Touch On The Ball This is a progressive 5 step system of developing your juggling skills. It is important to understand that juggling is not a soccer skill, as it were. You don’t see professional players juggling the ball up and down the field during matches. However, what you DO see is spectaular 1st touch by most professional players. And that is something that juggling will help give you. Absolute mastery of the ball is the 1st step in soccer success. And juggling off any desired surface at will and from surface to surface at will IS mastery of the ball. So juggling is something beneficial and to master the skill WILL greatly enhance you game. Here is a straightforward 5 step system to get there. LEVEL 1 - (All players start here). The player drops the ball and touches it once with the foot he or she prefers. The ball then bounces onto the floor, only once, then the player touches with his foot again, then the ball bounces, the player touches with his foot, the ball bounces and so on. If the ball bounces more than once on the floor then the counting starts again. For Level 1, either foot may be used anywhere within the touch cycle. So that the pattern goes like this: foot - bounce - foot - bounce - foot - bounce - foot - bounce - etc. 2 touches = 1 point 3 touches = a total of 2 points 4 touches = a total of 3 points 6 touches = a total of 4 points 8 touches = a total of 5 points 10 touches = a total of 6 points 12 touches = a total of 7 points 14 touches = a total of 8 points 16 touches = a total of 9 points 18 touches = a total of 10 points 21 touches = a total of 11 points 24 touches = a total of 12 points 27 touches = a total of 13 points 30 touches = a total of 14 points 33 touches = a total of 15 points 36 touches = a total of 16 points 39 touches = a total of 17 points 42 touches = a total of 18 points 46 touches = a total of 19 points 50 touches = a total of 20 points 50 consecutive touches completes this level. (Hints: visualize the “bottom flat” of the ball. keep the foot straight with the toes pointing down so that the foot presents a flat surface and the ball strikes cleanly. Strike flat level surface of your foot precisely to the “bottom flat” of the ball) LEVEL 2 - (For those who have completed Level 1). This exercise is very similar to the previous one but this time the player touches the ball 3 times with his stronger foot and lets the ball bounce on the ground and then touches once with his weaker foot and lets the ball bounce (this completes one round). So that the pattern goes like this (assuming your right foot is your strong foot): right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce (one round) - right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce (two rounds) - right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce (three round3) - right foot - right foot - right foot - bounce - left foot - bounce (four rounds) - etc. 4 rounds = a total of 21 points 5 rounds = a total of 22 points 6 rounds = a total of 23 points 7 rounds = a total of 24 points 8 rounds = a total of 25 points 9 rounds = a total of 26 points 10 rounds = a total of 27 points 11 rounds = a total of 28 points 12 rounds = a total of 29 points 13 rounds = a total of 30 points 14 rounds = a total of 31 points 15 rounds = a total of 32 points 16 rounds = a total of 33 points 17 rounds = a total of 34 points 18 rounds = a total of 35 points 19 rounds = a total of 36 points 20 rounds = a total of 37 points 21 rounds = a total of 38 points 23 rounds = a total of 39 points 25 rounds = a total of 40 points (Remember that the sequence is always 3 touches with the stronger foot, bounce, 1 touch with the weaker foot, bounce (1 round), 3 touches with the stronger foot, bounce, 1 touch with the weaker foot, bounce (2 rounds) etc.) 25 rounds completes this level. LEVEL 3 - (For those who have mastered Level 2). The player starts with the ball in his hands. He throws it into the air and with his INSTEP (the INSTEP the SHOELACE portion of your foot; not to be confused with the inside of your foot) returns it to his hands. He repeats this with his weaker foot, then with both thighs and lastly with his head and always returning it to his hands after each touch. The sequence then is: hands - instep - hands - other instep - hands - thigh - hands - other thigh - hands - head – hands (one round) 4 rounds = a total of 41 points 5 rounds = a total of 42 points 6 rounds = a total of 43 points 7 rounds = a total of 44 points 8 rounds = a total of 45 points 9 rounds = a total of 46 points 10 rounds = a total of 47 points 11 rounds = a total of 48 points 12 rounds = a total of 49 points 13 rounds = a total of 50 points 14 rounds = a total of 51 points 15 rounds = a total of 52 points 16 rounds = a total of 53 points 17 rounds = a total of 54 points 18 rounds = a total of 55 points 19 rounds = a total of 56 points 20 rounds = a total of 57 points 21 rounds = a total of 58 points 23 rounds = a total of 59 points 25 rounds = a total of 60 points 25 rounds completes this level. LEVEL 4 - (for those who have completed Level 3). In principal the exercise is the same as the one in Level 3 except this time there are 3 touches with the stronger foot, one with the weaker, 3 with each thigh and 2 with the head. The sequence then is: hands - r. instep - r. instep - r. instep - hands - l. instep - hands - r. thigh - r. thigh - r. thigh - hands - l. thigh - l. thigh - l. thigh - hands - head - head - hands (one round) 25 consecutive rounds completes this level. 4 rounds = a total of 61 points 5 rounds = a total of 62 points 6 rounds = a total of 63 points 7 rounds = a total of 64 points 8 rounds = a total of 65 points 9 rounds = a total of 66 points 10 rounds = a total of 67 points 11 rounds = a total of 68 points 12 rounds = a total of 69 points 13 rounds = a total of 70 points 14 rounds = a total of 71 points 15 rounds = a total of 72 points 16 rounds = a total of 73 points 17 rounds = a total of 74 points 18 rounds = a total of 75 points 19 rounds = a total of 76 points 20 rounds = a total of 77 points 21 rounds = a total of 78 points 23 rounds = a total of 79 points 25 rounds = a total of 80 points LEVEL 5 - EXCELLENCE The same sequence that was started in Level 3 but this time we increase the number of touches for each round. Eg. - Hands, instep, hands, other instep, hands, thigh, hands, other thigh, hands, head (one round); hands, 2 touches with the instep, hands, 2 touches with the other instep, hands, 2 touches with thigh, hands, 2 touches with other thigh, hands, 2 touches with head (2 rounds); 3 touches with each surface for round 3 and so on up to 20 rounds. If the sequence is broken or the ball falls to the ground you start again from the beginning. 1 round = a total of 81 points 2 rounds = a total of 82 points 3 rounds = a total of 83 points 4 rounds = a total of 84 points 5 rounds = a total of 85 points 6 rounds = a total of 86 points 7 rounds = a total of 87 points 8 rounds = a total of 88 points 9 rounds = a total of 89 points 10 rounds = a total of 90 points 11 rounds = a total of 91 points 12 rounds = a total of 92 points 13 rounds = a total of 93 points 14 rounds = a total of 94 points 15 rounds = a total of 95 points 16 rounds = a total of 96 points 17 rounds = a total of 97 points 18 rounds = a total of 98 points 19 rounds = a total of 99 points 20 rounds = a total of 100 points 100 points completes the Ladder! Congratulations! Your have now mastered quality touch on the ball! With this kind of touch quality, you are probably already better than 99% of players your age (both boys and girls). And with this kind of touch quality, there is no other soccer skill you cannot learn. You have laid the foundation to every dribbling move, every kind of shot & pass, and every collection method this sport has to offer.

This is the world's best daily soccer routine or pre-game warm-up. Summer is on us and a new soccer season is just around the corner. The following activity, will improve your skills and help you get ready for the season. Note to keepers: I strongly suggest that you also spend the time to work on these activities. These will improve your foot skills and make you a more complete player. It is imperative that we not loose sight of the most important skill of soccer. And that is TOUCH. Touch determines what happens when the ball finally gets to YOUR FOOT. You will either do something significant with the ball which will benefit the team, or you will loose possession or just put it back "up for grabs". And all of the systems in the world, and all of the runs and effort off the ball, and team shape, and balance, and set plays and restarts, etc., are of little consequence if we lose control the ball on the 1st touch - or directly thereafter. The other important thing about TOUCH is that players can develop this skill and ability on their own away from team practice! And that is what you should be doing. That way, we can incorporate these growing skills INTO team sessions and make team sessions far more interesting (i.e. FUN) rather than spending 30-45 minutes of valuable team time learning the very basics. It's kind of like playing an instrument. You go to lessons 1 or 2 times a week. But you do not just take out your instrument and practice at lessons in front of your instructor. You work at home each day to learn the assigned music. This is very much the same thing. These touches on the ball are your "notes". These moves are your "scales". Those are the things you work on at home. The set plays, and team systems and playing with each other are the actual "songs & scores" and matches are the "stage performances" of this beautiful game. And that is the fun part. But it does not happen without each player doing their part… at home… each day. I can help make you a top notch soccer player. But only if you choose to learn how. YOU SHOULD NOTE THIS: For any player with plans and ambition of eventually moving to high school and select level soccer, these moves are very important to know. In most cases, players (average players, that is) will eventually gravitate toward just one move during matches. That is the player who usually gets away with it only one time – and that is the player who will never be more than average. You need to MASTER at least 3 different moves. And I mean MASTER. That means on both the left AND right foot. Or in both directions. That means at speed. And that means as a reflex – without having to think to yourself “ok, I want to do such&such a move now, so the 1st step is”…etc. That means including the exploding acceleration into the space you just created for yourself every time you use (or even practice) the move. Just that ability will likely put you in the upper echelon of players. Of course, the more moves beyond 3 that you master, the more dangerous you will be to opponents because they will not know how to defend you. We have over 20 skills, feints, turns & moves in our basic warm-up for you to learn. Just imagine how deadly a player you can be. 1000 TOUCH WARM-UP. The foot work activity here is designed to give you about 1000 touches in seven minutes. And I know that everyone can find seven minutes a day to work on their soccer skills. This warm-up should be done daily as a regular part of exercise and training preparation. Ideally, on practice days and match days, I would love to see everybody arrive 15 minutes early and get this warm-up in before we even begin the regular training session or match preparation. 1000 TOUCH WORKOUT. The full workout takes about 45 minutes. It start with the 1000 Touches Warm-up and then continues on as described below. You should try to utilize this workout only 1-2 times a week and use the other days put variety into your personal training and/or focus on specialized skills you wish to improve. 1000 TOUCHES WARM-UP SEVEN MINUTE DRILL 120 BALL TAPS BASIC ROLLS (4 each foot) 1) Inside Roll 2) Outside roll BELL TOUCHES (120 touches) FOUNDATION SKILLS (4 each foot, alternating feet 3 touches between moves) 1) Side to Side Push-Pull 2) Side to Side Step-On 3) Side to Side Front Roll PULL-BACK SKILLS Do sequence with one foot then switch (4 times each foot ) 1) Pull, Instep Push 2) Pull a Vee 3) Pull & Take with Outside of foot 4) Pull & Roll Behind TURNS: from moderate speed turn 180 degrees and explode/accelerate for 3 touches between turns. Then bring it back down to moderate pace for the next turn (4 times each foot) 1) Pull Turn 2) Drag-Back 3) Inside Chop 4) Outside-Cut 5) Cruyff 6) Stepover Turn 7) Step-On Shield & Turn TAKE-ON MOVES, explode/accelerate after the move for 3 touches between turns. Then bring it back down to moderate pace for the next move (4 times each foot) 1) Hip Swivel 2) Roll-Touch 3) Roll-Push 4) Inside-Outside (Mathews) 5) Stepover 6) Rivolino 7) Body Swerve (Scissor Behind the ball) 8) Scissor 9) Double Scissor 10) Ba-Dink (Cap) Complete daily - This short warm-up is over 1000 touches on the ball. 1000 TOUCHES WORKOUT THE FULL WORKOUT. To continue with the full 1000 TOUCH WORKOUT, add the following cycles: BALL & A WALL Spend another ten minutes passing against a wall. Use both feet. Use one-touch, two-touch, and three-touch pass backs. Pass back with both the instep and inside of feet. Include fake kicks. Keep feet moving and your weight on the balls of your feet. Receive balls with your body square behind the ball and work on accuracy with your passes. Pass with pace and receive with deftness. JUGGLING/TOUCH LADDER Spend ten minutes juggling the ball trying to get 100 consecutive juggles or, if you are not yet proficient enough a juggler, work the Touch Ladder. STRENGTH CONDITIONING Do 50-100 situps, then stretch as needed. (3 Cycles) Do 20-50 push-ups. Put ball below your head and touch the ball at your hairline (the perfect heading surface) with each pushup. (3 Cycles) PATTERN DRIBBLE Pattern Dribble for 10-15 minutes. (IR=inside right; OR=outside right; IL=inside left; OL=outside left) Begin with easy 1 foot patterns: IR-OR-IR-OR-IR-OR-IR-OR-IR-OR and IL-OL-IL-OL-IL-OL-IL-OL-IL-OL Progress to more complex patterns. For example: IR-OL-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-OR IR-OL-IL-IR-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-IR-IL-OR - IR-OL-IL-IR-IL-OR IR-OL-IL-stepover-OL-IL-OR-IR-stepover-OR - IR-OL-IL-stepover-OL-IL-OR-IR-stepover-OR Make up your own patterns. Be Creative. Have fun with it. RUNNING, SPRINTING & SLOWING WITH THE BALL Accelerate & Decelerate under full control of the ball. This is different from dribbling. Dribbling is about change of direction. This is about pace and change of pace. The ability to change you pace - explode or come to a dead stop with the ball under full control - is as important as any take-on move you can ever learn. The direction is roughly straight ahead. Start from a moderate pace and then explode for 10-20 yards then bring the ball back down to moderate pace all the while not breaking stride. 10-15 minutes. Try to do complete warm-up every day. And the full Workout 1-3 times a week. This workout can be done anywhere that there is little danger of breaking things, for instance in a basement, playroom or outside. Total time for the warm-up is about 7-10 minutes, the complete workout about 45 minutes. I suggest that you run 15-20 minutes at least 3 days a week in addition to this workout. A hilly terrain or stadium bleachers would be best. Remember, there is now way you will significantly improve your skills and abilities without putting time on the ball. It cannot and will not happen with only 2 team practices a week. I can teach you and show you HOW to improve, but only you can actually put in the effort TO improve. The choice is yours. Dedication will yield the results. 1000 TOUCHES Descriptions of moves Below are descriptions of many of the Coerver moves learned over the years. The names I have applied to them are not the end all and be all. Some are given the names as I refer to them. Some are given the Coerver names that I have learned them as. The point is not to learn the names as you would a list of the state capitols – but to learn the moves. The names just help to keep track of what you’ve learned and what you have done in the warm-up. For any player with plans and ambition of eventually moving to high school and select level soccer, these moves are very important to know. In most cases, players will eventually gravitate toward just one move during matches. That is the player who usually gets away with it only one time – and that is the player who will never be more than average. You must MASTER at least 3 different moves. That means on both the left AND right foot. That means at speed. And that means as a reflex – without having to think to yourself “ok, I want to do such&such a move now, so the 1st step is”…etc. Just that ability will likely put you in the upper echelon of players. Of course, the more moves beyond 3 that you master, the more dangerous you will be to opponents because they will not know how to defend you. We have over 20 skills, feints, turns & moves in our basic warm-up for you to learn. Just imagine how deadly a player you can be. FAST FOOTWORK Inside Roll - Roll the ball across your body from outside to inside with the inside and sole of the foot and stop the ball with the inside of the other foot. Outside Roll - Roll the ball across your body from inside to outside with the outside and sole of the foot and stop the ball with the inside of the same foot. Bell Touches Step up and down to pass ball 4-6 inches between feet. Ball is passed between the feet with very soft, light touches. Be sure weight is forward on balls of feet. With each step you should be coming down on your toes first; then your heels. Knees stay bent at all times. Move the ball forward and backward. Be sure you are stepping up and down; not sideways. Work at getting a comfortable rhythm. Side to Side Push-Pull - Tap ball back and forth with inside of feet, push ball forward with one foot and pull it back the sole of the opposite foot. Side to Side Step-On - Roll ball to outside with the sole by stepping lightly on the ball, then tap ball back to the inside with the inside of the foot. Side to Side Front Roll -Tap ball back and forth with inside of feet, push ball slightly forward then pull the ball across your body with the front part of the sole. Pull Instep Push - Push ball forward and pull it back with the sole, then tap ball forward with the instep of the same foot. Pull a Vee - Push the ball forward and pull it back the sole of the foot while turning and then take the ball with the inside of the same foot. Pull & Take with Outside of foot - Push the ball forward and pull the ball back with the sole then push the ball diagonally forward with the outside of the foot. Pull & Roll Behind - Push the ball forward and pull the ball back with the sole of the foot then pass the ball behind the standing leg with the inside of the foot. Control the ball with the sole of the other foot. TURNS Pull Turn -Push ball forward with one foot and pull it back with the other while turning toward ball and take the ball in the opposite direction with the inside of the first foot. Drag Back - Push ball forward with one foot and pull it back with the same foot while turning toward (and with) the ball. As you complete your turn, drop your foot from the top of the ball and take the ball in the opposite direction with the inside of the drag-back foot. Inside Chop - Push ball forward, move past ball and turn toward ball and take it with the inside of the foot in the opposite direction. Outside Cut - Push ball forward, move past ball and turn toward ball while taking it with the outside of the foot in the opposite direction. Cruyff - Push the ball forward, fake kick with inside of foot, but instead pull ball behind the standing leg and change directions. Stepover Turn – Push ball forward, step over ball with one foot in the following manner: The step begins from the outside and moves across the body (Close the Gate fashion). The stepover foot plants alongside the ball with the outside of the stepover foot facing the ball and your legs are sort of crossed. Next: Bring the back (non-stepover) foot all the way around to the back of the ball whilst pivoting on the stepover foot and turning 180 degrees in the direction toward the ball… Continue the flow of the motion and carry the ball away with the non-stepover foot. Accelerate to space. Step-on Turn – While dribbling forward, Stop the ball with the sole of your foot (“stepping” on it) and allow your body’s momentum to carry you over to the back side of the ball. Stop your own forward progress once on the other side of the ball with your body should now be in a sideways-on relation to the ball. With you now positioned between the ball and the (real or imagined) defender you have effectively shielded the ball. With the outside of the foot which is now next to the ball, push accelerate and carry the ball back to the direction you came from and away from the defender. TAKE-ON MOVES: Hip Swivel - Fake with inside of one foot by swivelling hips toward ball, then reverse direction and take the ball with the inside of the other foot. Accelerate to space. Roll-Touch- While moving forward, pull ball across body with sole and touch in into space behind the defender with the inside of opposite foot. Accelerate to space. Roll-Push - While moving forward, pull ball across body with sole and take with outside of opposite foot. Accelerate to space. Inside-Outside (Mathews) - Fake with inside of foot nudging ball by dipping shoulder, then take ball in the opposite direction with the outside of same foot. (explode) Stepover – As covered above - With ball moving, stepover ball so ball is outside of stepover foot, turn and take the ball with the other foot. Rivolino – Begin as with the Stepover: The step begins from the outside and moves across the body (Close the Gate fashion). The stepover foot plants alongside the ball with the outside of the stepover foot facing the ball and your legs are sort of crossed. Next: Bring the back (non-stepover) foot up from behind and plant it next to the stepover foot. Next: With the outside of the stepover foot which is still next to the ball, push accelerate and carry to space. Body Swerve - Fake with outside of one foot, step behind and take with outside of opposite foot. Accelerate to space. Scissors - step in front of or over ball with one foot in the following manner: The step begins from the across the body and moves to the outside of the body (Open the Gate fashion). The motion is very similar to the Body Swerve motion – as though you were going to push it with the outside of the foot. The only real difference is that the fake comes over or in front of the ball rather than behind it. The faking foot plants alongside the ball with the inside of the foot facing the ball and your legs wide open and you are rather straddling the ball. Next: Take the ball in the opposite direction with the outside of the other foot. Accelerate to space. Ba-Dink (Cap) - Cut ball with inside of foot slightly backward and take ball ahead with the inside of the opposite foot. Accelerate to space. There are other moves. Some very fancy and flashy, but perhaps not so practical (like the rainbow for example). I don’t mind if you seek out and work on others – but only in addition to these more fundamental and functional move (not in place of them). These are the ones I want you to work on the most because these are the ones which will serve you best. Work hard. Commit yourself to your own soccer future. And have fun! (knowing all of these IS fun!)