Welcome to The Technical Area – December 5, 2007
Welcome to the 139th issue of The Technical Area. Inside you'll find information on the NSCAA and its educational offerings. Each biweekly issue offers the latest news and information from the NSCAA and its partners.
In this issue:
Online Preregistration for 2008 NSCAA Convention Closes Sunday, December 9
Find the NSCAA Award Winners Here
Algarve Cup Symposium Upcoming
NSCAA Foundation Grant Application Now Available Online
2008 Board of Directors Election
Advanced National Diploma Course Offered Next Spring in Brazil
2008 NSCAA Residential Academies Dates and Sites Announced
Upcoming Non-Residential Courses
Tickets Now Available for Soccer America 2008 Superstar Jersey Raffle
Sign Up Now for World Class Coaching Coaches Tour
Digitell Offers Free 30-Day Trial to NSCAA Online Library
Performance Conditioning Offers Newsletter
MLS Update
Coaching Corner: Shooting On The Stride
As a reminder, we welcome your feedback. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the e-mail newsletter, please send them to
feedback@nscaa.com.
Online Preregistration for 2008 NSCAA Convention Closes Sunday, December 9
The end is rapidly approaching for the preregistration period for the Deadline for registration for the 2008 NSCAA Convention. If you plan on sending in your form, it must be postmarked by Friday, December 7. If you choose to register for the 61st Annual NSCAA Convention, you have a couple of extra days. As has been the case the past five years, online registration will remain open through the weekend, closing at midnight (Eastern time) on Sunday, December 9. Any registrations received after these deadlines will be returned and the party must register onsite in Baltimore, Md. When you go to register, do not create a new member log-in. If you don't remember your log-in, CLICK HERE.
We're building an impressive roster of presenters, including Gerard Houllier formerly of Liverpool and Olympique Lyonnais, Steve McClaren of the England National Team and sport psychologist and Convention favorite Bill Beswick.
Save $5 by registering for the event online.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE HOUSING AND REGISTRATION PAGE!
Find the NSCAA Award Winners Here
The NSCAA has announced several of its 2007 award winners at the High School and College level. These lists expand daily, so check the complete awards list by CLICKING HERE frequently.
Algarve Cup Symposium Upcoming
Register now for the 2008 Algarve Cup Symposium, which takes place March 7-13, 2008, in Algarve Region, Portugal, in conjunction with the Algarve Cup and presented by the NSCAA and the NSCAA Women's Committee.
The cost is $695 for NSCAA members and $795 for non-members. A minimum $250 deposit (non-refundable and non-transferable) and a completed application must be submitted by January 25, 2008.
To download a 2008 Algarve Cup Symposium Application Form, CLICK HERE.
NSCAA Foundation Grant Application Now Available Online
The NSCAA Foundation supports the mission of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and promotes excellence in soccer coaching by providing resources that support coaches and organization s in their quest to improve soccer at all levels.
The NSCAA Foundation invites charitable 501(c)3 organizations to submit an application for a grant from the Foundation. This form must be completed and postmarked no later than Dec. 31, 2007 for consideration in the 2008 fiscal year. Applications will be reviewed and grants awarded in January, 2008.
The NSCAA Foundation Grant Application can be found by CLICKING HERE.
2008 Board of Directors Election
The 2008 election for the NSCAA Board of Directors involves two officer positions (third vice president and secretary) and three constituent representative positions (youth girls, high school boys and college women). For information on the election and to access a proxy ballot, please CLICK HERE.
Advanced National Diploma Course Offered Next Spring in Brazil
Come join the NSCAA for an Advanced National Diploma Course in Brazil next spring. The course will take place May 11-18 at Oscar's Academy in Sao Paulo, Brazil. CLICK HERE for more information and an application.
2008 NSCAA Residential Academies Dates and Sites Announced
The slate of 2008 NSCAA summer residential academy course dates and sites have been released. CLICK HERE for the current list of all residential academies being offered by the NSCAA.
Upcoming Non-Residential CoursesIf you can't find one in your area, why not host?
Winter is on the way, but that's no excuse not to continue to learn updated coaching methodologies by attending an NSCAA Coaching Education course near you. Keep checking NSCAA.com for the latest list. If you don't see a course near you, contact the State or Regional Technical Director for your area. A complete list can be found HERE.
State Diploma
Omaha, Neb.- Dec. 15
San Antonio, Texas - Dec. 15
Lititz, Pa. - Jan. 5
Lincoln, Neb. - Jan. 26
Sanford, N.C. - Feb. 16
Austin, Texas - Feb. 24
Regional Diploma
Bakersfield, Calif. - Feb. 2-3
Lincoln, Neb. - Feb. 15-16
Klamath Falls, Ore. - Feb. 23-24
Advanced Regional Diploma
Charlotte, N.C. - Dec. 7-9
Blaine, Minn. - Dec. 7-9
Savannah, Ga. - Dec. 8-9
Kingsport, Tenn. - Jan. 11-13
Roanoke, Va. - Jan. 13
San Antonio, Texas - Feb. 1-3
Lincoln, Neb. - Feb. 15-17
State Goalkeeping Diploma
Winchester, Va. - Dec. 8
Lincoln, Neb. - Dec. 8
Houston, Texas - Dec. 16
Jackson, Miss. - Dec. 22
Tulsa, Okla. - Feb. 1
Regional Goalkeeping Diploma
Winchester, Va. - Dec. 9
Lincoln, Neb. - Dec. 9
Tulsa, Okla. - Feb. 3
Raleigh, N.C. - Feb. 9
Parent Coach Diploma
San Antonio, Texas - Dec. 15
National Youth Diploma
Bloomington, Ill. - Dec. 14-16
Austin, Texas - Jan. 11-13
Bakersfield, Calif. - Feb. 8-10
Tickets Now Available for Soccer America 2008 Superstar Jersey Raffle
Soccer America and the NSCAA are pleased to announce tickets are now available to enter the 2008 Superstar Jersey Raffle. Tickets are just $1 each with no maximum purchase. Don't miss your chance to to win one of many signed jerseys, including national teams from England, Italy, Germany and the United States, and club teams such as the Los Angeles Galaxy, Stuttgart, Blackburn Rovers, Celtic, Werder Bremen, AC Milan and many more. The drawing will take place Jan. 19, 2008, at the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore, Md. All proceeds benefit the Special Olympics and the NSCAA Foundation.
CLICK HERE to purchase raffle tickets.
Sign Up for World Class Coaching Coaches Tour
AJAX & PSV EINDHOVEN COACHES TOUR - Visit Holland and observe training sessions at Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and NEC. Meet with their coaches and learn their practices and curriculums. Attend two Eredivisie games, including Ajax vs. Excelsior. CLICK HERE for more information on a coaching education trip of a lifetime with World Class Coaching.
Digitell Offers Free 30-Day Trial to NSCAA Online Library
Take advantage of a 30-day free trial offer to the NSCAA Online Library. You will have access to all live field demonstrations, live audio and PowerPoints from the educational lectures at the NSCAA Convention. This access gives you unlimited streaming access until December 31, 2007. CLICK HERE to access the library, and insert gift code number STRMSOCC to redeem your free access. You will need to complete the form and create a user name and password.
Visit the Digitell booth at the 2008 NSCAA Convention to purchase access to both the 2007 and 2008 Conventions.Pre-order your 2008 NSCAA Online Library beginning December 1.
Performance Conditioning Offers Newsletter
An official licensed publication of the NSCAA, designed for the soccer coach responsible for conditioning. The latest soccer specific information is provided in an easy-to-use, seven times a year newsletter with charts and illustrations covering all 14 critical areas of soccer conditioning. Among the topics covered are improving the seven speeds of soccer, explosive power and endurance and combining technical and tactical with physical development.
CLICK HERE for a sample article.
The Performance Conditioning Soccer Newsletter can be ordered through the Members Only section of NSCAA.com. CLICK HERE to access the section.
MLS Update
Major League Soccer, the J League (Japan) and Hyundai A-League (Australia) have created a new international soccer tournament to be hosted in Honolulu, Hawaii: the Pan-Pacific Championship (PPC), which will crown the top club from the Asian and North American soccer confederations. The inaugural edition of the competition will be held on February 20 and 23, 2008 at Aloha Stadium and will feature four clubs. The Houston Dynamo and the Los Angeles Galaxy will represent MLS in this exciting tournament. Joining them will be Japan's Gamba Osaka and an Australian club to be named later. Log on to MLSnet.com for more details.
Coaching Corner: Shooting on the StrideBy Neil Hull, NSCAA Texas B State Technical Coordinator
A vital aspect to shooting and making the finish is timing. Some might say a shot is just another pass into the back of the net. While this is true, the timing of this pass, or as we prefer to call it, the shot, is vital. At the Players Academy of Soccer Skills, we teach our own philosophy of "shooting on the stride." This philosophy comes from years of coaching players to finish their shot. The shot is the beginning of the story, with the middle being the selection of aiming point and position of the defender, whether that is a field player or a goalkeeper. Finally, the end is where the goalkeeper has to pick the ball from the back of the net. This philosophy is not just built from the striker, but also the goalkeeper. We are lucky enough to have some of the highest qualified goalkeeping coaches in the state and nation, so we use their knowledge on the difficulties of stopping the shot and making the save, and use these to our striking advantage, Hence, we created "Shooting On The Stride" from both sides of the ball.
Watch the modern game and you will see many goals scored by a striker shooting between the legs of the defender in almost a "megging" shot. To watch it, one might think that it was a lucky shot, but in reality it was well-practiced by shooting on the stride.
Watch the average attacking player shoot when under pressure by a defender. He will will push the ball to the side, leaving the plant foot stationary and initiating the action the striking foot ("pulling the trigger"). This method can be very successful if the attacker is quick and the defender slow. It also given a big visual clue to the goalkeeper that a shot is about to be taken. By shooting on the stride we believe we can deceive the defender and the goalkeeper into thinking we are going around the defender or creating more shooting space than is necessary.
This is our teaching scenario: Imagine the attacker is one on one with the defender. Instead if pushing the ball a pace to the side of the defender to shoot, we teach pushing it about a pace and a half. By doing this, the goalkeeper thinks that we are attempting to get the ball past the defender and the goalkeeper has time to change his set position. The defender thinks he can counter the attacker's mistake of a "heavy touch" and overstride across to reach the ball, leaving him off-balance. Unknown to either defender, this has all been planned.
Our method when teaching shooting on the stride is this: Once the ball has been pushed to the side of the defender, the attacker has to take a half-step to the ball side and slightly forward with his plant foot. It is natural to be angled away from the target when doing this. For example, if we are shooting with the right foot, our plant foot (left foot) naturally points to 2 o'clock and away to the outside of the near post. As we know, where the plant foot points, the ball follows. The technical point comes in not only correcting this, but "over-correcting." We may want to point it at 11 o'clock; in reality we would prefer more toward 10 o'clock. I'll explain why later.
While all this is happening, the ball is still moving away from the striker. Plant foot placed, the striker now has to reach for the ball by taking a lunging stride and preparing to "pull the trigger." Remember, the attacker is already half a pace nearer to the ball than the defender, meaning that for the defender to match the attacker's stride he really has to step into it, leaving his legs wide open. If the timing is correct in one of two methods, he either shoots through the defender's legs or outside of the defender's reaching stride. Either way, the attacker is disguising the shot to the goalkeeper by using the defender's body as a visual shield. Remember about the plant foot being at 10 o'clock rather than 11 o'clock? Because of the over-correction, the attacker strikes the ball across its face, creating a swerving shot and pulling the ball further away from the goalkeeper's hands.
All this is very good, but the defender can easily read this. Say we are shooting with our right foot--the defender reads the shot and over-reaches out to toe-tap it away. The attacker, in the middle of his half step for his plant foot, cuts it back inside with his right foot using something as simple as an inside cut or rollover. The defender is unbalanced and over-committed, the goalkeeper has anticipated rather than reacted. The striker now has the ball on his left foot for an easy placement passing the ball into the back of the net.
