1. Fitness
Make sure you stay in shape. Play year round if possible to keep your endurance up and skills sharp. Playing year round helps you avoid having to do grueling endurance training to get your endurance up before the new soccer season.
2. Training
First, be consistent with your soccer training. If your team doesn’t practice every day, practice on your own in the backyard or get involved with small pickup games outside of your main team practices. Also, cross train by lifting weights and doing extra fitness exercises. This will help put you above the rest.
3. Diet
Eat a high protein diet. Soccer is a contact sport. In order to avoid being knocked around like a ping-pong ball, eat foods that will build muscle and give you energy. Consume meals high in lean protein like; chicken breast, scallops, salmon, asparagus, eggs, corn, oats, beans, spinach, lentils. Drink lots of water. Water is the best source of hydration. Most sport beverages are just loaded with sugar. During a game, stay away from drinks like Gatorade, All Sport, Juice packs, and Red Bull.
4. Mindset
Visualize yourself scoring a goal, blocking a shot, and making a perfect cross. It will truly improve your chances of making it happen. I have used this strategy many times, especially when taking free kicks. I picture the ball taking the exact path I want it to take into the goal. This may sound somewhat crazy to you, but I urge you to try it. It really does work!
5. Teamwork
Playing in sync as a team can be tough to achieve. The longer you play together, the more in sync a team will be. This leads to my first recommendation: Try to stay with one team. And connecting on the field isn’t the only variable; you must be connected off the field as well. That is what creates great teamwork. Some examples would be:
- Plan a team Fun Day
- Pizza as a team after a game
- Team chicken dinner the night before a game
- Pool party
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