The Value of Indoor Soccer for High School Players

ASC High School Player and Parents,

As we get ready to kick off Session 5 High School Rec in the next couple of weeks. A thought came to mind… as many of you will tryout and play for your High School in the next couple of months. How can you be best prepared for your up and coming season? Being a High School Coach myself, I know there will be plenty of opportunity to practice as your local high school season kicks off, but are you going to get an opportunity to apply what you have learned in a game?

• What does it look like when you can’t take your practice game to competition?
• Do you play freely and relaxed in practice, but choke up in competition?
• Does your performance feel tight, controlled, or lack freedom when you compete?
• Does the pressure of big games cause you to tense up and lose trust in your skills?

Many hard-working and determined soccer athletes lose confidence when it comes time to compete. There are many reasons soccer players perform better in practice than in games. But the most common one is the lack of game experience. If you are going to train and work at your skills, but not get a chance to apply it in a game scenario… then when will you get to apply what you have learned?

Here are a few things soccer players need to work through when it comes to improving their game during competition:

• They focus on the strengths of their competitors rather than their own strengths.
• They think about technique while they play and over analyze their passes and shots.
• They fear failure causes and become anxious and tighten up.
• They try to avoid making mistakes by “playing safe” or more defensive.
• They expect perfection and get hung up after a few bad passes or shots.

All of these game barriers lead to under-performance when it counts the ost. Then, the player becomes frustrated because they know they should play better, the way they did yesterday in practice!

I would highly recommend that you register for Session 5 and continue to improve your game before your local high school season kicks off. Also understand, that as a student you are allowed to practice or compete for any non-AIA teams after school as long as you are done with it before your first league schedule high school game. That way you will not forfeit eligibility.

High School Session 5 starts October 2, 2017 and ends November 20, 2017. Local High School game in most districts don’t have their first official games until the week of November 27, 2017. Please do not confuse your scrimmage as it doesn’t count as your first official game. I hope this was informative and if you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to seeing you on the field. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Respectfully,

George Archuleta

Youth Soccer Director

george@arizonasportscomplex.com

623-587-7171