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Developing good dribbling skills

Pelé dribbling past a defender during Malmö-Br...

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Dribbling is a supreme skill in football. It is the craftful use of legs to run with the ball and also avoid it being kicked by the opposition team members. Almost all footballers would have started playing football dribbling the ball around. But as they start playing club football, they lose it. This is because of the coaching system that encourages footballers to pass the ball around more.

Certain international teams pride themselves in the skills of dribbling. A team to mention is the Brazilian national team. Their coaching system still enncourages footballers to dribble the ball innovatively while still learning to pass the ball around effectively.
To become a good dribbler, you need to following these steps.

Play football with a tennis ball. If you do this, you will learn the art of ball control, and light-touch navigation. You will also adjust your running with the speed of the ball. In time you become accustomed to the constant need to change speed, direction, and momentum.

Use all parts of your foot to dribble. Don’t just use your toe and heel. Use the sides and top of your foot as well. Try to use your knees to pop the ball up, and control it. Watch videos of great dribblers in football. A famous name is Pele.

Run with the ball. Increase your running speed, and run as close to the ball as possible. Erect buoys on the field, and run with the ball whilst running the ball around the buoys.

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Explaining the game of football

Austrian Forward Rubin Okotie tries to score o...
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Watching football is a time honored tradition in America, and football season is just around the corner.   But how do you get a new convert interested in the game?  To someone who has never watched football before, the game often appears as nothing more than a bunch of guys running across a field attempting to tackle each other.  While tackling is always a large part of football, a true fan understands that the game has subtleties and nuances that escape the oblivious beginner.  

The only real way to help a football novice truly understand the game is to explain the rules to them as the plays happen.  But trying to explain these nuances to someone during the middle of the game can cause a fan to miss big plays. So what is a true football junkie to do?

Start with the basics.  A true football fan can explain the positions, important players and the system of downs without too much concentration.  But what appears as obvious to those who have watched the game for years can be a bit bewildering to those who don’t even know the difference between a left tackle and a defensive end.

Helping someone understand penalties takes more time than game basics and positions. The instant replays can buy a fan a little more time to explain the penalty and how each specific penalty works.  If a fan does not have to time to both understand a referee’s call and explain them in the space of a penalty time out, they can always use commercial breaks.   Otherwise, admit that not everything can be explained, and the fan can leave the penalty calls as something for a new fan to understand in their own time.

It’s important not to completely overload new football fans.  Too much information at once can be overwhelming, and may mistakenly make someone believe the game too complicated for them to understand. At the end of the day, the goal is to make help the new person enjoy the game as much as any long time fan.

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The Importance of Children’s Participation in Sports

There is no question that children have become victims to the new digital age. Constantly inundated with video games, TV, iPods, and more, children are spending more and more time participating in sedentary activities instead of going outside and getting fresh air. This trend along with the fast food world has instituted an epidemic of obesity among America’s youth. Even the White House has joined the effort by launching the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition termed- Let’s Move!

The Importance of Children’s Participation in Sports

Different children will have different interests and therefore will take to and enjoy a wide array of sports. There are kid sports leagues for soccer, football, softball, basketball and more. If your child prefers a more solitary non-team setting sport you can sign them up for classes in tennis, swimming, or golf. Other options albeit not conducted outside but still extremely beneficial are various forms of marital arts including karate, kendo, and taekwondo. Whatever sport your child chooses, make sure its one that they are interested in to ensure their continued commitment and interest.

Benefits of Sport Participation

Children that are given a chance to participate in sports reap numerous benefits such as socialization with other children, opportunities for leadership, learning how to be a part of a team, and pure raw enjoyment. Additionally sport participation as been shown to increase childrens self-esteem and confidence, decrease school dropout rates, contribute to a healthy self image, and of course increase their overall health.

All children should participate at least in one sport over the course of their childhood or adolescence. The mental stimulation and interpersonal skill set that they gain will last them a lifetime. To keep it fun, parents should make sure that the focus of the child and the coach is on enjoyment and participation not solely winning.

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Filed Under: Fitness, Games, Sports Tagged With: , ,