It has been nearly 20 years since Mercedes first introduced the A Class Mercedes concept. The concept was basic: design a compact car that is light, sculptured and innovative. They made a car that had sufficient rear space to transport a family while it was made with an impeccable taste. Additionally, Mercedes developed a car that was engineered with accuracy in order to embody the Mercedes brand.

The first generation of the Mercedes A Class was introduced as a five door hatchback. The hatchback was equipped with front wheel drive and a front impact absorption. This car was very different from the standard Mercedes design that the company had been creating. Furthermore, the car has features for instance electric stability control and an upgraded suspension system. And after that each generation kept on bringing more and more features in the car.

The second wave of the A Class Mercedes Benz was developed to be a three door hatchback that sat lower to the ground than its forerunner. A lot of upgrades were put on this vehicle. Mercedes continued to increase the safety features to incorporate several different options for airbags. The second generation not only has rear side airbags, it also offers curtain airbags to guard the passenger as well as the driver. Furthermore, the design is improved with modified head restraints and super strong steel alloys. This car goes at really high speeds because of the seven different sorts of motors and four cylinder engines.

When the brand new 2013 A Class Mercedes was unveiled to experts, it got lots of positive reviews. The compact car era has been uplifted with this five door hatchback. The aviation inspired design and innovative engineering has modified its predecessor’s features with astounding success. The New model has a broader body, a lower suspension, a turbo charged engine and LED signal lights. This Mercedes features a 210 horsepower engine with a dual clutch transmission. The showing of the brand new A Class displayed at the New York City Auto Show unveiled the vehicle’s radar based collision warning and adept brake assistance. This innovative safety feature is able to warn the drivers of a possible crash. This is an impressive technology which sets the A Class apart from the rest of the mini car market. Additionally, the centralized display panel is ideal for syncing all of your smart technology and uses the touch screen design to keep you abreast of everything that is going on in your life and car.

The A Class Mercedes concept has been crucial in creating a vision for compact family cars. It is made of the very best quality material and with the best design. The sleek and efficient features of the A Class combine luxury with engineering. The result is a line of concept cars that have successfully advanced over the years and continuously raised the bar on safety and power features. This vehicle will also assist in decreasing accident further by using the hi tech features for instance brake assist and collision warning system. This Mercedes is surely a milestone for the renowned brand.

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It is only natural, the majority of people want to look their greatest, and exercising their stomach muscles is typically a significant part of the majority of fitness programs. If a lot of time and power is aiming to be concentrated on this muscle group, it is a great idea to understand just what the most effective tummy workouts are.

There are numerous resources available for finding the most effective belly workouts, and lots of people to claim just what they consider the most effective, so exactly how can an individual determine for themselves which genuinely are the most effective workouts for working their stomach muscles?

To start with it is essential to bear in mind that the most effective tummy workouts are those that an individual is eager to do. Regardless of exactly how efficient the routine is, if an individual isn’t really aiming to do them regularly the routine will not help that particular individual. It is likewise vital to bear in mind that the most effective tummy workouts do not essentially call for devices to do them, although some equipment may operate rather well for some people.

When an individual picks a fitness plan that includes tummy workouts, it is best to feature tummy workouts that work the different parts of the tummy. If an individual simply focuses on one area of their tummy, their workout will not be as efficient. The very best tummy workouts, incorporate working the oblique, which are the side muscles, the lower abdominals, the mid section and also the upper section.

A few of the most prominent belly workouts are crunches. These are an extremely efficient routine and very beneficial because they can be executed anywhere without any type of devices. The next tummy routine that is likewise very popular and goes along with the basic crunch is the side crunch, which exercises the oblique.

Some people consider the most effective tummy workouts to be included in a Pilate’s workout. The reason for this is since in Pilates, the entire concentration is on the core of the physique which is the stomach, or stomach muscles. Every movement in a Pilate’s workout will work the stomach muscles either directly or indirectly. These workouts may be discovered on the web, either the routine itself or video clips that can be purchased.

Another good routine that some fitness professionals consider to be among the most effective tummy workouts involves laying level on your tummy, legs straight and then raising your physique up utilizing your arms as your hands are clasped together and maintaining your physique straight as if doing a pushup. Hold this placement as long as you can. This is an excellent movement to enhance the entire tummy.

Remember again though that just because one person may think about a specific routine to be the greatest tummy routine that does not essentially imply it is the greatest for everybody. Everyone’s physique is unique and will respond differently to particular motions. Any person serious pertaining to working on the stomach muscles will find it most valuable to try many different tummy workouts and then figure out which one they may both feel and see outcomes with. If one routine is simply too difficult to do properly, or does not feel like it has actually done anything for the muscle area worked, that routine is precisely not the most effective and the person needs to find just what operates ideal for them.

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Basketball drills are a necessity that every player, no matter the age or experience has to do on a regular basis. This means the same thing for those that are just learning the game all the way to the professionals that make a lot of money playing the game, which includes everyone in between. The truth of the matter is that basketball is a complex sport that needs for you to possess a different amount of skills. It is also intense and demands a lot from you physically, but drills can make your skills better and get you into shape. In this article, we will examine a few things that you should keep in mind when you plan basketball drills.

The best basketball drills create situations that are similar to those players will encounter in an actual game. Practicing skills one by one such as dribbling or shooting really is a waste of time because there are so many different scenarios in a real game. Players can learn how to do things incorrectly if their practice routine is too different from actual plays. For example, if a player is practicing dribbling on his own, he may tend to look at the ball, which is something that you don’t have the luxury of doing on the court, as you have to be aware of everyone around you. That’s why drills should mimic real games, where players must be able to control the ball in a variety of situations, and while being guarded. One particular skill that drills need to concentrate in is making players ready to transition from offense to defense very quickly. Basketball is one of the quickest moving games so players must have a certain level of conditioning, they need to have the reflexes of a cat and they also must have a level of alertness that helps them prepare for the next play. Your team could go from having the ball to going on the defensive in a matter of seconds. Some good drills to take players through is to put them in teams and then have them react quickly and change positions any time you blow your whistle. This type of basketball drill teaches the players to be flexible and to communicate better with each other.

When you’re playing basketball, you’re going to have to rebound from time to time, and so it’s important to practice rebounding in practice. The players have to see that any shot made by them, their team members or the opposing team could miss, so the players need to be ready to get the ball at any time. This is as much a mental as a physical issue, as you have to be in a constant state of alertness for this. You can conduct rebounding drills by bouncing the ball of the wall or a backboard. Rebounding is what makes basketball so unlike any other sport, as it makes the game very fast, and the only way to maintain the speed and rigors of the sport is to practice constantly.

Basketball drills are a part of the game that is essential for both beginners and professionals to know. Even experienced players will not get it right if they don’t practice all of the time. Drills provide players a chance to learn how to do the right techniques and learn which things they have to improve. Don’t forget these tips when planning your basketball drills so that your team can apply them and get the most from their practice sessions.

There is no doubt that all of these tips can assist you to be a better basketball player, having said that, in case you truly desire to take your basketball game one stage further you need to work on your vertical leap ability.

Have a look at the following page on Jump Manual and discover one of the top vertical jump programs on the market at this time.

For another famous system to improve your basketball game take a look at the following page on The Effective Ball Handling Program.

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Purchasing the correct pool cue, is not a normal process, since there are a quantity of things to be looked at when you have the intention to purchase a good pool cue. You can find a major number of pool sticks for sale they usually almost all have their own good and bad points, therefore you have to choose a snooker cues that meets your distinct needs. Needless to say, pool sticks vary from inexpensive to the very high-priced; and certainly the higher you spend for any cue, the higher you will purchase a high quality item.

Most pool players have got a little variations, and while a single cue could be suitable for just one person, it could be fairly ineffective for yet another. As an example, you might have not been actively playing pool game, hence you will desire simply a good strong stick that provides you the secure platform to play the sport; including using a pool cue which is with practically weight including a quite broad tip.

You most likely are a proficient pool professional, and also feel that you require a lot of mobility in your cue to be able to have fun playing top spin and so forth. In such a case it might be for you to prefer a new rather lightweight pool cue with a rather lean tip, that will in return present you with the possibility to perform any larger number of shots. You may want simply a a single piece cue as well as a 2 pieces cue. If you would like play to a competitive level It stays secure to expect that you’ll desire a two pieces cue as a minimum.

Getting specifics about every portion of a pool stick is very important because it enhances the general performance of any participant. Also knowing the details about each one of the cue components will allow you to select the right pool cue. A different good thing about studying cue elements could be that the person gets to be able to discovering issues and also servicing any affected portion. Be sure to pick the pool cue accessories which will comprise of instruments to help maintain every single component of your pool stick.

With the acceptance of this game nowadays, many people have put in place their own pool table at home; there are a lot of pool tables for cheap plus the accessories which are essential for playing the pool sport at home. Surely you will acquire a adequate pool table as they can be found in sizes and styles to accommodate the customer requirements.

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Beyond deficiency of resources or living a life of ignorance, lots of gym goers end up with protein deficiency. The strenuous workouts they are doing, requires that extra short of protein rich food that does each repair and developing on the muscles. From the deficiency, they end up missing all the positive aspects that the gym needs to offer you. In actual fact, they are superior off out on the gym than inside.

Unfortunately, even the typical meals they take with all the household members might not suffice their protein needs. They share exactly the same table with non-gym goers ant take exactly the same rations with out realizing their special needs.

We truly need to have a scenario where gym goers are furnished with all the proper information that can save them from losing instead of gaining from their day-to-day workouts. Think about getting disciplined in ruining yourself! Following a fixed routine with fervor however passing up on a compact issue: nutrition. Apart from supplementing with such excellent stuff as Body Science Bsc Hydroxyburn Lo Carb Balls, a gym goer ought to fully grasp the nutritional value of each food he partakes of.

Body Science BSc HydroxyBurn Lo Carb Balls with natural diet pills and Lipotropics will assist hold him lean and supply that extra protein, but he also has to understand his kitchen. Whilst these thermogenic protein balls start their muscles, let other foods become handy, foods that have been selected with informed information. Let’s look at several food groups a gym goer needs:

Amino acids: these are available in two groups, vital and non-essential amino acids. Necessary amino acids are those we ought to take in our meals since the physique cannot synthesize them. Nonessential amino acids is usually synthesized in the physique, so we do not necessarily need to have them in our meals. These are the developing units of proteins. We’ve active protein, globular, and structural protein, fibrous, each are necessary for the education individual.

Protein sources are varied and ought to be nicely mastered by the ardent gym goer. Practically all animal products have protein. Practically all legume seeds have protein. That formula is easy and clear sufficient for any gym goer who fears he could be facing a protein deficiency.

Other categories include vitamins, minerals, water, carbohydrates and fats. The gym goer ought to take all but not in the identical ratio. If you need to have that agile physique, nicely sculpted to turn several heads, clearly you happen to be not going to fatten yourself with carbs and fats. You will need to moderate but not to keep away from.

You are able to locate a lot more connected and beneficial content material here, for those who enjoyed reading this Mass Gainer Pro Xtreme

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If you are someone who is serious about the game of basketball, you surely must see the importance of engaging in drills on a regular basis, even when you don’t feel like it. Just like if you want to play the guitar you have to practice until your fingers bleed, and it’s the same thing with practicing basketball over and over until you’ve gained the skills to be good enough to play. Carefully planning drills is very important, however, and you must plan them according to the individual team members and the team and where they most need improvement. The following are some principles that can help you plan the most effective basketball drills for your team.

It’s important to change the basketball drills players practice over time. Doing the same drills during every session is not only boring for players, it ends up limiting the progress they make. Every drill you engage in is designed to help you improve a skill and some drills help you improve more than one aspect of that skill, and so you need to give players variety when it comes to the drills they engage in. Variety keeps players interested in what they’re doing, and more motivated, and it will give them the chance to improve their skills drastically. You should of course remain with one drill set for a while until everyone gets it, and then switch it up so that nobody gets bored.

One of the goals of basketball drills is to help the players in good shape. Aside from practice the various skills of the game, it takes a lot of stamina and coordination to play well on the court. If the drills are not quick enough, they will not prepare the players for the real challenges of the game. It is for this reason that basketball drills should consist of a fast routine and have a lot of movement and conditioning exercises. This will also make players put in the effort to train on their own. It is good to start each practice session with stretching exercises because they help you to stay flexible and not have as many injuries.

Passing the ball is a very basic but essential part of basketball, so it’s good to practice this during drills. Passing the ball is something less experienced players often do until they perfect dribbling and shooting. Yet even the most skilled players need to know when passing the ball is important.

With young players, and the cocky players who are any age, this is more about psychology than anything else, but players must realize that it’s important to give the ball to players who are in a bigger position to shoot. Drills that have you dribbling and then passing the ball are great for increasing your passing skills.

In short, basketball drills are important if you hope to become a better basketball player, but they can also make the entire team come together. The more drills players do, the better basketball players they’ll be, and the more they’ll be able to run, shoot and dribble. The above are some considerations to keep in mind when it comes to planning basketball drills.

It is obvious that there are various factors that will aid you to strengthen your abilities in every sport, like basketball,football and volleyball, and probably one of the most important of them is your vertical jump ability.

In the event that you wish to strengthen your jump, then take a look at the following website page about The Jumping Manual and discover more about one of the most popular vertical jump programs these days.

There is also much more about basketball tips here.

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Having a career in marathon may not necessarily begin with an instant decision to get trained and become an athlete of the sport. At times simple intentions like managing one’s weight, relieving stress in an enjoyable way and building rapport among friends and siblings lead forward to a marathon vocation. With this, running tips for beginners have become indispensable for every budding runner when it comes to specific marathon training runs today.

See Your Doctor – Most of us believe that running is a very safe physical activity so long as you guardedly go through it. Because of this, we skip the initial step of its training program. That is consulting your physician’s approval. Get your body systems examined by your doctor before you hit the race tracks. His opinion on which type of training will suit your condition is essential. He too can advise you with the appropriate hours of drills your body can handle in a day. Do not keep from his knowledge any unfavorable conditions you have like breathing or heart problems.

Create A Program – Being the foundation of other running tips for beginners, this gives the entirety of your training a clear direction. Additionally, having a running cadence program makes you benefit from the physical activities well. This means you get to manage your weight, boost your fitness level and keep yourself safe from injuries while jogging. Include in it the exact days, hours and location of your drills. Identify the type of the drills too. Should you download a free running program online, have a doctor or trainer see first if it suits you.

Start Slowly – Begin your training slowly but surely. As a beginner your body may not be used to the strain running entails. For the first week, try walking some miles first. Then, gradually increase the miles you cover as you do brisk walking. Afterwards, you can start jogging at a leisurely speed. Keep doing the same as your body gets ready to dash as much miles.

Evaluate Your Performance – Some runners are so engrossed about following the other marathon running tips that they forget to monitor their personal progress. Take note of the distance you cover whenever you do the drills. Time each of your runs as well. This will help you track if you are improving or not.

Check On Your Body System – While it is common to feel drained and experience body ache after running, it is no longer safe if you are experiencing prolonged difficulties in certain parts of your body. Observe your breathing. Feel your waist, legs, shoulders and ankles for any signs of extreme pain. Your drills would be worthless if all they have caused you are injuries.

Set Objectives – Why are your sweating on the race tracks? Do you need to improve your health by losing some weight? Or do you want to join and win a competition? Whatever your goal may be write it down. Make it measurable as well. This is one of the best running tips today for beginners that will motivate you to do your best and keep on leveling up.

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This article originally appeared at Soccer Classroom

Brooklyn's Here! (Photo: Steph Henley Photography)

At long last, my first child, Brooklyn, made her appearance in this world. Like a parent turning up late for after practice pickup, she made us wait…and wait…and wait…and wait. My amazing wife labored just short of  forty-eight hours. Despite the disconcerting length and pain (and selfishly, my stress) of labor, Brooklyn came to us just perfect – I don’t mind saying so myself.

The nurses, staff and doctors – as well as the hospital – were truly first-rate. The quality of care was so impressive that I kept mistakenly referring to it as “the hotel.” I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals and to refer to a hospital as a hotel is telling you something about our amazing experience.

But, there was this Triage nurse in Labor and Delivery who was just awful…

Despite the exhaustion of the moment, it made me really think about the importance of the initial experience we’re creating for our soccer players – both as soccer clubs and coaches. (Yes, I’m crazy. I know.)

A Triage Nurse is Like Your First Soccer Coach

A triage nurse is your first point of contact care at a hospital. In many ways, this person is like your first soccer coach. His demeanor will shape your entire experience and mindset for your journey. Think about this: we had a great outcome, a healthy baby and I’m still writing about our first point of contact creating such a poor experience.

In my business, I’ve been talking a lot about “engineering the customer experience.” If you want your customer to leave saying, “This was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had,” then you better be thinking about how to create that experience – at every touchpoint in the experience.

As soccer clubs, how can we be sure we never lose laser focus on our player’s experience? How many of us are thinking about the type of experience we’re trying to even create for our players? With so many distractions and responsibilities, I know how easy it is to simply do the best we can in the moment.

I learned that it all counts: your preparedness and your attitude makes all the difference. How you present your ideas to your first-timers frames how they will perceive the entire journey. I learned that first-hand. Even though the rest of the experience was remarkable, I still had a bitter taste in my mouth. We can’t just be good and expect great outcomes.

I wonder what would happen to soccer in this country if we took the best of the best and had them coach our youngest players.

The “Good Enough” Principle Stinks

When you’re in love with your partner, it is downright scary and stressful to watch her in pain – standing there, helpless. And, knowing that the next screams of pain are a mere five to nine minutes away. Despite doing nerdy amounts of research about the birthing experience, we still had no idea what to expect in that moment. Was this normal? Why wasn’t the body responding exactly as it should? We’re no novices: Rachel and I have a combined 18 nieces and nephews. We’ve been around our fair share of kids and the start of life. Heck, at times, I think I’m running a day care on the weekends.

I don’t know if our Triage Nurse provided bad health care; in fact, I don’t pretend to know the quality of care she provided. She actually hardly did much for us and it seemed a bother when we asked for trivial items like ice chips or barf bags. I do know the hallmark of her care was indifference. She provided terrible human care.

I kept thinking, “It’s our first time here, Nurse Ratched. Please help us.”

She was there. We were in labor. This was about as far as the care or interactions went.

Her answers provided no insight or guidance to us rookies and amounted to, “Well, that’s just the way it is…” This was particularly true when we were presented with the scary option of taking morphine for the pain. For my wife, who doesn’t even take Tylenol, it was a scary thought. Morphine? That’s for drug addicts!

Nurse Ratched had a complete lack of appreciation for the magnitude of the decision or stress of the situation – at least in our eyes. It is difficult making decisions on no sleep and high stress. Despite my best Supreme Court questioning, it might as well have been Charlie Brown’s teacher speaking. “Wha wa wah, wan wah wa wah.”

We opted out of morphine in the morning due to the lack of information. It scared us and we received no credible information to think otherwise. Incidentally, when offered morphine later for the continued pain, our questions were answered by a different nurse who sat bedside and explained, step-by-step the process, risks and gently guided us to a decision based around her expert experience. You know, she answered all the questions I had tried to extract from Ratched.

In our Triage nurse’s mind, I guess the care and experience she was creating was good enough. We weren’t dying and the baby wasn’t popping out yet. Check. But, let me tell you: “Good Enough” stinks from this side of the hospital bed.

Soccer Lesson

In many ways, soccer parents entrust their children in much the same way that patients entrust care to hospitals: they go to the experts in the community and pay for services to have a great experience and outcome. This responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the front-line people, our coaches, to create an extraordinary experience for these fresh faces. Certainly, there has to be a shared responsibility between the clubs (finding the best coaches and training them) and the coaches (being engaged and interested) for this experience. How many of our clubs and coaches are providing a “good enough” experience for our players? And, I wonder what’s happening to those players who are getting “good enough.”

Why the Rest of the Team Inspired Us

For us, we didn’t have a choice: we had to continue the journey. Brooklyn was coming whether or not we had a cruddy medical team or not. We were a captive audience and had to stay if we wanted to have medical care when Brooklyn arrived.

Luckily, the rest of the team was A-MAZING. They made the experience remarkable (and so enjoyable) for us. It was such a stark contrast that it made me think about the differences in care. Was it competence? Or was it something else?

Certainly, “Nurse Ratched” seemed competent and had the credentials of being an RN. Due to the lack of care, I didn’t feel much towards competence of care, so I don’t think that was it. Competence, due to credentials, was a baseline of expectation – much like a coach taking an “F” course. To me, there were three compelling differences between our Triage nurse and the rest of the team:

• Compassion – Laboring for a long period of time is not fun. Our team felt that pain with us. Instead of dismissing it as simply “the way it is”, they re-assured, they held hands and they exhibited care that went beyond caring. It was personal to them. It didn’t change the pain, but it changed the way in which we felt about the pain. We’re in this together.
• Engagement – Our providers were “present” and “in the moment” with us. If they had something else going on, it certainly didn’t feel that way. We felt special, important and engaged with them in a unique way. They answered the barrage of questions we had gladly and easily. It wasn’t just their job; they wanted us to know the answers and make informed decisions. It’s a long time hanging around waiting for a baby. They got to know us personally and it made a difference in all aspects of care.
• Enthusiasm – I’d like to think that Rachel and I are pretty enthusiastic people. But, our team shared in our enthusiasm for the moment, reflected it back to us and amplified it by doing so. It was a positive spiral of enthusiasm for the process and the event. It further proved that enthusiasm is contagious.

Soccer Lessons

If I was a soccer player, I would have never made it onto the other coaches in the club. My soccer experience would have ended with Nurse Ratched. I would have never experienced the fun, excitement and joy that soccer can bring. As Board Members of clubs and as coaches ourselves, we owe it to our players to create experiences that are remarkable – because “Good Enough” stinks. Nothing remarkable in life comes out of “good enough.” 

I stand by the same thing I’ve been saying for twenty-plus years: the goal of any youth coach is to turn your players onto the game. Care about your players as people; invest in their success. Make sure they’re having fun, laughing and smiling a lot and feeling safe. If you do that, soccer will become their sport of choice because they’ll love the game. They’ll want to go to the backyard with a soccer ball at their foot. Their development will explode. You don’t necessarily have to have the awesome technical skills, but you have to educate yourself to age appropriate skills.

In fact, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the most effective coaches – coaches who developed teams into eventual state champions. From a technical standpoint, they weren’t the most competent coaches – in fact, some of them never played the game. They certainly took the time and responsibility to educate themselves and surround themselves with trainers who were competent. But, distilled down, they were the most compassionate, enthusiastic and engaged leaders of young people.

It makes all the difference.

Coaching Question

In your opinion, how can clubs and coaches create remarkable environments to ensure quality experiences for players and turn them onto the game?

Photo Credit: Steph Henley Photography

Soccer Classroom

Steph Cleaves – An Inspiration

Stephanie Cleaves is a Pennsylvania resident whom I got the pleasure of meeting last year while playing co-ed soccer.  I can attest to you that she is a quality player.  Never have I seen a girl stick more tackles on a grown man than I have with Steph.  She has a great touch, good vision and is soccer smart.  I noticed Steph posting soccer pictures that caught my interest and I needed to know more.  Here is her story…

Stephanie graduated from Lancaster Catholic high school in 2005.  During her senior year she suffered a knee injury that required surgery.  After graduating she attended Millersville University where she intended to play but the recovery process and rehabilitation for her knee took much longer than anticipated.  Her vision of playing collegiate soccer just wasn’t how she pictured it, much due to her injury.  Needing inspiration, she attended the Athletes in Action program in Brazil following her sophomore year at Millersville.

Steph was not ready to walk away from the game and this trip was exactly what she needed.  ”The objective of the trip was to play soccer as an offering to God and to reach people through the language of sport.  I realized that God gave me the gift of soccer and this became the motivation I needed,”  Steph explained.

Upon returning back to the United States, Steph decided to transfer to Houghton College for her junior year.  Her reasoning being, “I was attracted to the great Christian atmosphere and sports ministry program.”

Yet again, Steph struggled to get the playing time she was used to and that she expected to receive.  She was very discouraged and even contemplated whether or not she would play her senior year.  “I prayed a lot about it and somewhat reluctantly recognized that God wanted me to play.” 

In the preseason leading up to her senior year she trained harder than she ever had before.  She came into preseason feeling good because she knew God wanted her to be there.  But again, she struggled to get time on the pitch.  “I felt like I had not contributed a thing on the field.  I asked God why he wanted me to play in the first place?”

In the Spring of 2011, Stephanie’s father went to Honduras on a mission trip.  He came back with what might be Stephanie’s answer to all her questions about why?  Clinched in his hands he handed Steph a newspaper article that was advertising that Honduras was organising a women’s soccer team.  Steph’s father asked if she wanted to try out.  The only problem was that she was still enrolled at Houghton and couldn’t make the try-outs in person.  She had some of her friends tape a few of their indoor sessions and added a few additional segments including her shooting and dribbling on the gym floor.

The Honduran national team coach, Efrain “Fayito” Gutierrez reviewed the tape and told Steph she looked like she had what it takes to play for his squad.  He wanted her to commit to a one month trial in Honduras from April 2 to May 2.  Stephanie explained, “I had to get special permission from the Houghton administration and faculty to take a month away from my studies in order to go.”  Steph got the approval and ordered her ticket to Central America.

Guiterrez liked what he saw in Stephanie, she had great strength and power.  This was enough to reward Stephanie with a spot on the Honduras women’s national team.  Steph earned a starting spot and had an important role for the team.  The coach expected her to contribute as they competed in both the Central American and Caribbean Games.  Unfortunately, they lost in the qualifying rounds to Nicaragua 1-2 and Costa Rica (Central America’s top team) 0-2.

When asked what the highlight of her experience was she said, “Playing for my coach.  Coach Fayito played as a starting defender in the first World Cup that Honduras attended in 1982.  He is incredibly humble despite his many achievements and is an exceptional man of God.  The desire he has to help overturn the unfair treatment of women in Honduras is unbelievable.  He has taken his love for God and the gift of soccer to lift up the women and girls.”

“I realized why God wanted me to play the last season.  I was supposed to stick through the season so that I’d be more ready to play for Honduras.  If I hadn’t played during the fall, I would not have been touching the soccer ball or running as much as I did each day.  I began to understand that the Lord does not always instantly reveal to us why we undergo certain obstacles.  I realized that God desires us to exercise and practice the gifts He’s bestowed upon us.  When we are obedient in doing so, I cannot even begin to imagine the countless ways we can be used by Him.” 

Soccer Classroom

What if I told you that weight training soccer is aimed at enhancing strength rather than the building of muscle mass, especially the growth of muscle groups that support the joints? For this reason fitness training session should be arranged off the field and away from the ball so that the players pay attention to some special muscle groups.

Concentrating on these areas will facilitate greater mobility and flexibility leading to an increase in speed and power.

Core: The area that is first to be targeted are the abdominals, which is usually called the core. The area of the body below the breast bone up till the groin or the base of the pelvic region is considered as the “core”. This area is the source of power, the center of gravity, and the balancing center of the body.

Thus the core is the center point from where all the physical action originates. Great abdominal cores also results in a well-balanced back, most essentially the Lumbar area. As a result a better posture is developed.

Soccer Fitness

Legs: The quadriceps are leg muscles which are essential in increasing blood flow to the heart. Therefore they are the largest muscle groups of the human body and supply vast amount of blood to the heart. So, in weight training soccer walking can be useful as it helps to increase blood circulation inside the body with each step.

Strong and balanced leg muscles are required for the hips, knees and the ankles to stand all the power and energy produced in hitting the ground.

Back, Chest and Neck: This portion of the body provides relationship between the core and the ends (legs, arms and the head). In soccer strength training, these areas should not be neglected or thought of as irrelevant, as they will develop as the rest of the body grows.

Arms: Arms facilitate in the balancing of the body through weight distribution, especially when jumping to head a ball or changing directions. A good tip for power jump is to throw your arms in the air while you jump.

Plyometric: For best results, weight training should go together with a well-planned plyometric program. This will create individual or teams who will show growth during the first half of the season.

The significant point is to give importance to the core as only a well-developed soccer fitness program to develop the core will certainly target these areas.

Program: Typically a program which is measureable and precise to an individual’s requirement should be functional at the opening of the season. The thorough improvement of an individual consist of aiming specific parts of the body first with the core and then heading for every section of the body.

In conclusion, this concept of weight training soccer can be better understood through mental training of the team where both the team and individual players encourage each other to own the program. You should consider joining our youth soccer coaching society and find an answer to all questions as the site offers loads of information in form of articles, videos, and newsletters.

Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn  how to explode your players’ skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Kids Soccer Drills.

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