Playing again.

Discussion in 'Soccer Boots' started by ARG_Fan, Sep 15, 2003.

  1. ARG_Fan

    ARG_Fan New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    Canada
    Hey guys whats up?
    I got a few questions.

    I used to play soccer on a team when I was younger, then I stopped. But now I wanna start playing for a team again. So i'm going to try out pretty soon. I diddn't completly stop playing, I still play Soccer with my friends and juggle around myself.
    Whats the most important part that i should be practicing right now before tryouts?

    How do you guys deal with the pressure???
    Sometimes when theres alot of people watching me play i sometimes screw up.

    Thanks!
     
  2. Spiro_In_San_Jose

    Spiro_In_San_Jose New Member

    Apr 18, 2003
    San Jose
    The one main suggestion I have for you is to try to get in shape as quick as possible. This will help you a lot if there are other players that are not in shape. It will make you look fit, better, and have more energy later in the game which will all factor in when the coach is trying to make a decision on who he/she wants on their team. Good luck.
     
  3. ARG_Fan

    ARG_Fan New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    Canada
    Alright thanks man!
    I'm gunna do alot of running then!
     
  4. Dr. Boots

    Dr. Boots Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    It depends on what level you played at while you were younger, and what level you are planing to step back into now in terms of skill.

    Fitness is a big thing if your going to go out for a college, high level mens amatuer open or semi-pro squad but if its just Sunday morning rec. league or something along those lines the abilty do do a Roy Keane and play box to box for 90 mins really isnt required.

    I found myself in the same situation you seem to be in, a few years ago after playing at a very high level in the youth scene I got two injuries on top of each other and became quite disenchanted with the idea of playing on 9 teams at once so I just gave up and quit for about two years in the process throwing out chances at playing at D1 schools and being on club and ODP teams with current MLS players.

    I got talked into coaching a select level youth/travel team in my area by my Dad and his friend who had kids on the team, against my will at first ,and them I fell in love with soccer all over again, thus wanting to play but I found myself without any of my old teams or contacts around.

    I just started looking to play anywhere and I will not lie I struggled at first to be able to still get my legs to move as fast as my mind when I found a Sunday morning league to play in which had some decent compition but after I got a bit fitter and a few games under my belt things started coming together again, now i am seem to be back on track and hoping to play D1 after this season of D1 JUCO and maybe get lucky enough to play this game for a living for a little while at some level.

    It may take some time to get your old skills back up to snuff but dont get too down on yourself and try to play pick up as much as possible to hone your game sense since there is no pressure in those games to be perfect, start out small and them try to work your way back up to the higher level but also dont stay too long at the lower levels because you may get stuck with bad habits from playing against easy compition.

    Good Luck and let us know how everything goes :)

    PS.
    dont worry about people watching you and screwing up becasue that will make you screw up even more, just play like you would if you were just kicking about with your buddies, remeber you dont have to impress the crowd you have to make an impression on your teamamtes and coach, simple and effective is so much better than flashy and streaky if you catch my drift.

    Dont try to do stuff in a game you havent mastered in practice and even if you have mastered something you might still mess up once in a while no ones perfect, just keep playing hard with your heart and head and you will be fine.
     
  5. realmadrid1086

    Newcastle United
    United States
    Apr 29, 2002
    Alabama
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What level team are you trying out for? What position do you play?

    As far as conditioning is concerned, make sure you do a mixture of long distance running and sprints. Don't do just long distance running. Try to do some bleachers too.
     
  6. ARG_Fan

    ARG_Fan New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    Canada
    I cant go for College, not old enough.
    I'm going to try out for Reginal soccer. I guess it's more in the middle for my age.
    When I used to play before i was playing Defence, and Wing.

    Good Luck Jc18star.
     
  7. hemariva

    hemariva New Member

    Feb 22, 2003
    Missouri
    About the feeling nervous while playing around others and screwing up-

    I don't get the chance to play soccer anywhere near where I live, but I just started playing basketball regularly after a two-year hiatus so I can still help you with this aspect.

    I'm very competitive and very self-critical and I was very nervous at first. I used to play at a high level but I had become very rusty. Only this weekend I started to lose this nervousness by becoming totally involved in the game at hand, thinking nothing of anything else. I immediately started to play better and started doing things that I used to be able to do.

    It's a game, that is very important to remember. Your family will not be taken away and you will not lose your birthday. It is fun and as long as you remember that, no matter if you are training very hard or even professional, it is a game. Have fun, forget the real world and its negatives such as shame and embarrassment.

    Give all that you can and no one can blame you, because no matter how skilled they are or how poorly you played, they can't demean you for working your ass off.
     
  8. ARG_Fan

    ARG_Fan New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    Canada
    Thanks hemariva!
     
  9. I was actually just going to make a seperate post similair to this, but seeing as you already did...im jut going to stick it here...

    I played competitvly until my sophmore year in highschool - i went to a soccer camp the summer before where they evaluated all our playing at the university of new hampshire. i was told by there coach that if i kept playing i would be able to play at most any 2rd or 3rd division school, probably not 1st though.

    I blew my ankle out after freshman year and stopped playing high school because of that and the fact i hated my team and coach - they made playing soccer miserable for me.

    I want to pick up playing competitvly again - Ive stayed playing around with friends or by myself for the last 3 years and im not in the greatest shape, so i know that i would have to improve that...

    with that being said - i attend scsu (ranked 7h in Div 2 schools) - how good are my chances (if i worked extremely hard) that i might be able to make the team for my junior year. I think i have little to no chance, but i figured Id ask anyways. Any imput is appreciated.
     
  10. Dr. Boots

    Dr. Boots Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 15, 2002
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    You should talk with their coach a little so he at leasts knows your situation and sees you wnat to make an effort to return to playing.

    That being said its hard to determine your chances of making the team if you can jump right back into playing like you never stopped or if you will take longer to get close to the level you could play at before will have a major impact on that as well as your fitness level.

    You have a little less than a year to get your self caught up to the rest of the players who have been playing the whole time you weren't that is going to be though but not impossible.

    Just keep a positive attitude even more so at first because it will get hard not being able to do stuff right away you may have been able to do with ease sometime ago, keep working and playing hard.

    Try to get into a indoor league to sharpen you footspeed and close control over the winter and for the rest of the fall and spring just play outdoor anyplace you can pick-up, in a league, your school may have a intermural club team too for right now.

    Even if you dont make the traveling squad you may still get the chance to be on the practice squad and if you continue to get good while there you could always end up getting moved up if a player gets hurt or fails out of school, you never know what can happen give it a hard effort and that will pay off int he long run.

    Good luck to you!
     
  11. thank you so much for your reply, it gave me some postive things to think about. i was really starting to get down on myself for ever having quit playing. ive been out playing by myself and my foot work seems as good, if not better from when i stopped playing. my shots arent as good (i used to play forward or mid) but my fitness is horrible, so those are the things im working on now. i dont know exactly how to get myself into an indoor league seeing as i dont have many friends who play. but again thanks so much for your reply.
     

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