AHA Training 11-17

Excellence is not out of reach.  It is accomplished through deliberate actions, ordinary in themselves, performed consistently and carefully, made into habits, compounded together, and added up over time.

The plan for today is to continue with the 2v1 play and give the girls lots of opportunities to go 2v1 to 2 goals.

I.  1v1 Plus a Neutral Player to Two Goals

Set Up:
25 x 20 yd grid with two 3yd goals on each end line

Procedure:
-When the green player has the ball she is attacking the top of the grid and the red neutral player is on her team.  To score a point either her or the neutral player must dribble through one of the cone goals.
-After a goal is scored the orange girl takes the ball and tries to score on the other two goals at the bottom of the gird.  The neutral player now joins her team.
-If the ball is stolen, the player who stole the ball may attack immediately with the neutral player.

Key Points:
I really wanted to remind the girls of all the different types of runs and options that they have in 2v1.  I encouraged them to try something new each time.

II.  2v1 to Two Goals Switching Ends

Set Up:
Same grids as above but now their are two full time attackers and one defender at each end.

Procedure:
-Green attacks one of the ends 2v1 against the orange who is defending that end. 
-Green can score on either of the two goals.
-If orange wins the ball she tries to shield the ball for as long as she can.  When green wins it back, they attack the other end.

-If a goal is scored green turns around and attacks the other end.  The orange who was defending goes back to her end line.

Make It Competitive:
Play for 3 minutes and switch roles.

III.  7v7 to Two Goals

With a limited space to work with we played 7v7 and I set up two 5yd goals for on each end line for each team to score on.

Constructive Criticism vs Fluffy Comments- Trusting Other People's Opinions

Trusting Other People's Opinions- Gee You're Such A Slob  

When they're little, these girls are often so perfect, and they delight in everyone's telling them so.  They're so well behaved, they're so cute, they're so helpful, and they're so precocious.  Girls learn to trust people's estimates of them.  "Gee, everyone's so nice to me; if they criticize me, it must be true."  Even females at the top universities in the country say that other people's opinions are a good way to know their abilities.
Boys are constantly being scolded and punished.  When we observed in grade school classrooms, we saw that boys got eight times more criticism than girls for their conduct.  Boys are also constantly calling each other slobs and morons.  The evaluations lose a lot of their power.
A male friend once called me a slob.  He was over to dinner at my house and, while we were eating, I dripped some food on my blouse.  "That's because you're such a slob," he said.  I was shocked.  It was then that I realized that no on had ever said anything like that to me.  Males say it to each other all the time.  It may not be a kind thing to say, even in jest, but it certainly makes them think twice before buying into other people's evaluations.
Even when women reach the pinnacle of success, other people's attitudes can get them.  Frances Conley is one of the most eminent neurosurgeons in the world.  In fact, she was the first woman ever given tenure in a neurosurgery at an American medical school.  Yet careless comments from male colleagues-even assistants- could fill her with self-doubt.  One day during surgery, a man condescendingly called her "honey."  Instead of returning the compliment, she questioned herself.  "Is a honey," she wondered, "especially this honey, good enough and talented enough to do this operation?"
-From Carol S Dweck's book Mindset- The New Psychology of Success

These passages struck me about how people receive critical comments.  This is not something that just pertains to girls or kids.  Nobody likes to be criticized, but it is impossible to avoid criticism and attempt to do great things.  It comes with the territory.  The key is how do you deal with being criticized.  

So I wanted to do something that deals with getting the girls to think twice when they receive criticism.  In their journals I am going to have them make a section for when they receive criticism (constructive or not) or just general negative comments.  (Please don't just limit this journal to soccer)  They will write down:
 
1) What was the comment?
2) Was it constructive or fluffy?  (I am using fluffy instead of useless because it is hard to say "fluffy" in a serious way.  "Fluffy" will make it easier to shake off a negative comment for the simple reason that when you say "Oh that was just fluffy!", you can't help but smile.) 
3) If it was constructive, what message can you take out of the comment?
4) Can you improve and how can you improve?
 
Example 1:
1) After I made a poor pass Ronaldo glared at me and yelled that I need to make a better pass.
2) It was constructive, though not nice, because the pass was not accurate and I could have made a better pass. 
3) I made a bad pass and Ronaldo expects a better pass from me because I am a good player.
4) I can improve.  My toe was down when I passed the ball.  I can spend 5 minutes before each training working on my passing.
 
Example 2:
1) During our scrimmage Taylor was on the other team and after a collision with her she said I stunk.
2) It was fluffy.  She was just upset that I stole the ball.
 
Try it out.  If you can decipher the message out of critical comments and realize which opinions have value you will become a much more confident person.

11-13 Ball Striking- Wall Ball

Why Does Anyone Stay With The Challenge? It's having a dream of what you might do or become with yourself, and inching forward each day toward the realization of that dream.
-Herb Brooks

Today's Ball Striking session was all about wall ball.  If you want to be a good player the wall is your best friend.  It will reward you if you hit the ball right and give it right back to you.  It will remind you that you can do better when you miss hit it by making you move to chase the ball.  It gives constant and consistent feed back. 

I gave the girls a number of challenges using the wall:
1) Inside of the foot volley, let the ball bounce, volley . . . ect how many times can you hit it?
2) Same exercise with laces.  I also challenge them to do left foot only, right foot only, and alternating feet.
3) Take the bounce out.  How many times can you juggle the ball off the wall with no bounce?
4) Add a partner in and alternate.
5) Inside of the foot passes 2 touches- Can you hit the same spot each time?
6) One touch passing- How many can you get in a row? Left foot only, right foot only, alternating.

All of this sounds easy but it is actually very tough because you need every touch to be the same.  Players will find that they are not consistent with the form on every single touch and the wall is a great way to develop that consistency so when you get in a game you will be confident with every touch.