A different game

I played a pickup 3v3 in my suburb. This is a totally different game from indoor or full field. One teammate of mine has been raving about this particular style since midwinter. I can see why, the game is perfectly suited to him. Hard shots are virtually meaningless--an accurate firm pass into the net seems to be the most common form of scoring.

I probably dribbled more last night than in any previous game. I wonder if that is because my dribbling has improved, or because the game punishes failed tackles that much more? I think that those Sunday evenings of running with the ball across baseball outfields is starting to pay off.
Wicked fun.

Developing that soft touch

I had my first one on one soccer lesson. Hurray. It was all I had hoped, except for duration (8 minutes short of the full hour).

My favorite part was "body blocks." Here, my coach tossed the ball at various parts of my anatomy, and I returned it while back peddling. It was only 3/4^th of the way through that she explained I was supposed to return the ball on the ground.

I was given homework: develop a soft touch suitable for dribbling the ball on a basketball court. My main advice on this was to pass the ball hard and straight against a wall. I'm not quite sure how this will help with the soft touch.

Twenty four hours later my better half and I had a kick on the front lawn. I tried passing with a locked ankle on the top half of the ball. I found that my passes were slightly crisper and spent more time on the ground. (Ankle locked in an up position.)

Previously, I had tried hitting the ball dead center and frequently found my passes a few inches off the ground. This may be a breakthrough. In the past, when I needed an accurate and friendly pass, I always used my laces--like a very gentle shot. This hurts my shins. Developing a proper pass with the inside of my foot (like everyone else) will go along way towards--well towards good things.

Happy With the Status Quo?

I reached the mini milestone of 25 lbs lost (though not by a moving average measurement). My most recent game went well: I scored a brace and spent plenty of time on the ball. However, my shins and knees are acting up, and a little break seems just about right.

On one hand, my body needs a rest--especially my overuse injuries. On the other, I'm finally starting to make some serious progress. At the same time, my weight training, interval training, and pilates have slipped. In the case of the latter I've missed three weeks due to a holiday, doctor restrictions, and a personal training session. Nonetheless, it is three weeks without a serious instructor led core/flexibility session. I'm lethargic and tight.
They're expecting rain for the next few days, and then I'm off to the city for the weekend. Next week, I suppose, will be a return to full training.

Areas of improvement

As an out of shape beginner, I've found that I need to improve in several areas. Some I can work on at the gym or at home: endurance, fitness, and running with the ball.

Others require playing more: game awareness, reaction time, and positioning.

There is one more class, which I think requires actual team practice rather than more game play or gym time: dribbling, ball skills, and tackling.

For instance, I can execute a Maradona spin move at moderate pace on my front lawn, but I have trouble with basic cuts under game type pressure.



Finding a practice group is much harder than finding a game. I've been unable to arrange a practice time with my team. Part of that is time commitment and part of it is due to the expense of finding a practice space in the winter. My attempts to "be an extra body at practice" with some of the teams from a very organized region wide adult league also failed. That leaves adult clinics.

These are a sorry state in my neck of the woods. There are at least two women's only clinics within driving distance (ok, one would be a bit of a drive). There is also one half-assed coed clinic about 75 minutes away, but that is the subject of a future rant.

The outdoor game

Frankly, I'm having trouble adjusting to the outdoor game. I believe that the formation we typically use is 1-3-4-4, which means 12 players on the field. This is confusing. The alternative description of our formation would be "complete chaos." In general, I never know where I need to be or where to put the ball. The general tenants of "pass to a teammate or into open space" seem to be failing. This implies that my timing is poor and my accuracy is worse.

The fitness requirements are also somewhat different. I plan on working on this particular aspect via interval training.

Shin Splints

We had a two week layoff around Christmas. Upon returning, and only playing a half due to traffic, I felt that I was up for a bigger challenge. I found a mid week game and an "adult clinic" to attend (just 12 hours after my normal game). For good measure, I threw in a leg weight training session 2 days before playing. After the first week of this, I knew something was up. The second week, I limped off the field and collapsed in the bench area--except there was no bench, only wet cement. Not good.


I don't recommend the above treatment, but I've tried it. I think that I kinda sorta have them beat, but I'll get to that later.

Nutmegged

We played a pickup game this week at one of America's most well known public parks. The game was organized via the internet, but a colleague joined me. He nutmegged me twice, but afterwards offered some advice: "defend with one foot forward instead of even with your legs apart." I'm sure that this is common sense to seasoned players, but I found it a rather useful tip.

It has proven slightly hard to adjust to so far, but a bit of practice should help. My knee has swollen enough that I think I'll have to miss my weekly American Dream field game.

Barca and United

If it wasn't for their incessant transfer market tampering through the papers, Barca would be a very lovable team.

One can't say the same about United.

Congrats to Barcelona, and thanks for preventing the most horrid of repeats.

Pilates v1

So I need to be stronger and more flexible. Enter Yoga and Pilates. Sure, the classes are dominated by girls, but Roy Keane and Tiger Woods do them. I researched the difference, and decided that Pilates was more appealing due to its lack of chanting and the (relative) focus on muscle strengthening.

I attend my first pilates class at a gym near work. The reasons for this are two fold: the schedule is slightly better and I hoped that the proximity to the city will help with the crowd. I'm the only guy.

I setup my mat at the back of the room, and found myself under glaring overhead lights. I wasn't alone in the back, but I envied all of the better positioned girls who weren't blinded every time they looked up. The next 60 minutes were torture, and I found myself straining to see the clock. My abs hurt for the next two days; clearly this requires a repeat visit.

During our post game social I tell my teammate "I though Pilates was Yoga for guys."

He answers, "Pilates is Yoga for chicks."

Memorial Day Weekend

After two days of PT directed lifting and sore muscles, Friday was supposed to be a day of rest. Sadly, my better half was forced to unexpectedly overnight at the hospital (as a caregiver not a patient). If I lived in, say, Manhattan, I could hop on the subway and have a social pint. But I don't live in New York.

Instead, I live in the evil suburbs. What's left? Boredom.
Well boredom begets youtube, and youtube leads to depression and restlessness.


This finds me outside kicking the ball around like a moron. What a spectacle for the neighbors. My juggling must have been loud (maybe I hit someone's car), because out comes an unknown neighbor and we have a kick. It was a nice change, but there was too much awkward social pressure to pass straight.

Up at dawn to play on American Dream field. Knees, ankles, and shins hurt 25 minutes in. We play for two hours. I have a couple of shots and the odd tackle, but mostly I'm tormented by the larger field and better players. One in particular is very frustrating. I know which moves he's about to use, and I'm still unable to stop them. Three days off. Beach football anyone?

The Grand Scheme

What is the point of this blog, you ask? Well you didn't but, let's say you did.

It is to chronicle my rise from an inactive commuter to Kolo Toure's future defensive partner. Step 1 was playing football. Step two is get good. Step three: get some consistently not sucky grammar. Step four--profit/play for Arsenal/not suck at football quite so much.

The general intention is to try and post advice for other beginners and make grand, insightful, and edifying observations on the way we live now. Or not.

Another First

So...plyometrics will make my jumps bigger, faster, and stronger. The common wisdom is that plyometrics should only be done by those with a good muscular base. This is not me.

My very first personal training session started with plyometrics. Specifically jumping onto a platform and jumping straight up from squats. The sad thing is, after two sets of the squat jumps, my legs refused to execute with proper form. Sad.

The rest of the session was squats, lunges, and resistance training with various machines scattered through the weight floor. However, none were on the "compete with curves" station lineup.

Keeping the PT from putting on too much weight made me feel like a sissy fat weakling, but I'm already very tight in the hamstrings. Hopefully I'll be nice and sore tomorrow.

What can we learn from this? Plyometrics are for everybody, and its best to have a physically intimidating PT to keep the meat heads from laughing at you.

weigh-ins

A random post on weight loss. Many diet and weight loss sites recommend that you weigh yourself just once a week.This is terrible advice. The justifications given seem to be either that people can't handle the trauma of daily fluctuations or that once a week is more accurate. I suspect that these weight loss programs and coaches are succumbing to moral hazard. Daily weight measurment allows for micro adjustments of diet. Up two unexpected pounds? Deal with it the next day? Ahead of your projected weight, indulge a little to fend off saggy skin. (You could also eat some almonds and bananas. Then again, maybe you shouldn't eat the almonds.)

As for the more accurate argument: weekly weigh ins are subject to the same water and waiste fluctuations as daily ones. I contend that a 7 day moving average gives a far better picture.

A lost weekend?

The previous Wednesday, I did a few too many single leg, medicine ball dead lifts. The sad result was unreasonable tightness in my hammies. On Thursday and Friday, I did everything I could to stretch them out. I even started a new dynamic stretching routine. (By new, I mean the first one I have ever tried.)

Saturday morning rolls around, and I decide American dream or not, I can't play with these hamstrings. I was, however, happy to engage in activities at a little below game speed. I spent a half hour practicing my juggling at the gym and did some other gym-like-things.

Sunday I spent an hour in the park messing around. I meant to practice against a wall, but I think the most useful time was spent running with the ball. My dribbling also improved: to maximum of six.

Tomorrow its back to the rat race, and this week I really need to cut down on gym time in order to accomplish a few things.

The American Dream

My first ever outdoor soccer game. Well, that's not technically true, but close enough. We play at an ungodly hour on the local defense contractor's community outreach field. Make no mistake, this is the American dream.

"How did it go," you ask?

"Not good," I say. However, I did enjoy the distinction of missing two shots in the last 30 seconds of a 1-0 loss.

A few initial observations on 11 a side outdoor vs 6 a side indoors: more time on the field, but less running. There is a lot more time on the ball, and chasing balls that go out of touch sucks.