Edition 32

Welcome to the Soccer Newsletter. Today's topic isindoor soccer (pros and cons).

First I would like to mention some new things with FineSoccer.com. As I announced 2 weeks ago, there isa new forum at http://finesoccer.com/forum.htm. There are some interesting topics that have been discussed such as discipline amongst teammates and positioning of a keeper in a certain situation. The thing I am trying to accomplish with this forum is to have people help people in soccer. I will do everything I can to keep it away from the garbage that is discussed at other forums about who is cheating and why things are unfair.This is about how to get better in soccer from both a players and coaches standpoint. Please check it out and contribute.

One of the things I asked on the forum is what would people like to see next on finesoccer.com. I have some ideas but this site isn't for me, it's for all of you so I would like to hear what all of you would like. Some of the suggestions so far have been a list of camps and tournaments, more graphics to make some of my ramblings more clear, and a store. I would like to hear what everyone would like. Either post it to the forum or e-mail me at comments@finesoccer.com. Also,if you would be willing to help with any of these suggestions (such as compiling a list of camps or tournaments) I would really appreciate the help (there is no compensation for this help but I will let you subscribe to my free newsletters for half price if you help!)  Lastly, once I get some more suggestions, I would liketo run a survey to determine which of these suggestions are most desired. I am looking for approximately 100 subscribers who would be willing to take this survey to help determine the direction of the web site. It will take only a couple of minutes of your time and there will be no follow up sales letters or anything like that. If you would be willing to take this survey ina week or two, just send me an e-mail at survey@finesoccer.com indicating your willingness to help.

Now on to the real stuff. Indoor soccer is one of those necessary evils. It was approximately 5 degrees Fahrenheit here last night so without indoor soccer, there would be no soccer here at all. The arguments in favor of indoor soccer usually include the following: 1) More touches on the ball 2) Less space so more pressure 3) Great conditioning 4) Takes less time for parents who have to drive.  5) Can be played in almost any weather  6) It's fun

The first point about more touches on the ball is a very good one. However, it reminds me of my favorite coaching saying of "practice doesn't make perfect it makes permanent". Getting a lot of bad touches on the ball doesn't help a whole lot. It has been my experience that there isn't much coaching in indoor soccer and because of this, bad habits can develop quickly. The less space equals more pressure idea is very true however, this goes back to the previous post where if a player doesn't have the skills to handle this pressure, and isn't being given the guidance, this certainly can be a negative. Indoor soccer certainly is good conditioning but it's very different then the conditioning needed for outdoor soccer. It reminds me of the basketball players who come out following their season is over and expect to be able to play a full game of outdoor soccer because they are in great basketball shape. Typically, they run out of gas in the first 10 minutes of play (this is not a slam against basketball as I love the game). However, the alternative conditioning option for many people who play indoor soccer is to do nothing so this is certainly better then that. The time factor is a significant one although indoor tournaments tend to go on all day. Typically, the time commitment for indoor soccer is less. The weather issue is a huge one. I would always prefer to be involved in outdoor soccer over indoor soccer but that rarely is the choices. More often, the options are indoor soccer or no soccer and when looked at that way, this is a huge advantage of indoor soccer. The fun aspect is the key. If you find indoor soccer to be fun, ignore everything else I am writing and play it! 

However, the cons usually aren't looked at completely when discussing indoor.1) More injuries due to getting knocked into walls orboards2) Burn out 3) Poor warm up 4) Bad habits forming. Without looking at any statistics, I feel pretty safe in saying that there are many more injuries per minute played in indoor soccer then in outdoor soccer. This is because of players playing in much tighter spaces as well as the proximity to walls. In my opinion, too many players are injured by being knocked into walls or boards and something needs to be to prevent this from continuing. The other reason for the great number of injuries in indoor soccer is the lack of time and space to warm up properly. Too many players come in from the cold and start playing right away (and many indoor facilities are cold anyway). Players need to get a good run and stretch in before starting to play but rarely seem to do this. The burn out issue is a touchy subject. I think the term is overused and might not be the appropriate term. I believe that players minds and bodies need to take a rest and it has always been my feeling that the winter time is the best time to do this. Some might argue that indoor soccer isn't that hard on the players since many players play once a week for an hour but other sare playing indoors 3-6 times a week. Some take the idea that they will play indoors and then rest in the summer and I just find summer time to be too beautiful not to train.The bad habits issue is different then the ones already mentioned. Those players who play indoor soccer often will frequently change their defensive techniques and tactics to account for the walls. Rather then forcing a player toward the sideline like they would do in outdoor soccer, they force them to the middle to guard against the wall pass. They also tend to disregard moves such as cut catches and V moves and instead turn it more into a physical match up rather then a soccer match up.

The other bad habit is in terms of conditioning and pacing oneself. With indoor soccer, people tend to do it like hockey with quick line changes that allow players to go all out for short periods of time and then come out for a break. This doesn't allow them to learn how to pace themselves for the outdoor game at all plus is yet another cause of injuries ("why not take a chance and go into that 30-70opportunity, I will get more tired but so what, I'llj ust take a short break and come right back in").

My suggestion if a decent size gym is available, is to play regular soccer indoors. Play with boundaries so that the walls are out of play (this will encourage good soccer as well as cut down on the injuries). Also, have less players on the field then normal. If most people would play 5v5 in that size space, play 4-4. Let them play a longer period of time (no subs) and then have another group step on. This will allow them toget the same amount of time on the field, more touches, more space and less injuries. Although I know some owners of indoor soccer centers and they might not like this idea, I would like to see them used less for games and more for training.

Agree with my ideas? Disagree? Let me hear about iton the forum at http://finesoccer.com/forum.htm Don't forget that all previous newsletters are archived at http://finesoccer.com

Have a great day

Lawrence