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FineSoccer Kids 52 Welcome to the FineSoccer Kids Newsletter. Today’s subject deals with forwards checking back to the ball. When a forward checks back to the ball (checking back to a ball means simply making a run in the direction to the ball with the intention of either receiving the ball or creating space in the area that was just left) it’s important for the player to understand what she is trying to accomplish. If the intention of checking back is to receive the ball, the forward should first look to go AWAY from the ball in order to drive the defender away and then with a quick change of pace, change directions and then check back to the ball. By taking the defender away from where you really want to go, you are creating a little bit of space to work with. In this case that added space really means less pressure so by taking a couple of steps away from the ball before coming back to it, you will have less pressure on you to receive the ball. When taking the defender away from the ball in order to create the space to receive the ball, make sure you take them in a direction that is different than where you want to eventually go. For example if the ball is in the center of the field, check away toward the corner slightly so that when you check back to the ball, you have also created some space to turn and go toward goal. Too many players check away in the direction they ultimately want to go so while they are creating space to receive the ball, they aren’t also creating space to go into after receiving the ball. If you have checked back to the ball, the next thing to do is to realize that most likely, there will be contact upon receiving the ball. This contact is usually completely within the laws of the game of soccer and the players who are best prepared to handle this contact will be the ones who are successful. The best way to prepare for this contact is to make sure you are on balance upon receiving the ball. This usually means getting low to have a strong base and if you know the contact is going to force you forward, start off leaning back a bit to compensate. The other thing to realize is that the person who initiates the contact will frequently be the one who prevails so instead of letting the defender initiate the contact, the forward can go back into the defender if there isn’t enough space between the two to turn. It’s important to realize that soccer is a sport that has contact in it and in most cases; the contact is within the laws of the game. Those who are best prepared for it are the ones who will be successful. A forward who checks back to receive the ball will be successful if she understands the importance of checking away first on an angle and then is prepared for the contact if she wasn’t able to create enough space in the first place. Any questions, comments or suggestions should be sent to kidscomments@finesoccer.com or they can be posted on the FineSoccer Forum at http://finesoccer.net Remember to see all previous FineSoccer Kids Newsletters, please go to the archives at http://finesoccer.com/kids.htm To subscribe to any of the FineSoccer Newsletters, please go to http://finesoccer.com/subscrib.htm Have a great day! |
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