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One of the best things a young player can do to improve his or her playing
ability is to juggle a soccer ball. Juggling helps players learn to play
with all parts of the body (feet, thighs, chest, shoulders, and head).
Juggling teaches ball control, touch (how hard or soft to strike the ball),
and it also familiarizes players with the way the ball behaves. Juggling
develops technical and psychological aspects of the game. The technical
aspects include coordination, manipulation, and touch on the ball.
Psychologically, juggling builds confidence, concentration, and imagination
with the ball. Since time is limited in weekly team soccer practices,
players must practice juggling on their own if they wish to become total
soccer players (ideally players can juggle a little bit every day!).
In an effort to encourage self-training, we are pleased to invite all of our
MVSC players to join our new JUGGLE CLUB. Players can join MVSC’s Juggle
Club by accomplishing a set number of juggles in front of a Coach or
adult (i.e., there must be an adult present who witnesses successful
attempts).
GUIDELINES
Players may use any body part to keep the ball up (feet, thighs, chest, head
– NO HANDS or ARMS!), but the only touches that apply to your score are
CONSECUTIVE, ALTERNATING TOUCHES WITH THE LACES* (inside of the foot touches
do not count; nor do consecutive touches with the same foot). For example,
if a player juggles 3 in a row with her right foot, and then 1 with the left
and 3 more in a row with her right foot, her total count would be 3. A
player who juggles once with the right foot, then once with her left foot,
then three times with her thighs, then once with the right foot and once
more with the left would have a count of 4. The ball cannot bounce or hit
the ground during a juggling attempt.
*As mentioned earlier, juggling is great for improving ball control with
ALL soccer-related body parts (feet, thighs, chest, head); however, since
90% of players’ contact with the ball is with the feet, and since the feet
are the most important body part to use when practicing juggling, only
foot juggles will count toward a player’s total count.
For a good progression on how to introduce a young player to
juggling, visit
http://www.strongsoccer.com/Kingdrills/homeplay.htm#juggling.
JUGGLE CLUB members shall be recognized by receiving special soccer patches,
which can be ironed on to their uniforms. Different levels of
accomplishment will earn players patches of different colors: An adult will
need to iron patches on to a player’s uniform either on the front or the
sleeve of the red MVSC jersey (detailed directions provided below).
MVSC Juggle Club
Number of CONSECUTIVE Juggles Color of Patch
10
Black
20
Red
35
Light Blue
50
Green
100
Orange
500
Gold Star
FOR U10 AND YOUNGER PLAYERS:
Players who are U10 and younger can enter Juggle Club by accomplishing the
following preliminary juggling challenges:
BLUE STAR PATCH:
To earn a Blue Star, players must juggle the ball 20 times using the laces
of the feet, alternating right and left foot with one bounce on the
ground between each touch. An example would be: Right Foot – Bounce –
Left Foot – Bounce – Right Foot – Bounce, etc. Players must alternate feet,
and they must use the laces of the foot for each touch.
RED STAR PATCH: To earn a Red Star,
players must juggle 20 times total, by juggling with the right and left feet
consecutively (no bounce between touches), followed by a bounce and then
repeating. For example: Right Foot – Left Foot – Bounce –
Right Foot – Left Foot – Bounce, etc. Players can juggle Right-Left or
Left-Right on each step up the ladder. Players must use the laces of the
foot for each touch.
Hint: Players will find that it is easiest to earn their
star patches by juggling on a hard surface (e.g., cement), where the bounce
will assist them more than on grass.
After U10 and younger players earn their Star Patches, they can then attempt
to join the Clubwide Juggle Club.
Notes:
Participation in JUGGLE CLUB is purely voluntary. If you would like to
receive soccer ball patches, or if you would like more information, please
contact Rick Fullerton, MVSC’s Director of Development, at
rickfullerton@sbcglobal.net.
KEEP KICKING!!!
Directions for ironing on Soccer Ball Patches:
Children should not iron on the patches, unless an adult is
present!!
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Remove the “Made in Taiwan Sticker”
-
Allow the iron to heat up for 3-5 minutes (use wool/silk setting).
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Position patch on uniform with glue side against the fabric.
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Press iron firmly to the patch and hold it for 10 seconds as a test. It
usually takes 20-25 seconds to fully melt the glue, but irons vary, so
be careful not to burn or melt the fabric.
-
Let the Patch set for a few minutes until it’s cool before you handle
it. If the glue isn’t fully melted or if you handle the patch while
it’s still warm, the patch may start to come off the fabric. If this
happens, iron it on again.
Once the patch is ironed on, it may not be possible to remove
it without damaging the fabric! |