Field Player Identification & Evaluation |
| Technique |
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| Ball mastery & control – The ability to collect, control and manipulate the ball with both feet, legs, chest & head. |
| Dribbling & running with the ball – moving the ball in different directions at varying speeds with the ball in full control. |
| Body movement & shapes – How you move your body efficiently with and without the ball to maximise impact with balance and coordination. |
| Just like learning a language, it does not happen overnight and will take years of learning with many hours of repetition. To be able to accomplish this is heavily dependent on the next soccer attribute. |
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Game Intelligence |
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| Spatial Awareness – Players need to quickly visualise and understand the pictures that are created on the soccer field. Where are the players standing or moving and what are the distances and spaces in relation to the ball? How quickly can you create these pictures to help you make a decision as to your next move? |
| Risk assessment – What happens if I run into this space or if I pass a ball into that space? Are you able to make the right decision that will have a positive impact for your team and minimise the risk. |
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Mindset |
| Mindset is a very broad area with many contributing factors so again this is broken down into smaller segments. It is a key ingredient in a footballers make up and often determines which level you play at because the higher up the football ladder you progress, the more important the mindset becomes. |
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Passion & Drive – The ambition and hunger to succeed. . |
| Mental toughness – In times of adversity, how does a player react? |
| Leadership – Organize vocally or lead by example. |
| Coachability – How do players react or respond to instructions, criticism and suggestions? |
| Responsibility – Does the player take ownership of these responsibilities and carry them out or do they shy away? |
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Physique |
In the early years, a player’s physique should be one of the last factors to look but when you do, these are the areas to focus on.
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| ABC’s – Agility, Balance & Coordination are vital because there are so many movements that happen in a soccer match. This is with and without a football as you dribble, jump, turn and place your body into a variety of positions. |
| Power & Strength – This is not the size of the individual but is more about how effectively you use your body to win a physical battle. |
| Speed – This is not only straight line speed but it is the speed at which you accelerate, decelerate and how quickly you can change directions with and without a football at your feet. |
| Stamina – As your body fatigues, your control, focus & decision making becomes impaired which are all critical in a match situation. The ability for a player to deal with the constant stop, start nature as well as endurance during a game to keep moving will be examined. |
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