One of the most challenging roles in soccer is that of the striker. Strikers have to perform in a very condensed part of the field where space and time are miniscule. I am often puzzled when I see players lining up in a line and running to the top of the box shooting the ball at the goal. The fact of the matter is that strikers are, frequently, facing the wrong way when they receive the ball, often with a defender or two right behind them and very little space to operate in. Training strikers in lines does not, really, replicate what they have to do in the real game.

When training strikers coaches should try and replicate the environment strikers encounter in and around the opponents penalty box. There are many fine striker exercises which best simulate the environment strikers operate in and I have added one from my book, “Developing The Elite American Soccer Player.”

Andrew College men’s soccer All-Region 17 honorees Lewis Jones, James Quinn, Josh Fines, and Troy Ceasar have been named to the British Virgin Islands Men’s National Team roster for the 2016 Caribbean Cup by BVIFA Head Coach Avondale Williams.

The Caribbean Cup is a biennial competition that crowns the region’s champion and qualifies at least four teams to the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The first-round will be contested between 21 teams in seven evenly-split groups from March 21-29, 2016. 

Driving a soccer ball dead straight or, “On a rope” is one of the skills many of our players have never really mastered. That is, partly, because our coaches have not taken the time to make sure they are striking the ball correctly from a young age.

It is amazing how many of our players cannot drive a ball straight. There are numerous reasons for this but one of them is that the plant foot lands too close to the ball and a right footed player ends up kicking the ball through the right side of the ball. This makes the ball hook.

Admiral Sports is pleased to announce that they have gained the rights to distribute Open Goaaal! in the United States, Canada, and parts of Central and South America.

“Admiral has been innovating in the soccer market since 1914 and we can continue to do so here in 2016,” Admiral Sports CEO Paul Hamburger remarked. “We wanted to offer Open Goaaal! to the many Admiral partner youth clubs, leagues, and associations in the Americas because we believe this is a great tool to improve the confidence and performance of young soccer players and goalkeepers in front of goal. ‘Practice makes perfect’ and Open Goaaal! helps players practice.”

Admiral Sports is pleased to announce that they have entered into a strategic partnership with Bownet.

“Admiral is thrilled to add Bownet products to our existing product line,” Admiral Sports CEO Paul Hamburger remarked. “It gives our customers yet another option when making purchases with us.  We feel that they will love the high quality and durability of Bownet soccer goals, making the range an indispensable part of their own training programs.”

As we go into 2016 it is appropriate that we look at our clubs and see that it has the basic essentials which make a club “A Club.”

Many clubs are nothing more than a collection of teams which wear the same uniforms, use the same logo and playing facilities but there is nothing which distinguishes the organization as a club. There is no connection between the teams, little cooperative communication between the coaching staff, no technical hallmarks, no club mission and no club culture.