Consistencey counts

Is your game corespondent to the level you imagined it be. Can you remember any time you ever went through spells of inconsistency or, the dreaded, slump?

While being consistent is a primary focus for top-athletes around the world, many may have seen themselves lose focus. A new trend shows why sports psychology may be here to stay. Dating back to 1920's Germany and the Deutsche Sporthocshule labs for sports psychology founded by Carl Diem, sport psychology professionals have been interested in how participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity may enhance personal development and well-being throughout the life span.

By definition; Sport Psychology-- is (a) the study of the psychological and mental factors that influence and are influenced by the participation and performance in sport, exercise, and physical activity, and (b) the application of the knowledge gained through this study to everyday settings.

It is hard to say exactly how many professional or amateur athletes work with sports psychologists, but one certainty is the numbers have been steadily growing over the past two decades for athletes reporting participation.

Sport psychology is not confined to struggling athletes alone. The tools a sport psychologist can offer an athlete are vital in helping them attain greater confidence and supplying motivation. Also likely is these tool have helped many more successful athletes reach new desired heights, they otherwise would not have achieved.

Some of the ideas conveyed through sport psychology are that of confidence, imagery, motivation, cohesion, and attentional focus.

Using imagery is something athletes of any age can do right now to improve their game. It is also a quite leisurely activity. You simply picture yourself performing your sport in your mind. More importantly however, you must visualize yourself performing correctly and with excellence.

Confidence is an additional vehicle that can drive athletes to perform beyond anything they have ever accomplished before. This certitude allows them believe they can do better. I believe confidence is the least acknowledged, yet greatest must-have attribute for success among highly skilled athletes.

Quite possibly it is deficiencies present in ares like the ones aforementioned, or perhaps things like cohesion, focus, and motivation, to name a few, that might hindered your game. But conceivably, it is something else all together, and wind and weather permitting this can be the untapped well of support you cast your quarters into while wishing to net that formerly elusive game-winning-goal.

If you'd like to make your game more consistent and physical practice alone is not providing you with the results you seek, the time could be now to try something you've never tried before. The aftermath could be a whole new success you'd never imagined.

Check out a couple of resources or ask your friends, coaches, parents. Keep playing and keep winning in sport and in life.

AAASP Online: Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology

http://www.aaasponline.org

This website run by the AAASP provides a forum for those interested in psychological research, theory development and the application of psychological principles in sport and exercise, including coaches, athletes, students, and parent.

Also, The Sports Training Blog offered a post that mentioned some of the top sport psycholgist in the US.

Free-kicking frontrunners.

By: Brandon Vondera

What's all this talk you hear about free-kick specialists? What is a free-kick? And, who are the worlds premiere free-kickers?

Formally, just another way to restart play after an infringement by the opposition, the direct free-kick is quickly rising to be one of the most dynamic methods to score in football. With its increased importance to a clubs lively-hood, more and more free-kick specialists are emerging in todays modern game. This is one of the most exciting and feared moments in a game depending on which side your alliances fall.

In football a direct free-kick is awarded the opposing team when a player commits a personal foul, for example tripping or pushing an opponent. More so, if the offense was committed within the opposition team's penalty are, the kick becomes a penalty kick. The importance of the 'direct' free-kick, is that it allows a player to shoot directly at the goal. A traditional free-kick must first touch another player before being put on net. Since you know now what it is, let's see why it is so crucial to the game.

Looking back,World Cup dreams have sprung to life, and equally been smashed to smithereens by the free kick. Believe me. One must only ask anyone that witnessed David Beckham's goal drawing England with Greece, enabling his side to secure qualification for the 2002 World Cup. (more on that later)

After much deliberate debate and rounds of re-mixing, here is my list of the world's top-ten free-kick virtuosos.

10.) Steven Gerrard

To get things started, I present to you , Steven Gerrard. He published his own autobiography, Gerrard: My Autobiography in 2006. Nowadays he spends time producing more for his club, Liverpool, than he does for the publishing world. Above fan support, Gerrard has a 3X FIFA World Player of The Year winner, Zinedine Zidane in his corner. "Is he the best in the world? He might not get the attention of Messi and Ronaldo but, yes, I think he might be." Said the famous Frenchman, of the 2009 Football Writers' Association Footballer of The Year. This blast vs The Gunners was spectacular.

9.) Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is quickly making many fans cheer and keepers jeer as he continually makes his free-kick tries count. He may have been number ten on my list, but with his birthday (Feb. 5) coming this week I decided to give him the nod at number nine. Besides, I am pretty sure he is only going to improve for another couple of years. Check out this fan view of a beautiful goal vs. Euro in 2007.

8.) Pierre Von Hooijdonk

Pierre Van Hooijdonk was really doing his thing at the beginning of this decade, and I have not forgotten. While he played for the Dutch club Feyenoord, he was truly remarkable. All throughout the 2001/2002 campaign his free kicks were precise. None more so than his über-shot against Freiburg in the UEFA cup. This shot cemented his name as a legend at Feyenoord forever.

7.) Roberto Carlos

There is one big reason why Roberto Carlos made this list, and it has much to do with his famous goal vs France in 1997. That particular goal defied the laws of physics when it bent around the wall for Brazil. It may be one of the top-three goals all-time.

6.) Diego Maradona

His compact physique, short powerful legs, and low center of gravity were all used with such effectiveness, Maradona is often considered the best footballer of all-time. While it was well documented that he battled monstrously with cocaine abuse, it was his magic on the field that landed the 1986 World Cup Golden Ball recipient at number six. This free-kick is over 20 years old. But time stands still for this spectacular shot.

5.) Alessandro Del Piero

As famous over the years for scoring from the "Del Piero Zone", attacking from the left flank and curling precision lobs into the far top corner of the goal, he is also the ageless wonder of the dead ball. It was the ephemeral Maradona that quipped, "I am certain that Del Piero really never grows old". I've showcased a long video highlighting some of his best. The soundtrack on this clip is well-favored too...

4.) Shunsuke Nakamura

In 2006, he became the first Japanese player to score a goal in the UEFA Champions League. His fame grew astronomically, so much that, the Asteroid 29986 Shunsuke is named in his honor. Undeniably he has failed to shine much since leaving Celtic of the Scottish Premiere League. Although he primarily plays a reserve role for Espanyol of the Spanish Primera Division, he remains one of my favorites from the free-kick. This unstoppable goal in the final ten minutes against Manchester United, although courtesy of a controversial whistle, is one I regard remarkable.

3.) Siniša Mihajlović

Known as one of the top-notch free-kickers of all-time, you had to feel certain Siniša would make my list. One of his finest outings, had to be when he scored a historical hat-trick on free-kicks against Sampdoria during his stay with Lazio. He is currently chiefs Cantina of Serie A.

2.) David Beckham

When the catch-phrase "Bend it Like Beckham" is not only globally recognized, but the synopsis of a Hollywood film of the same title, you are certainly a fanciful free-kicker. Before his days of being established as an elite advertising brand and popular fashion icon, Becks was to play 100 Champions League matches before any other Brit would do so. His most famous free-kick is positively this goal vs Greece that enabled England to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. His former manager Sir Alex, once said about Beckham, "He practiced with a discipline to achieve an accuracy that other players wouldn't care about." A natural entertainer on pitch or off, Beckham often came up clutch for both club and country securing him as one of the choice free-kickers in history.

(Turn up the volume on this one. No more for the magnificent call, but to feel the crowds eruption at Old Trafford)

1.) Juninho Pernambucano

Born Antõnio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr., and hypothetically not known enough for having more free-kick highlight-worthy goals than letters in his name, Juninho Pernambucano is known as the free-kick master of football. It was rumored that he once ownedd a 50% conversion rate on his set piece shots while playing for Lyon, all the while notching upwards of 40 goals for the club. Juninho has been accurately portrayed as "One of the world's most feared strikers of the static ball." The king of the knuckleball, Pernambucano retired from play follwoing the 2006 FIFA World Cup. As June draws nearer and nearer, I can only hope we see a new star of the set piece rise from the Soccer City stage of South Africa.

Who would you pick to be your top free-kick specialists?

Show me the money!

By: Brandon Vondera

Sal•a•ry

-noun, plural -lies.

a fixed compensation periodically paid to a person for regular work or services.

In today's woeful economic times, a proper is an important thing to work for. While some complain theirs is not enough, others grind the mill daily to ensure growth to their own net worth. In football (Let's stop pretending, if we are to embrace the sport, let's call it by proper name. I am quite sure if I bring up either Landon Donovan or Donavon McNabb in conversation you'll understand which football I speak of.) the work may or may not be considered regular. But I'll tell you one thing, it is definitely a service, entertaining millions around the globe.

Recently director James Cameron (Titanic, Aliens, True Lies) was at it again with his latest epic, Avatar. The new movie which is set in the future has broken the record (also held by Cameron and Titanic) for the highest grossing box-office movie worldwide. The movie has already seen sales reach over $1.84 Billion and it is estimated that over 200 million people worldwide have seen the feature. Incredible numbers.

What's more impressive are the estimate's for viewership of the upcoming 2010 World Cup. The tournament beginning June 11, is to be played in South Africa. At last report it was estimated that over 1.5 Billion people will tune into the final. Now if this gem of sport we call football is attracting over five times as many viewers as the world's most seen movie, then the stars of the show are definitely entertainers. Providing past time to all of us dreamers and fans.

Our modern Princes-of-the-pitch, are handsomely profiting from their talents. Unless, unworldly, they play in the precincts of the red, white, and blue. Not supposing to bore you with bunk that MLS players do not bank on their own talents. Rather, they are decades behind their mates accross the pond in compensation. Here is a look at the top 20 earning footballers in the USA vs the World.

(click chart for larger image)

Clearly you can see there is a major difference in what players are paid in the U.S. versus the world's top leagues. Perhaps these numbers are fair in perspective to the present skill level of the different leagues, but I'll venture to say the drop-off for players in the MLS is not going to remain this way forever. As the climate for soccer becomes brighter in the coming years, more resources will flood the league. Player salaries will rise and new soccer-specific stadiums will be built. It looks to be a booming time for football in America. With the sport rising faster than any other at both the high school and collegiate level breakout American stars are surely already being developed from sea to shining sea.

Super Venue

Today it was announced that the U.S. Men's National team will play El Salvador in Tampa, FL on February 24. The match will be the Americans second World Cup warmup of the year-- the first coming later this month as the United States play host to a fellow World Cup qualifying nation, Honduras on January 23rd in Carson, California. The 27,000 seat Home Depot Center in Carson is the home of two MLS teams (Chivas USA, LA Galaxy), as well as being home to the United States Soccer Federation National Teams.

Playing at Raymond James Stadium is not only a wonderful location, but also, a chance for the U.S. to highlight another of it's 18 cities featured in a bid for the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cups. This stadium previously held both Super Bowls XXXV and XLIII. The "Ray Jay" as it's known by most fans also bears claim to "the best turf in the NFL" according to one 2004 study. America, 2-1-1 playing in Tampa, last visited the city March 25, 2007. The result was a 3-1 victory over Ecuador.

In early March the U.S. will play the Netherlands in Amsterdam. It will be the final match before coach Bob Bradley sets his 23-man World Cup Roster. Also of note, it is the only date before May in which club teams are required to release players to their respective national teams.

America opens the South Africa 2010 World Cup tournament June 12, against England, with group play ending after matches against Slovenia on June 18, and then Algeria five days later. The United States has never placed in a World Cup, although FIFA now officially gives credit for third-place in the 1930 Cup.

Now with 570,000+ fans watching the games live in South Africa, as well as an estimated 1.5 billion more watching on TV this will be the most widely viewed sporting event in history. With wholly 20% of the world's population watching, the American desire to win will be more abounding than ever before.

Are you ready to be a scholar athlete?

Every autumn brings a new hope to thousands of high school soccer players of taking their game to the next level. Being a college student-athlete is an imposing goal for many prep players. The final culmination after years of soccer camps, snacking on half-time orange slices, and team names like the Mighty Red Ants. Whether it be because: parents, siblings, friends, or heroes played soccer collegiately before them, America's youth will be clamoring for roster spots.

After putting in two-a-days, running endless drills (and miles) the time has come for them to go to a university and earn a degree. With the responsibilities of classes, labs, homework, and finals, the student-athlete must also train for his or her sport. Sound exhausting? To the many parents thinking of long overtime hours needed to fund their children's dreams it sure does. Thus, the college athletic scholarship.

Athletes who are granted a full scholarship receive funding that covers tuition and fees, room, board, and course-related books. Many more athletes who don't get a full scholarship may be given a partial scholarship to help offset some of these costs.

In 2008, the NCAA estimated the value of a full athletic scholarship to be around $14,000 a year at an in-state public school. The numbers were higher of course-- $24,000 and just over $32,000 for out-of-state institutions and private schools respectively. In any form, the scholarship is a delight to the student and family alike. Beyond dollars and cents, something the NCAA prides itself on, is the intangible value of these scholarships. Without them, many student-athletes would be unable to pursue their athletic and academic dreams.

A long time has passed since our young Pelé's were caught sleepy-eyed in the backseat of mom's mini-van, still wearing sweat-soaked jerseys with mud-caked cleats. Now that they're ready for college and probably driving themselves to practice, being pro-active is of the utmost importance. Less than 2% of high-school athletes will earn a scholarship. Each student must make sure he or she is eligible and continue to improve themself on and off the pitch.

Students must commit themselves to the process, by choosing a school that best suits their individual desires. Doing this as tirelessly as they have dedicated time to improving technical skills over the years, will offer the maximum satisfaction. Come May, graduating with a four year degree is the ultimate G-o-o-o-a-l!