Mental Strength Monday - Goal Setting
Goal-setting helps boost youth athlete’s motivation and commitment. It draws direct attention on what you want to accomplish and helps to determine strengths and weaknesses in addition to tracking performance.
Challenge: Create a list of 3 to 5 goals that you want to achieve as an athlete. Instead of saying, "I want to get better at soccer," a better goal might be, "I will work with the ball 30 minutes after school four times a week." Keep in mind your goals should be (SMART) Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time specific.
Creating these goals are a great way to start off the new year and the month of January.
For more information on Goal Setting: Click Here
Technical Tuesday - Indoor Crazy Golf
Try your hand at Indoor Crazy Golf. Click here to download PDF
Number of Players: 1 - 4 – kids, parents, grandparents (whomever is available)
Equipment: Any indoor space and a tennis ball each (or tennis ball size.)
Organization: Each player starts with a ball. For U12 & older players – if more than 1 player is involved, 1 player picks the target, the next player determines the path to the target & any other players select the par. Targets can be par 3, 4 or 5. The higher the par the harder or further the target. An example of a target in the picture above, hit the table with the light on it but you must go to the right of the coffee table before playing to the target table and the par is 4.
Object of the Game: All players begin from a similar area. Pass the ball in the direction of the target or obstacle. Once your ball has stopped rolling, you can hit your 2nd shot. Your goal is to make it to the target in par or less. Keep playing until you hit the target; maximum score on any target is 10. As in golf, each player keeps track of their own score.
Wellness Wednesday - Hydration
Hydration is an important part of daily health and it can enhance or hinder your performance on the soccer field. A general ballpark is individuals should drink half of their body weight in ounces. Daily factors to consider are exercise intensity and duration, weather, and many more.
A great way to make sure you are staying properly hydrated is tracking your water intake though apps on a cell phone. Examples: My Water & Drink Reminder, Drink Water Reminder N Tracker, Water Reminder- Daily Tracker.
Challenge: Download one of the apps mentioned & track your water intake on a rest day & day of activity!
Thankful Thursday - Sportsmanship
The key to a strong sportsmanship culture lay in its ‘ROOTS’. It is important for a player to remember that the responsibility in displaying good sportsmanship involves respect of the Rules, Opponents, Officials, Teammates and of course, one’s Self.
Enjoy this article from the USYS on Sportsmanship ‘ROOTS’: Teach Youth Athletes Good Sportsmanship
Fitness Friday - 1 hour of Physical Activity
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition issued by the US Department of Health and Human Services, recommend that children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years do 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.
Regular physical activity in children and adolescents promotes health and fitness. Compared to those who are inactive, physically active youth have higher levels of fitness, lower body fat, and stronger bones and muscles.
Physical activity also has brain health benefits for school-aged children, including improved cognition (e.g., academic performance, memory) and reduced symptoms of depression.
Regular physical activity in childhood and adolescence can also be important for promoting lifelong health and well-being and preventing risk factors for various health conditions like heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
Challenge: Keep a diary of your physical activity during the months of January, February and March 2021. Share your creative workouts with Mass Youth Soccer on Social Media by tagging @mayouthsoccer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.