‘What does it take,’ is an extremely broad question; however
it can be answered in a very simple sentence… It
takes more than others are willing to give.
I said simple, not easy. Just
think about it for a minute, currently you are training 2-3 times a week and
playing one or two games. Every player
with a half way decent club is also doing the same thing. I don’t care if your ‘next level’ is college,
varsity for high school, or to move to a higher level team, you must put
together a plan on how to improve, start the plan, and most importantly stick
to it.
Now you are asking yourself, “Easy said, but how do I put
together a plan?” or “What should my plan include?” This is where your coaches should come in to
play. Sit down with your coach (player
must do this, not just the parent) and go over your last evaluation. Don’t waste your time on what are your
strengths, but focus on areas that need attention. If you are weak at crossing the ball, you
must add that to your plan to work on in a repeated fashion.
It usually takes anywhere from 800-1500 repetitions before
your muscles make it a habit. If you
strike 100 crosses a week, you are looking at 2-4 months before your
improvements will become natural and show during a game. Don’t forget, you must continue the
repetitions after 2-4 months in order to maintain your sharpness. This is only one weakness. Most of us have 5-10 areas where we need to
improve.
Now that I have your attention – DON’T FREAK OUT! Everyone
playing has weaknesses in their game.
You don’t have to become the perfect player. You never will get there anyway. However, if your weaknesses become harder to
find, you are well on your way.
What else are you willing to give that others are not? This can be and usually is answered off the
field. First impressions go a long
way. I have spent nearly 20 years
evaluating talent for club, college, and regional and national teams. How a player looks and acts prior to and
during a game or training can make a huge difference. Here are descriptions of two players. Tell me who you would want as a teammate.
PLAYER 1: Solid
player, good athlete and fast, average technically. Makes an impact once every 4-5 games (goal,
assist, great defense, etc.). Often 2-3 minutes late to training. Never seems to have right uniform. Takes 5-10 repetitions in training to
understand what is going on. Misses
pregame warm -up because they are still putting on shoes. Looks like they just woke up.
PLAYER 2:
Technically solid, average athlete.
Doesn’t usually make an impact, but very rarely makes a mistake. Always on time and ready to go. Extremely focused during training and warm
ups. You hate going against them in
practice because they “try too hard.”
My guess is most of you would rather have PLAYER 2 as your teammate. Who do you believe most coaches would rather
have on their squad? And most
importantly, ask yourself – which player are you most like?
Over my many years in coaching, PLAYER 1 may get noticed first, but over time they often become a
burden. PLAYER 2 is the one who reaches their goal. You rarely see them on the bench because coaches
know they can trust them to do the right thing.
Coaches know PLAYER 2 gives
them the best opportunity to win. The
sooner you can take the DISCIPLINE of PLAYER 2, the more likely your average is
better than most others’ good.
I know what you’re saying now, “I do not have the time. I have school and homework, I have drama
class, and not to mention I am on student council.”
Again, I will reiterate, THIS IS NOT EASY. If you want to be your best, it will take
sacrifice. Can you stay after training
for 20-30 minutes? Instead of getting up
at 6:30 am, what about 6:00 am? Just
these two simple changes, give you 4 more hours a week.
Don’t wait for someone to invite you to get better, go out
and do it. If you want to reach the next
level, give yourself the best chance.
