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Sleep And The Teenage Player

Sleep well, play well (The teenager’s challenge)
By Dev K. Mishra, M.D.

I’m sure anyone who’s raised an adolescent or teenager can attest to the idea that teenagers don’t get as much sleep as they need. For the adolescent or teenager a number of outside influences take place: more demands on time for homework, socializing, sports, music, or any number of other activities. Let’s take a look below at some reasons why sleep patterns change, what the proper amount of sleep is, and how it can affect sports performance.

Why sleep patterns change in a teenager

Each of us — no matter how old — has an internal clock that follows roughly a 24-hour cycle. The internal cycle has a wide range of effects on many different body functions such as body temperature, release of hormones (human growth hormone is released in larger amounts during sleep than wakefulness), and amount of sleep required.In younger children the normal body clock would have them fall asleep around 8 or 9 each night and wake up in the morning when they’ve had enough sleep. But in puberty the surge in different hormones produced by the body changes all of that and it becomes very difficult to feel sleepy often until after 11pm. Throw in the required time on Facebook and you can see where all of this leads.

How much sleep does a teenager need and how many teens actually get that?
Most sleep researchers tell us that the typical teenager should have 9 hours of sleep per night. Right now many of you are saying to yourselves “get real, that’s impossible” for most teenagers.

As the father of two teenage boys I’d have to agree. Several studies of teens have shown that about 90% get less than 9 hours of sleep per night and unfortunately 10% said they typically get less than 6 hours per night. The definition of “sleep deprivation” in teens is not completely clear but generally means that the teen is consistently getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night.

How sleep deprivation affects school and athletic performance

Anyone who’s sleepy can be awfully moody but there are many negative consequences beyond that. Being tired during class will obviously make it more difficult to concentrate or even stay awake during class, and there is evidence that being sleep deprived leads to poorer school performance. And most tragically a sleep deprived teen driving a car can lead to disastrous consequences.In a test of reaction times at Stanford University, people who were tired because of disrupted sleep performed about as poorly as subjects who were legally drunk. The study is the first to show severe impairment in people who have only mild to moderate sleep disturbances. This was an older group of people but it’s easy to see that it could be true for teenagers too. Would you like to face a high and tight fastball when you can’t react?

As for sports performance, research by Dr. Cheri Mah at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic has shown that members of Stanford’s women’s tennis team, men’s and women’s swimming teams, and men’s basketball team improved performance by increasing sleep times.

Some practical tips for sleep and sports performance in teenagers …

There are many good reasons for teenagers to get more sleep than they do, but once again reality can get in the way of a good plan. So do the best you can to get as close as you can to 9 hours of sleep for your teen.At the very least there are special situations when you’ll want to pay special attention to “sleep preparation” for performance. Do you have an important tournament or championship game coming up? How about a national team tryout? A college identification camp where you’ll be traveling east through several time zones? Here are some simple tips:

* Increase your sleep time several weeks before a major event.

* Make sleep as much of a priority as technical skill, fitness, and nutrition.

* Go to sleep and wake up at the same times every day.

* Turn lights off at night; use bright lights in the morning.

* When traveling from west to east for competitions try to get out to your new time zone several days in advance to acclimate to the new time zone and avoid jet lag.

(Dev K. Mishra is the creator of the SidelineSportsDoc.com injury management program for coaches. He is an orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Burlingame, Calif. He is a member of the team physician pool with the U.S. Soccer Federation and has served as team physician at the University of California, Berkeley. This article first appeared on SidelineSportsDoc.com.)

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Using Technology For Improved Soccer Performance

By John Adams, GK Director No. 1 Soccer Camps

“You cannot follow a parked car”. I heard someone say this in passing at school the other day. The perfect metaphor for coaching. If you don’t improve as a coach, how could you expect your players to improve? With the advancement of technology, coaching has progressed at a pace we have never seen before. At the highest levels, technology allows us to evaluate a player’s speed, agility, power and endurance. Players wear heart rate monitors so coaches can customize workouts and prevent overtraining. GPS devices can track a player’s total distance traveled in training or a match. At the younger levels, where this type of technology is too expensive or not appropriate, what types of technology can coaches use to help players? How can coaches and players use technology to continue their improvement?

Technologies I have used:

1) DARTFISH

I was introduced to this video analysis application this past summer while working No.1 Soccer Camp in Salisbury, MD. This app works on your iphone or other mobile devises, we had the best on results using the iPad. The process is simple! You shoot a video of a player performing a skill. The player then comes over, views the video and is able to get instant feedback. The app has a scrub-bar that allows for frame by frame viewing. It breaks down every detailed movement of the player. Along with filming, a snapshot can be taken at any point in the video and you can make illustrations on that photo. A couple of clicks and the video/photos are shared with the player via text or e-mail. They can also be uploaded to any social media sites.

How does video analysis help to today’s younger player? Video analysis allows for multiple approaches for youth and coaches as well. The playback aspect of any video is worth it. You can view something over and over again. Analyze, compare and improve.

Accurate Diagnosis: Video trumps memory in discovering a weakness.
Improve coaching methods: After diagnosing a problem, coaches can use the video to fix it. Whether its team or individual training, coaches have an opportunity to be very specific when creating a training session.
Measure improvement: Take videos of the same skill over time and compare them.
Model the best: Instead of taking the “Here’s what you’re doing wrong” approach, video analysis can allow you to model the best.

2) TWITTER

In the Summer of 2012, I was scrolling through my timeline and I came across a video posted of Jose Mourinho, currently the coach of Chelsea, doing a session on “Protecting the Ball” I was hooked. What else could I find? What other ideas could be useful? Since then, I have connected with coaches from all over the world, saved over 200 videos and documents from the top teams and shared a ton of the stuff of my own as well.

How does Twitter help today’s younger player? Twitter (and other social media sites) can be used as a sharing platform for coaches from all over. Endless amounts of information are at your fingertips. This helps coaches, which in turn is helpful to players. Top level coaches share information that can and should be used with today’s younger players.

3) SPORT-SESSION-PLANNER

Found this little nugget on Twitter. This is a 3D Session Planning Program that allows you to create and share sessions with coaches and teams who also have this software. Because of the 3D aspect of it, I use it more to show my teams the tactics part of the game.

How does Sport Session Planner help today’s younger players? The 3D aspect of this is outstanding. As coaches, we have to do our best to make things as realistic as possible, in training sessions and in meetings. When you show this to a player it becomes tangible to them. You can look at the field from different vantage points, showing them a pretty good version of what they will be looking at.

4) REMIND 101

A texting application that allows for easy, quick communication with your team.

How does Remind 101 help today’s younger players?I use this out of ease and convenience with my teams. This app gives coaches the ability to get information to your team very efficiently. Whether it be a change in practice time, a link to a YouTube video or any other types of reminder, this app shows the importance of communication. There is no more, “I didn’t get the memo” excuse, because we all know that most people are attached to their phones.

Today’s younger players are very lucky. They have easy access to things we only dreamed of having 20 years ago. On a regular basis, they watch YouTube clips of great goals and amazing saves. They are playing FIFA with their friends after school. The game is in front of their eyes them more often than ever. Coaches have to continue to find ways to make the watching become the doing. There is no denying that the technology is wonderful, but if the player doesn’t own their development, it’s a waste. When they see a mistake on a video, they have to work to fix it. The modeling of the best players and the right way to perform a skill only works if the player is deliberate in their practice. Technology is just starting to creep into soccer. This is just the beginning.

Ask Our Coaches: The Off Season

Question: I’m in my off season; what should I be doing to prepare for the spring season?

Coach Gordon: There are few things to keep in mind as you prepare for a new season. First, it’s always important to enter a season healthy and with a solid base of fitness. As always, maintaining a healthy diet and getting an appropriate amount of sleep are important, and you’ll want to prepare your body for the increasingly intensive activity during the first weeks of your team’s training. Second, part of your physical preparation should involve a ball. While many players find that a short break helps them recover physically and mentally following a season, it’s important for your long-term technical development to touch a ball regularly. Even 15 minutes of work with a ball 2 or 3 times a week will help you improve, though you may find that 30 minutes helps more. Third, I think it’s helpful to watch top players and teams play. It’s fun to have favorite players and a team to follow, and you can learn so much by paying attention to how your favorite player uses the ball and what they do when they are off the ball. Finally, understand that if you want to be a top player, there’s no substitute for hard work and self-discipline. One morning last summer, before our campers at Landon School began arriving for our 8 am session, I noticed a young woman playing with a ball on our lower field. She was training by herself, running through a series of 1v1 moves and then finishing on an empty net. She was obviously skillful, moving with the ball fluidly and striking the ball cleanly, with power and accuracy. But her intensity is what truly impressed me. Every thing she did was at full speed – her moves and cuts were sharp, she accelerated when changing directions, and she sprinted to collect the balls after each set. When she finished her workout, she came over to return a few balls she had borrowed. She introduced herself and said that she was a midfielder for her college team, and then ran off to get ready for summer internship, her grey Stanford t-shirt soaking with sweat. Billy Gordon, Coach, Landon School, No 1 Soccer Camp Staff since 1996. Regional Director for No. 1 Soccer Camps at our Landon School – Bethesda, MD location.

Coach Gregg: As an athlete, it is important to maintain a level of fitness year round that will allow you to keep your body and mind fit regardless of the time of year. This will allow you easily move into the season with little or no drop off. This can be accomplished in a few ways. First is eating habits, make sure you are eating the correct foods that allow your body to maintain form and help with the rebuilding process when working out. Second is a routine workout that allows your body and mind to stay share. It is a good idea to maybe take this time to do some cross training such as; other sports, running, cross fit, or weight lifting. It does not have to be soccer related, but still keeping in touch with it is good as well. And lastly, Sleeping habits. Just because you’re not in season does not mean you should change off of your bodies need for this. A good night sleep is always a need for an athlete’s body. John Gregg, Former General Manager USL PRO Harrisburg City Islanders, No 1 Soccer Camp Staff since 1990. Regional Director for No. 1 Soccer Camps at our Lebanon Valley College – Hershey PA location.

Coach Andrulis: This is a very popular question from our young players who are eager to improve. We are all looking for the same thing: what can we do during our non competitive months to best prepare ourselves for break out seasons and to re write our personal record books? Players who desire to play at the highest levels are often told that there is no off season. Even the casual club player knows that playing the game year round is essential to maintaining fitness and touch. I recommend four things to focus on during your off season:

Rest and Recovery: take care of any injuries or soreness. Do what you can to be healthy when your break is over. You may also need a mental break to be refreshed and ready to go again.
Work on your aerobic base. Often team fitness doesn’t give you the overall base you need to excel over a long season. Go for some longer jogs, do some interval training or some cross training like basketball or skiing, be active but do something you enjoy.
Pick a technical skill that needs a little work and sharpen it up, juggle the ball a couple of times a week to improve your touch. Watch Ronaldo on youtube and learn one of his tricks! How fun would that be?
Find a few friends and play pickup, no coaches no restrictions, just play for the fun of it.

Greg Andrulis, Head Coach, George Mason University, Former Coach, MLS Columbus Crew. No.1 Soccer Camps Staff since 1988. Regional Director for No. 1 Soccer Camps at our Urbana University – Urbana, OH, Salisbury School – Salisbury, MD, Western Connecticut State University – Danbury, CT locations.

Urbana University Photo Album Posted

Check out this link to our Facebook Page www.Facebook.com/No1SoccerCamps to see the mega album we just posted of photos from our site at Urbana University. This album really captures the University’s great facilities and highlights No.1 Soccer Camps in action.

No.1 Soccer Camps Featured In Camp Navigator Magazine

No.1 Soccer Camps is featured in an the article entitled, “The Benefits of Soccer Camp” in the latest issue of Camp Navigator Magazine. Check it out here (page 12): http://issuu.com/campnavigator/docs/cn_magazine_vol-2_issue_2_final

Every No.1 Soccer Camps Site Is Posted On facebook

You can now find every No.1 Soccer Camps Site created as an event on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-1-Soccer-Camps/192472282088?sk=events

Please go here to post that you are attending, make comments or ask any questions you’d like of the staff.

No.1 Soccer Camps To Introduce New Web Site

Sometime close to the first of the year, No.1 Soccer Camps will introduce its new web site designed to enhance the enrollment process by taking advantage of the latest technological advances making registration and payment much easier. In addition the web site will enable campers and their friends to blog with each Regional Director about a particular campsite, coach or camp experience. Using Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, the No.1 Soccer Camp web site will become the social media host of choice for camper interaction.

Of course the latest camp pictures and videos will be much easier to post and each Regional Director will be able to update their campsite page(s) before, during and after the camp weeks. The new No.1 Soccer Camp web site will help insure that No.1 Soccer Camps maintain their position at No.1! No.1 Soccer Camps, It’s All in the Name!

What Have You Been Doing Soccer Camp Directors

No.1 Soccer Camp founder and director Joe Machnik toured Poland and Ukraine during the Euro 2012 tournament accompanied by Barbara Machnik, their grand children Olivia and Ryder and good friends John, Pat and Kayleen Kowalski. Machnik also once again served as a Referee/Coach for MLS and as Referee Director for the US Armed Forces Games @ Camp Pendleton. In addition, Machnik travelled to Alajuela, Costa Rica where he served as Match Commissioner for the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) match between Alajuelense (CR) and Tigres of Mexico. Dr. Machnik completed his first season as referee assignor for the women’s soccer competition of the Northeast Conference wherein he visited all eleven (11) campuses at which women’s soccer is played. Machnik was also guest speaker at the annual meetings of the National Intercollegiate Soccer officials Association (NISOA) in Chicago and at the pre-season meeting of the New England Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association (NEISOA) in Worcester, MA.

Regional Director Christine Huber started her second year at the small private school of Hamden Hall in Hamden, CT. This year the Hornets finished 9-4-1 in Class C of New England. Christine continues to run the CFC Arena, which is New Haven County’s premier indoor sports facility. She is also coaching the CFC Impact U-12 girls team while directing U-12 and younger girls at the CFC Impact branch. This summer, Christine will be taking over a team of girls’ high school players to Italy to play overseas in different tournaments. There are a few spots open if anyone is interested in joining.

John Plaugic (Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach @ St. Benedict’s Preparatory School (Newark, NJ) wins his 4th New Jersey Prep A State Championship in a row while also claiming his 2nd consecutive National Championship in High School Boy’s Soccer with St. Benedict’s Preparatory School.

Mike Idland is entering his sixth season as as the head women’s soccer coach at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Idland has guided the Panthers to an overall record of 50-40-4 during his tenure including, a 2012 trip to the AMCC tournament championship game and three consecutive appearances in the AMCC semifinals prior to that. Under Idland the Panthers also achieved the title of Regular Season Co-Champions in 2012. He has coached 14 all-conference performers, the 2012 AMCC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year, and the 2012 Newcomer of the Year.

In 2011 and 2012, Idland directed Pitt-Bradford to the two best seasons in school history while being named AMCC Coach of the Year in 2011. The Panthers established a new school record for wins with 13 in both seasons and hosted postseason semi-final matches for the first time in program history. In 2011 Pitt-Bradford finished second in the conference during the regular season with a mark of 7-1-1, the highest finish ever by any Panther team, only to be bettered in 2012, which saw the team go 8-1 in conference play. The 2012 team had four players named first-team all-conference selections and three more were represented on the second-team.

Pitt-Bradford was one of the top defensive teams in the country in 2011, ranking 10th nationally in goals against average and 12th in shutout percentage. In 18 games, the Panthers surrendered a total of eight goals, including just two in conference play.

After finishing 5-12-1 in his first season, Idland directed Pitt-Bradford to 10 wins and a sixth-place finish in the AMCC in 2009. In the first round of the conference tournament, Pitt-Bradford upset third-seeded Medaille to record the program’s first ever AMCC tournament win.

The Panthers improved to fifth in the conference in 2010 and posted nine wins. Pitt-Bradford knocked off D’Youville in the opening round of the conference tournament to advance to the semifinals for the second straight year. Four players were named to the All-AMCC squad, and the team received the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Silver Ethics Award for finishing the entire season with just two yellow cards.

Prior to coming to Pitt-Bradford, Idland served as an assistant at Division I Canisius College from 2007-08. He previously served in the same role at Buffalo State College from 2003-07.

Idland served for four years as a regional director for Joe Machnik’s No. 1 Soccer Camps, where he began coaching in 2000 and where he continues to coach in the summer. He is also a goalkeeper coach for the New York West Olympic Development Program (ODP), a position he has held since 2004. In 2007 he was recognized as the New York West ODP Coach of the Year. Idland has also been a member of the Region I Girls ODP goalkeeping staff since 2008. He is currently the head goalkeeper coach for U-19 program at Region I ODP.

Idland coached the U-15 girls for Alliance FC of Buffalo, NY in the 2011-2012 season, during which the team won the US Club Northeast Regional Super Group, advancing to the US Club National Championship competition. His team also captured titles at the Umbro Top-Rated Showcase and Baltimoremania. Idland also coached several premier club teams with the Empire United Soccer Academy from 2003-08.

A native of Westfield, N.J., he played collegiately at SUNY Cortland.

He received his bachelor’s in secondary English education from SUNY Cortland in 2003, and earned a master’s in English from the University at Buffalo in 2006.

Idland holds a USSF “A” coaching license and currently resides in East Aurora, N.Y., with his wife Nancy and their daughter, Marielle.

Season’s Greetings From No.1 Soccer Camps

Since 1977, first as the No.1 Goalkeeper Camp and later with the addition of field players into the No.1 Striker Camp; No. 1 Soccer Camps has afforded the best in summer soccer camp experience with 75,000 satisfied campers and of course their parents and coaches.

The No.1 Soccer Camp family of staff and campers now numbers in excess of 100,000. On behalf of camp founder Joe Machnik, Barbara Machnik and the No.1 Soccer Camp Regional Directors: Clark Brisson, Mike Potier, Tony Pierce, Christine Huber, Chad Liddle, Greg Andrulis, Adam Manning, Graeme Orr, Nick DeMarsh, Boris Kalff, and Billy Gordon; the very best of Season’s Greetings to the No.1 Soccer Camp family and friends dating back to 1977. And of course, a Happy 2013 New Year to all!

No.1 Soccer Camp 2013 Schedule Released

The 2013 No.1 Soccer Camp schedule is highlighted with a return to the Milwaukee, WI area with long time staff coach and Regional Director Tony Pierce directing a No.1 Soccer Camp @ Wisconsin Lutheran College where he is now women’s soccer coach. In addition new campsites will be offered at SUNY Morrisville in Morrisville, NY with Regional Director Greg Andrulis leading the way.

The International Exchange Program with Germany is now finalized with a group of campers from Germany planning to attend the August 3rd camp week @ WCSU and with campers interested in attending camp in Germany under the leadership of Regional Director Boris Kalff leaving New York’s JFK airport on Friday July 19th and returning Wednesday July 24th.

Of course, the very popular No.1 Soccer Camp Invitational Camp led by Regional Director Nick DeMarsh will enter its third season with a group of goalkeepers and strikers limited to sixty (60) in number by invitation or special playing experience eligibility only. And Regional Director Mike Potier has secured several new West Coast campsites for No. 1 with Menlo College in Atherton, CA and Pacific University in the Portland OR area being added to his traditional Claremont McKenna camp location.

And be on the lookout for upcoming announcements concerning No.1 Soccer Camps in Alabama and for the very first time in Canada. And, of course, No.1 will return to the following traditional locations: University of Dallas, Charleston Southern, Vero Beach Sports Village, Landon School, Baylor School, Brewster Academy, Northfield Mount Hermon, Fountain Valley School, Salisbury University, Robert Morris University, Darlington School, Benedictine University, Blue Ridge School, Western Connecticut University (WCSU), Westtown School, and Pomfret School. Urbana University will replace Wright State as our traditional Ohio site.

These additions and changes will make 2013 the year with the greatest number of No.1 Camp offerings in its long history. The complete 2013 No 1 Soccer Camp Schedule appears on our web site www.no1soccercamps.com There is a No.1 Soccer Camp location near you!

View Our 2013 Schedule

Goalkeeper Reflex Training Video

Check out the video below and see how these guys train their goalkeeper. Its quite amazing to watch. How often do you train like this?

No.1 Soccer Camp International Exchange/Soccer camp In Germany

As mentioned in the above paragraph, details have been firmed up and finalized for the No.1 Soccer Camp’s International Exchange program with the Germany Camp conducted at Bad Blankenburg in the Thuringia Region of Germany. The Sports Complex in Bad Blankenburg offers a three (3) Star Hotel, five (5) excellent grass fields, a lighted turf field and an indoor soccer field. Each camper apartment provides either a two or three bedroom set up with personal shower, a TV, desk and Wi-Fi internet for all campers.

All Coaches (male and female) are licensed by the German Federation (DFB). Lessons will be taught in English and supported in German. All staff members are also accommodated at the hotel and there are separate areas for the boys and girls. Meals are served buffet style and individual needs can be addressed. An experienced No.1 Staff Coach will travel with the group and be present at all times.

As the photos on our new web page illustrate, the facility at Bad Blankenburg is First Class and more than worthy of being in the No 1 Soccer Camp family. Additional information may be found on the appropriate pages of the No.1 web site. The size of the group traveling to Germany on Friday July 19th and returning on the 24th will be limited to 12 campers of minimum age 12. So, enrollment is strictly limited and signing up early is recommended!

Coolest Thing Since Ice

Cool’n Tape is a revolutionary new product that replaces the ice bag. It performs better than ice, is more comfortable and more cost effective! It makes icing an injury feel good. Key benefits include:

Dual modality – cold and compression
No freezing or refrigeration required
Re-usable – 16-24 hours of use with proper care
Safe, non-toxic, non-latex, FDA approved
Feels good to ice your soreness and injuries

See product brochure below for more information or call 800-992-2021.

Early Enrollment Discount For Soccer camp Registration

For the first time, No.1 Soccer Camp has extended its Early Enrollment Discount into the month of February. Each camper who registers and pays in full by 10PM EST February 1, 2013 will receive the SELECT LIGA BALL FREE when they arrive at camp this summer. The ball will be specially marked with the No 1 Soccer Camp LOGO and is available in sizes 4 and 5.

Campers who register after 10PM EST on February 1st will be able to purchase the official camp ball at a special price of $25 while it also will be on sale for the general public at a price of $39.95 on the new No 1 Soccer Camp Store tab run by HO Soccer. It is anticipated that every camper will want one of these specially marked No.1 Soccer Camp balls and that will become a valued collector’s item in the memory of the No.1 Soccer Camp Experience.

Current and former No.1 Campers alike will want one of these fine Select specially marked No.1 Soccer Camp balls as a momento of their days at No.1 Soccer Camp. Order yours today!

Category: No 1 Soccer Camps