I guess "freestyle" is the soccer word for "tricks", like juggling a ball and other sorts of neat stuff. Indi Cowie was in last Sunday's (3/27) New York Times Magazine and it sounds like she's the next big thing in soccer, be it men's or women's. Does UT have a women's soccer team? She's going to North Carolina (where she currently lives). She's amazing. Indi Cowie
First off, congrats to her for making North Carolina's team. Every girl soccer players dream. Second off, I have mixed emotions about freestyle. I guess it has been around for a long while although I have never heard of it until now. And my first reaction was hell, here go the Americans off on another tangent involving this game. But evidently freestyling is practiced worldwide. And it is definitely and impressive display. But speaking as a former player and coach, I don’t see how this practice would make one a better player except possibly improving ball control to some extent. Seeing things like this does however cause me to be concerned about developing bad habits (some of the tricks she was doing was with her hands and arms) that would instinctively, even if unintentionally, cross over to the pitch. This is the very same reason we discouraged the kids who were playing at high levels from playing with hackysacks. We did not forbid it, but we strongly discouraged it and asked the parents to do the same. I don't know, maybe I am just old school or making a bigger deal out of this than what it is. I know it is kids having fun and this girl is obviously very talented. But I think that at this point in her life, and at the level she is playing at, she should be more focused on continually improving her game instead of these tricks that she will rarely if ever use in a match. She may be kicking *** on a high school boys team, but North Carolina is going really up the ante when it comes to the demands on her.
Hey JF…..not exactly sure if you are agreeing with me or disagreeing me, but you omitted the three key words to my quote.
Seeing things like this does however cause me to be concerned about developing bad habits (some of the tricks she was doing was with her hands and arms) that would instinctively, even if unintentionally, cross over to the pitch. I think those concerns are completely overblown, much like many of the various coaching "old wives' tales" that are followed not out of much evidence, but because it's "always been done/thought that way". To think that a player would "instinctively" use her hands on the pitch because of this? I scoff at that idea. Scoff at it.
I was coaching a game once, and on a throw in, the girl that it came to (who was also a big time volleyball player) clasped her hands together and hit it back to the throw-in player like she was on the volleyball court. Guess she forgot where she was for a second, but it was one of the funnier things I had seen in a soccer match. As to this freestyler, she got to perform at halftime of a Chelsea Man U match, and the crowd loved her. I liked her to. I just wish she was coming to UT.
SBO, I was thinking the EXACT same thing, but didn't say anything because about the only thing I REALLY know about soccer is that I don't care to watch the World Cup because I find it incredibly boring and the inanae vulvahorns (whatever they are really called). Just a personal taste. I don't like capers either. That being said. The young lady has impressive skills even if they aren't totally apropos for the game itself.
SBO, please excuse Perham's indignation, he probably thought he was on the West Mall. As Hornhawk pointed out it does happen, I've seen kids in basketball games and volleyball games try and play the ball with their feet. All technical skills in sports are muscle memory exercises. You do them enough and the skill becomes second nature, put into the right situation and the body will respond with the technical skill it remembers. Its obvious this girl is special, and the normal rules don't apply, but as a coach myself I understand the point you were trying to make.
SBO, I disagree as a current player and coach. If this girl were a casual player, maybe I could see your point. However, this is a girl that lives and breathes the game. She is not going to handle the ball because of a trick she practiced. Its a completely different mindset for her. She trains regularly with a boys select club, what would you have her do at home in the garage as opposed to juggling which is ALWAYS encouraged in young players? Familiarity with the ball is paramount to on field success. I wish my 13 and 14 year old boys would practice at home like she does. Doing this on a daily basis like she does plays a much larger part in her ball skill than "to some extent." The key is, she LOVES the game. Just about every great professional player can perform the same types of "tricks" in juggling a soccer ball as she just did. Have you ever seen the Brazilian national team tool around juggling the ball as a team? I don't think juggling impeded their ability to play the game.
