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Musings, Soccer Advice and Knowledge sharing from Coach Vinny!

La Porta Soccer Academy : Tip of the Day

Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Vinny La Porta, and the game of soccer defines me.  

There are three equal parts to a well rounded soccer player; technical ability, tactical ability, and mental ability.  Without a proper balance between all three one will never achieve their true potential.  

   Technical ability:  This is summed up by the players’ foot skills on the ball, their ability to master shooting, passing, long balls, driven balls, chipped balls, and the weighted pass.  Technical ability also determines first touch control on the ball which is vital all across the pitch.

   Tactical ability:  This is summed up by the players’ ability to understand the game of soccer and its rhythm.  Grasping the knowledge of offensive and defensive positioning, the ability to organize teammates, and formulating answers to questions like, “how do we beat this team today?”  Tactical ability can be taught but it is only mastered through experience.

    Mental ability:  This is summed up by the players’ self perception being coincident with how they are perceived by those around them.  Mental ability, or mental strength as I like to call it, is the most important aspect of a well rounded soccer athlete, for without mental strength, amazing technical and/or tactical ability is useless.

     For example, lets take a 15 year old student, male or female, who possesses outstanding talent in both the technical and tactical aspects of soccer.  As a result this individual has been hearing praise and compliment their entire soccer playing lives, so much so that by the age of 15 their talent defines them.  Pressure thrives in this player’s head as they feel a necessity to live up to their ever-present talents perceived by those around them.  These individuals then re-define themselves by every touch on the ball, every pass, every shot, every decision, every tackle, and every second of every game.  This pressure builds and eventually causes an overload during high pressure situations. The brain locks up and their focus level is then demolished.  Without a relaxed and keen focus level, one’s technical and tactical abilities cannot thrive.  Therefore mental strength is a pivotal asset for all aspiring students of the great game of soccer.  To players that suffer from mental weaknesses I say you are not alone, for it took me six years to gain a proper balance of confidence on the pitch.  Step one, listen to all those around you and learn, but take in the opinion of only one, the ball.  What’s it got to say?