Washington Spirit Humbled in the Face of UVA Onslaught
It was a cold and windy night at the Maryland Sportsplex. The first night I could make it out for one of the DC Spirit’s pre-season games. Free tickets online. No excuse not to go, except for the drive and the family schedule. That landed me there on Saturday night, the last game before the […]
Strengthening Our Girls Against Concussions, Three Simple Ways to Build Neck and Core Strength While Keeping it Fun
Concussions are rampant in youth soccer, especially with our girls. We know what symptoms to look for. We have taught them proper technique. But girls need to be physically stronger in the challenge in order to protect themselves from injury. Check out the Fit2Finish video for three ways to strengthen your players that are simple, effective, and […]
Concussion in Youth Sports Part I: A Shaking of the Brain with Serious Consequences
The kid is everywhere. She’s taking command of the midfield and dictating play. Balls in the air. Balls on the ground. Nothing gets past her. She camps under another punt, and tenses, ready to send it forward. She goes up for the ball, but so does their striker. Heads, elbows and ball collide. Both girls […]
Thank you, Vienna Youth Soccer Striker Parents
Author’s note: I just finished six weeks working with the Vienna Youth Soccer (VYS) Strikers, 3 teams of U14 girls soccer players who compete in WAGS and ODSL. They are professionally trained by Gerardo Ramirez, Elise Fasick and Andon Tsarev. They invited Fit2Finish to introduce soccer-specific fitness and injury prevention. Dear Striker Parents, You have a […]
Girls Soccer Needs Less Force, More Finesse
Boys play differently than girls do, even at the top levels of the youth game. Take a couple minutes to watch this video from US Youth Soccer National League championship play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU1zrybZG8I It begins with boys games, then at about 4 minutes it shifts to the girls’. Watch how the girls are heavier on their feet. They come […]
Bishop’s Titans: Girls Soccer Champions in a League of Their Own
Lisa Bishop started coaching the CYA Titans when they were pint-sized and grew them into the girls who graduated high school this fall. So how do you say goodbye to girls who have been family for nearly a decade? You take them on a service trip to Costa Rica where they have an experience that will change […]
The Beautiful Game, Beautifully Played
How many of us have watched in amazement and disgust this week as Elizabeth Lambert of the University of New Mexico women’s soccer team assaulted players from Brigham Young University’s team? First, pulling a player down by her ponytail, then administering karate chops to the face of a player on a “tackle” and more. After […]