Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta,Rooney,kaka,Ryan Giggs,pato,Ibrahimovic,Benzema,Falcao,Crouch,Hernandez,Fabregas….. The list is endless. These are modern day professional players that come to mind when we read the title “professional Soccer player”. And Rightfully so, they are part of the best at the moment. These players are different but share certain similarities that make them simply world class. Want to become one? Here are some tips and ingredients you need to procure to hit it to the top.
Becoming a modern day pro -footballer is a reality most people believe is way out of their reach, or worse still, that of their kids. There are certain erroneous general assumptions that we have been used to hearing that further buffer that erroneous belief:
a) You have to be extra talented and born a “footballer”.
b) It runs in the family
c) You must be very quick and explosive when running and playing the ball,
d) You need to start in a renowned club as a youth to reach a professional status as an adult
e) you must be very strong, tall and have abundant muscles everywhere to make it
f) You must come from a poor family
g) You must be a ball juggler
h) It’s all about being “lucky”
……………… the list of misconceptions are endless and if they were true some of the above stars would not have made it!
WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER BY THE WAY?
A professional footballer by definition is someone who makes his or her livelihood (or a major part of it) playing football. In other words, football is his or her job. Can you or your child become a pro footballer? Well, I believe you have a brighter chance than you thought before now!
Let’s face it, certain factors / ingredients have to be present: You need to have at minimum some physical capabilities. It’s a running and explosive sport, especially at the top, so working on your fitness can only be beneficial. Weighing 150 kgs at 1 meter 50 is not an advantage here, and you must have good control of your body organs etc.
Just have to Love the game, because the love of it will spur your creativity. The sheer love and pleasure inherent in playing the ball and achieving tasks like passing, dribbling, shooting is a base that must be there. It does not help starting out or encouraging your kid(s) to play football just for the financial benefits.
"Smart" Hard work, behind the scenes, and having fun whilst working hard is a very important Ingredient. Football is fun, but demanding physically and mentally. You need some luck, some say! Only as regarding sustaining serious injuries for example I feel! But the fitter you are, the less prone you are to injuries (to a large extent)
If physically you are not as quick in motion as some of the above mentioned stars, then you should try being quicker mentally! For example, deciding what you want to do with the ball much earlier before the ball and the opponents come at you helps you execute quicker, and seem and actually play quicker.
When you watch the pro’s they seem often at the right place at the right time. It’s all about pre defined good positioning. Learn to position yourself well with and without the ball on the pitch and off you go. For example when my team does not have the ball, position yourself between the opponent and your goal keeper. When in possession quickly search to get into forward or wide spaces for example.
Discipline on and off the pitch is very important. Make a habit of getting minimum 8 hours night sleep daily, drinking enough water (2litres a day) Spare your body alcohol overload etc and you are helping yourself enormously.
Cultivate the hunger to always want to be better today at something, task or move than you were yesterday, and very importantly try to be as consistent as possible. Regularity in your passes, simple play in defensive areas and executing the above tips make you a better player.
Learn to really watch football, not just watch the game: See how the pro's execute their moves and the body movements they put into their actions and not just watch the end result of their actions. You will learn a lot from this.
Let’s be clear: if you think that to be a professional footballer you or your child need to have talents akin to Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, Zinedine Zidane, Johan Cruyff etc. then you are setting yourself up for possible disappointments.
Not everyone can be like the above, but based on your own attributes after Evaluation you can now channel yourself, your kids to a particular area of specialisation that has to be perfected to make you the best at your game.
Evaluation? Ask yourself: how fast do I or does my child run? How quick does he learn and react? How quickly does he self-analyse situations? Is he good with his feet or hands? (Goalkeeper or field player etc.)
This analysis does not serve to tell you if you or your child will be a professional or not but it is aimed to help you know what direction or position on the pitch he has to be orientated to.For example, if he is very quick and relatively small you have a possible side midfielder, winger or second striker in your hands, If he is big, not very fast, physical and loves to have physical contact, use his size, then you have a possible central defender or defensive mid-fielder who has to be taught positioning to compensate for his lack of pace to succeed.
If he is very good technically (ease on the ball)sees free team mates slightly before his peers, can carry the ball with ease in his feet around while running,good accurate passes etc. well you guessed it right, you have a potential creative mid-fielder in your hands. Etc.
Next step; specialisation!
He now has to work to perfect his qualities as much as possible. Remember it’s a game (job) made up of 11 players (in a team) on the pitch. The competition is tough. So perfect what you are best at.
The most important ingredient, in success as a professional is the mental strength. Without this, it is almost impossible to succeed. Why? Few places available and too many aspirants. The strongest, mentally will reach the finish line and not necessarily the most talented.
Stop limiting yourself or your child to goal of reaching the level of the next Lionel Messi, or Cristiano Ronaldo etc.you or he may never be them, but you could end up being better in your own way! Do not be afraid to dream and try. We all started out by dreaming and trying. Thats what got us to pro status!
Check this out: Gennaro Gatusso of AC Milan, Italy and the Italian national team is a world cup 2006 winner with Italy. He initially had very limited influence on the pitch in the early stages of his career, but went on to have a more successful career than Enzo Scifo of Belgium who was more technically gifted for example, simply because he perfected a department of the game (ball recuperation) and made himself one of the best defensive mid-fielders of the 2004-2006 era in Europe, if not the world. Same as Claude Makelele of France, Real Madrid, and Chelsea star. One of the best defensive mid-fielders the world has ever seen.
You or your child need not necessarily have to aim to be a Messi,Ronaldo,Rooney,Maradona or Zidane as a professional, but a Gatusso,or Makelele model could also get you there... Becoming a professional.
I must concede that some luck is needed, lucky to get scouted, lucky to be in form when it matters, lucky not to get injured, but if you do not shoot at Goal, luck will not take the ball from where it is and hit the Goal post and go in!
In conclusion, of course talent is important, physical build is also important, but there is nothing more useful as football intelligence. At the high level it’s all about quick, good decision making as regards what you do,when and how you do it! on the pitch. Quick thinking is therefore more than useful. How often you make and execute the right decisions determines how good you are.
All the above named stars, professionals have these qualities and similarities. Good luck. End of lesson One on "Sunday’s soccer school" (S³)
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