Friday, October 28, 2011

90 minutes?!

On phone with my brother.

Me: "Tom, I have a dream.  I want you to support me.  Don't make fun."

Tom: "Okay, what is it?"

Me: "I want to learn to play soccer, and play on a recreational league in nine months.  I want to be an actual contributing member, and not just there so they can meet their co-ed status."

Tom: "Great!  Let's do cardio together when you visit.  You'll need to train enough to run 90 minutes."

Me: "I don't need to be put into the field for the whole game, just part of the game."

Tom: "The team only gets two substitutions.  9 people will be out on the field for the whole 90 minutes."

Me: "Oh really?  That's a lot!"

Tom: "You didn't know???  Why didn't you look this up before setting the goal?  Next you're going to say, 'Wait, there's a ball?  I didn't know I have to kick a ball around.  But I want you to support my dream of playing on a league.'"

Me: "How many balls are there on the field at a given time?"

Tom: "What!"

Me: "But seriously, 90 minutes is a lot.  Okay, but I'm still going to aim for it.  It's just scary."

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Made me laugh :)

Don't worry you will not be literally running for 90 minutes, but you should also be aware that it is a contact sport.

You should go watch a game then decide.

Yishan said...

Hahahahaha. Yeah, soccer is really just about running. But aren't you good at this after survival school? You are able to run for like hours or something now, right?

Matthew said...

I have to ask - were you trolling him with the "how many balls in play" question?

N said...

Yes, I was trolling with that question. )

I won't be literally running for 90 minutes? It seems like as long as a soccer player is in the field, they are usually running.

Jeremy said...

The amount of running you do will really depend on which position you play. If you play midfield, expect to run the most.

Your brother is correct for professional soccer, but it would surprise me if recreational soccer had a limit on substitutes. It seems like that limit would defeat the point of it being recreational. I'm sure you can find a lot of league.

I suggest you get some gear and a ball and head down to the local school and practice dribbling and kicking. You really need to play to learn the strategy.

If I were to pick a sport for you, I'd pick volleyball since you seem to have that build.

Anonymous said...

It really depends on what recreational league, but many of the leagues in SF have games that are only 50 minutes and are very lax on substitutions (you can go in and out as much as you want). It is actually more about a light jog and quick sprints than just running, it is a different type of endurance. The hardest part is the footwork honestly, not the running. That and understanding what to do in the situation (not just 'ball goes in other goal'). You just need to play around and kick the soccer ball to improve that. Juggling a soccer ball (and not like the 3 ball juggling) is actually the best way to improve touch, but wil be hard for a beginner.

Jane said...

Be a goalie!

from
http://www.kidzworld.com/article/9657-quiz-the-coach-i-want-to-be-a-good-goalie

The first thing you have to work on is the mental aspect of goal keeping. I once heard a hockey goalie say that 90 percent of being a good goalie is mental strength. Same thing goes for soccer goalies. You must be confident that you can do a good job. You also must be courageous. You have to go all out when you are a goalie - even if this means diving. If an opponent sees that you are timid, they will take advantage. And the last aspect of mental toughness is focus. Don't worry about who is in the crowd, or what homework (or project deliverable, Niniane) you have to do - keep your mind on the game and be ready for anything that comes your way. If you get scored on, you should not let it bother you so much. Try to stay focused no matter what happened before.

InWantOfBeingMe said...

LoL @ both of your's sense of humour !!