Resources
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Chapter 24: BIGGER POND, BIGGER FISH – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
When you were U-17, you played U-17 soccer. When you were U-18, you played U-18 soccer. The instant you step onto the college soccer field, you’ve just graduated to U-23 soccer. That’s a gigantic leap! Everything you know about soccer is about to get bigger and faster and more physical.
Chapter 25: YOUR BEST SELF – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
If preseason is going to be your showcase, then you obviously need to showcase your very best self. Since preseason is going to have such a big impact on your soccer life, it’s worth taking the time to formulate a plan.
Chapter 26: ADAPT – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
Preseason isn’t necessarily just about the best players coming into camp; it’s also about the players who adapt best to the new demands of the college game.
Chapter 27: THE SOCIAL CONTRACT – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
When you join a team, you agree to accept correction from the coach. That is the social contract that you enter, and it is binding.
Chapter 28: R*E*S*P*E*C*T – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
To get a spot on the field, you’re going to have to win it. That means you’re going to have to compete and compete hard against your new teammates, including the returners. And that is where a good many rookies lose the plot.
Chapter 29: PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
The best on-field advice I can give you is to play to your strengths and away from your weaknesses. As over-simplified as that may sound, each year I see rookies who fail to put their best weapons on display.
Chapter 30: TELL, DON’T ASK – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
At some point during training you’ll be playing small-sided games, and because the numbers didn’t work out quite right, your team will have a sub and the coach will leave it up to your team to take care of its own substitutions. He’ll expect that every minute or two the sub will be rotated onto the field. Dan Blank explains the best way to handle that situation.
Chapter 31: TARGETING – ROOKIE: Surviving Your Freshman Year of College Soccer
Dan Blank shares the closest thing to a secret that he can offer you about competing for a position.
