Obviously, I do a little bit of running every day. The main thing, though, is that [2008 Olympian and Huntington Beach native] Robbie Rogers and I play soccer tennis every day. We live only about a mile apart from each other, so every morning, at around nine o'clock, we play one-on-one soccer tennis for about two hours. Then, after that, we maybe go for a little jog, a mile or two. That's about it. That's what we do every day of the offseason.
So why not pick-up soccer?
"There aren't a lot of guys to train with. Soccer tennis is a good way to keep our ball skills going and stay in shape without actually killing ourselves. I haven't really had much of an offseason in the past year. I've had a couple of Olympic team camps; I've been with the full national team. That time I have had off, whether it's two or three weeks, it's been good to just stay active with soccer tennis."
At Euro 2008, Spanish midfielder Xavi ran 11,446 meters (i.e. more than a 10K fun run!) during the final against Germany, most on his team. And, in Xavi's case, fitness and endurance translated to the player of the tournament award as Spain won the title.
Yeah,Hey ArsenalFC08 i guess what hes trying to say is or you is a good athlete is usually well rounded,like playing all sports,to keep active and fit also to keep his mind fresh,so hes fully pumped for his sport of choice
Last edited by BuzzingBee on 11 Aug 2008, 19:18, edited 2 times in total.
BuzzingBee wrote:Yeah,Hey ArsenalFC08 i guess what hes trying to say is or you is a good athlete is usually well rounded,like playing all sports,to keep active and keep his mind fresh,so hes fully pumped for his sport of choice
Yeah, like cross training. He doesn't just focus on just running, he combines things together. I'm all about doing different activities, not just straight running. I like to do some swimming, basketball, etc it keeps it fun.
BuzzingBee wrote:Yeah,Hey ArsenalFC08 i guess what hes trying to say is or you is a good athlete is usually well rounded,like playing all sports,to keep active and keep his mind fresh,so hes fully pumped for his sport of choice
Yeah, like cross training. He doesn't just focus on just running, he combines things together. I'm all about doing different activities, not just straight running. I like to do some swimming, basketball, etc it keeps it fun.
Yeah thats pretty awesome,plus you kinda get a break
Like a well rounded athlete is a much more better specimen then someone who just plays soccer.because hes or she is the master of all sports
ex. a kid who plays varsity ice hockey in the winter season and then varsity soccer in the summer season,he totally owns both sports,therefore making him a better specimen,and im pretty sure plenty of Olympic athletes have done so.
Practice and drive are all you need, You will become good, if not great, and then, if you wish to go further, the opportunities will come to you - Rome_Leader
BuzzingBee wrote:Yeah,Hey ArsenalFC08 i guess what hes trying to say is or you is a good athlete is usually well rounded,like playing all sports,to keep active and keep his mind fresh,so hes fully pumped for his sport of choice
Yeah, like cross training. He doesn't just focus on just running, he combines things together. I'm all about doing different activities, not just straight running. I like to do some swimming, basketball, etc it keeps it fun.
Yeah thats pretty awesome,plus you kinda get a break
Like a well rounded athlete is a much more better specimen then someone who just plays soccer.because hes or she is the master of all sports
ex. a kid who plays varsity ice hockey in the winter season and then varsity soccer in the summer season,he totally owns both sports,therefore making him a better specimen,and im pretty sure plenty of Olympic athletes have done so.
Yeah, theres a guy on my coed team who is really into cycling and soccer. He has crazy stamina, he can run forever. It proves that you can get in shape doing stuff besides running.
Like you said you also get a break. It's ok to focus on soccer more than the other sports but I think its good to do some other sports even if its just for fun.
arsenalfc08 wrote:
Yeah, like cross training. He doesn't just focus on just running, he combines things together. I'm all about doing different activities, not just straight running. I like to do some swimming, basketball, etc it keeps it fun.
Yeah thats pretty awesome,plus you kinda get a break
Like a well rounded athlete is a much more better specimen then someone who just plays soccer.because hes or she is the master of all sports
ex. a kid who plays varsity ice hockey in the winter season and then varsity soccer in the summer season,he totally owns both sports,therefore making him a better specimen,and im pretty sure plenty of Olympic athletes have done so.
Yeah, theres a guy on my coed team who is really into cycling and soccer. He has crazy stamina, he can run forever. It proves that you can get in shape doing stuff besides running.
Like you said you also get a break. It's ok to focus on soccer more than the other sports but I think its good to do some other sports even if its just for fun.
I can't get over your sig, I laugh everytime.
Perfect example,you playing basketball and that,yeah i can play BBall for sh*t,and that stamina guy,my point proven,if you master all sports then it just helps you with the sports you want to play!Rofl @ at my sig comment,its true,and i really hate the chelsea team anyway haha
Practice and drive are all you need, You will become good, if not great, and then, if you wish to go further, the opportunities will come to you - Rome_Leader
At Euro 2008, Spanish midfielder Xavi ran 11,446 meters (i.e. more than a 10K fun run!) during the final against Germany, most on his team
I always find distance a pointless statistic - this only works out at 4.7mph (with a 15 minute break in the middle too) - which is just a brisk walking pace on average.
The main thing, though, is that [2008 Olympian and Huntington Beach native] Robbie Rogers and I play soccer tennis every day. We live only about a mile apart from each other, so every morning, at around nine o'clock, we play one-on-one soccer tennis for about two hours. Then, after that, we maybe go for a little jog, a mile or two. That's about it. That's what we do every day of the offseason.
Afc08 I almost freaked out thinking that you were talking about yourself here. I play soccer tennis quite often; it is boatloads of fun.
At Euro 2008, Spanish midfielder Xavi ran 11,446 meters (i.e. more than a 10K fun run!) during the final against Germany, most on his team. And, in Xavi's case, fitness and endurance translated to the player of the tournament award as Spain won the title.
And yeah this is where I get my philosophy that long distance running helps! Obviously this 11+km was a combo of jogging, running, sprinting, walking, etc. So it really does take a variety of exercises to get your heart, lungs, and legs in condition to perform at that level.
The main thing, though, is that [2008 Olympian and Huntington Beach native] Robbie Rogers and I play soccer tennis every day. We live only about a mile apart from each other, so every morning, at around nine o'clock, we play one-on-one soccer tennis for about two hours. Then, after that, we maybe go for a little jog, a mile or two. That's about it. That's what we do every day of the offseason.
Afc08 I almost freaked out thinking that you were talking about yourself here. I play soccer tennis quite often; it is boatloads of fun.
At Euro 2008, Spanish midfielder Xavi ran 11,446 meters (i.e. more than a 10K fun run!) during the final against Germany, most on his team. And, in Xavi's case, fitness and endurance translated to the player of the tournament award as Spain won the title.
And yeah this is where I get my philosophy that long distance running helps! Obviously this 11+km was a combo of jogging, running, sprinting, walking, etc. So it really does take a variety of exercises to get your heart, lungs, and legs in condition to perform at that level.
Yeah I try to make it to Cali a few times a year lol. Gotta stay in shape,you know haha.
yeah thats a good article, goes to show how key fitness is to becoming a good footballer, whereas many people overlook physical attributes and only see it for the glamorous/ technical side of football
