SOCCER ACTIVITY CARD

Just what does it take to become asoccer All-star?

Gear UpA ball. Soccer balls come indifferent sizes depending on howold you are. Kids 8-12 should use asize 4 ball, and kids 13 and overshould use a size 5 ball. Syntheticleather balls are best for beginners,because they don't absorb waterand get heavy.

If you play in a league, a goal willusually be provided for you, andyou can buy a smaller goal if youwant to play in your backyard —just make sure it is anchored to the ground. No goal?No problem! Just set up any two objects (cones orwaterbottles are good) to shoot between.

Two pieces of equipment you need to wear at all timeswhen playing soccer are shin guards and cleats. Shinguards are designed to protect your legs from the ball,and from being kicked by other players. They arerequired in most leagues. The right cleats to wear forsoccer are ones that are plastic or rubber — they'll helpyou with your quick starts, stops and turns.

Play it Safe

Upper & LowerLegs

Heart & Lungs

Parts ofthe BodyWorked

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Be sure to wear shin guards and appropriate soccercleats during games as well as practices. Warming up,especially your leg muscles, is very important. To avoidheadaches and dizziness, use your head and learn theproper technique for heading a ball in a game. Manyleagues have strict rules about wearing jewelry,watches, and barrettes during games. Since any ofthese items can cause you to get hurt if you're hit witha ball, it's a good idea to not wear them when you play.Also, to protect your mouth from collisions (especiallyif you have braces), wear a mouthguard.

How to PlayIn addition to a good strong kick, you'll want to masterbasic skills like passing (moving the ball to a teammatewith a controlled kick), dribbling (tapping the ball withyour feet to move it down the field), trapping (stoppingthe ball with your feet, legs, or chest), and heading(using your head to stop or pass the ball). Once youget these skills down, you'll be unstoppable!

Here are some great passing and trapping tips.

Passing. Pick your target out before you start thepass. Keep your head down to make sure you kick theball correctly. Plant your non-kicking foot next to theball and kick the ball right in the center using theinside of your foot and follow through with your leg.

Chest trap. As the ball comes toward you, get in frontof it and let it hit your chest. Bring your shouldersaround and slightly inward, creating a cavity for theball. Make sure you keep your arms down, so the balldoesn't accidentally hit your hands and cause a foul.When the ball hits your chest, arch your back, so yourchest pops the ball upward and then lands at your feet.

OlogyIf you played soccer on top of a mountain, you'd beable to kick the ball much further. Why? The airpressure on top of a mountain is lower than at thebottom. When a soccer ball is kicked into the air, the

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA

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Page last reviewed: January 22, 2013Page last updated: January 22, 2013Content source: Division of Population Health, National Center forChronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

air pressure pushes against the ball and slows it down.Since the air pressure on top of a mountain is muchlower, there is less pressure to push against the balland slow it down. As a result, the ball will go further.

Fun FactsNikolai Kutsenko of the Ukraine juggled a soccer ballfor 24 1/2 hrs nonstop with his feet, legs and head —the ball never touched the ground!

Soccer players can run as many as 6 or 7 miles duringthe course of a game.

Since 1982, the University of North Carolina women'ssoccer team has won 14 National Championships.

Related LinksMajor League Soccer(http://www.mlssoccer.com/) (http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

US Youth Soccer(http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/welcome/) (http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

American Youth Soccer(http://www.ayso.org/home.aspx) (http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

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