For the Ohio Northern Men's Soccer Team, it is a very important and action-packed week. They have three games in the next four days and two of the opponents are ranked in the top 25 for D3 soccer. The ONU team itself has aspirations to be a nationally ranked team, so playing teams like this sets a standard and only makes us better. It is still very early in the season and too early to dictate the rest of our season but facing these top teams will really give a chance to prove just how special the team really is. While it is exciting to look forward at the schedule it is important that we focus on just the next game so we can prepare mentally and physically.
I will be breaking down just how the ONU Men's Soccer Team prepared for their big game against Kenyon. The first step in preparing for an opposing team is watching film on them, so today before the team went out and practiced, they watched about 45 minutes worth of film that the coaches prepared for us beforehand. This is very helpful to get all players to be on the same page and be able to visualize what Kenyon will be doing the very next day. After the film session is done the team heads out to practice. The first thing the team does is a technical exercise to get their feet and touch warmed up. Then, to best prepare for Kenyon, the coaches set up drills specific to what they think the team will see in in-game situations. For instance, they set up a scrimmage where one team was mocking Kenyon's very narrow, compact defense and the other played normal ONU-type soccer. This helps the players to not just see what Kenyon might do, but physically play against it before the real situation. Lastly, these practices always end with a fun game called "World Cup" to get the team in good spirits before the game.
After practice, it's up to the players to properly prepare by eating the right food, hydrating and mentally preparing for the test to come. From there, it's all about showing up ready the next day.
Go Bears!
I also play a sport here at ONU. Some people do not understand what it is really like being a student athlete. We often time are physcially and mentally drained and we are expected to preform at peak preformance. I hope you yourself as well as your team are prepared for the challenge ahead. Goodluck Cade beat Kenyon.
ReplyDeleteHey Cade, I love to hear about other programs pushing for national rankings, as that's certianly our goal in lacrosse. It was also interesting to hear how similar our game preparations are, as we hold a similar walk through over two days. I realize I'm getting to this a bit late and heard that the match did not go in our favor, but I wish you luck!
ReplyDeleteHey Cade! That definitely looks like a pretty tough schedule. Even though we are a D3 school we have some impressive feats and records, so I am confident in your abilities to excel this season. I don't know much about soccer filming, but I film for football and watch footage so I can understand the act. Footage reveals so much about your opponents it is invaluable to a teams prep. I hope you guys continue to excel in your season.
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