Month: January 2013

It’s all in the number

Posted on by ISAFA in Fans, Teams, Youth

When it comes to football, shirt numbers give away a player’s stature and importance in the team. Everything is determined by the number, even mindset and performance! After all, there’s a legacy, an inheritance attached to shirt numbers that cannot be denied. This tradition is so deeply etched in every football fan and player’s mind that wearing a number associated with past legends comes with its own set of expectations.

Football shirt numbers were once closely associated with the place one played. To the extent that positions were actually referred to by shirt number! This meant that a player’s number changed with each match, depending on which position was assigned to him on that particular day. The numbers 1 and 12 were usually kept for goalkeepers, 5 for a center midfielder, 9 for a striker, 11 for a left winger and number 10 for an attacking midfielder.
Chris Bonzon playing defender
Things changed during the 1954 World Cup when FIFA laid down the rule that teams had to use a numbering system. A specific shirt number was to be given to each player for the entire tournament but  that was then and this is now…

With the numbering system of 1 to 11 relegated to the past, on the world stage, teams usually stick to the numbers 1 to 23, though a few exceptions. At the club level, any number from 1 to 99 can be worn. So, you have random numbers at play – numbers that players consider lucky or their favorite player’s numbers worn as a mark of respect.

Players now lay claim to certain numbers and jealously guard them. Only players that seem worthy of continuing a legacy are allocated the much coveted numbers 7, 9 and 10. They have history to back them up and have become synonymous with football legends. But the biggest honor goes to the number 10, given to the most creative play maker on the field that scores the maximum goals. The number 10 football  jersey has graced the shoulders of Pele, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Zico, Lothar Matth¤us, Gary Lineker, Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane, Michael Owen, Juan Román Riquelme, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Van der Vaart, Wayne Rooney, Kaka and Lionel Messi.

Bobby Charlton, Ian Rush, Fornando Torres and Alan Shearer are famous number 9’s. More recently, the lethal Brazilian forward Ronaldo did full justice to the number 9. Iconic number 7’s are David Villa, Raul Gonzalez, Franck Ribery, Luis Figo, George Best, Eric Cantona, Juanito, Amaro, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Andriy Schevchenk.

Then, of course, you’ve got certain players who adopted their own unique numbers and made them their trademark. The legend Johan Cruyff took a liking to number 14 and wore it instead of the number 1 that should have been assigned to him. David Beckham chose 23 and made it the most sought out for number on the field! Recently, Ronaldinho selected number 80 based on the year of his birth.

There’s no doubt that generations to come will associate these numbers with football greats. They’ll be worn with a sense of pride, driving each player to deliver an inspired performance that does the number on his back proud.

History of Football Uniform

Posted on by ISAFA in Teams

The origin of European Football is a hotly contested topic and  the game took a professional shape in the United Kingdom in the late 18th century but a team uniform was not of the early innovations of the new sport.

A similar colored shirt or cap or scarf was worn to differentiate teams but around the 1870s, steps were taken to move soccer uniforms to what they are commonly known as today. Even then, matching shorts and socks were not considered part of the team uniform until the early 1900s. Long trousers or pantaloons were common features of early football games and the earliest version of shin guards made an appearance before shorts and socks were properly introduced.
However, as soon as the traditional top, shorts and socks uniform was established, its popularity spread like wildfire and football teams around the world were noted by their particular uniform.

Chris Bonzon playing defender

As football spread around the world with travelers and former UK citizens introducing the game to new countries, a similarity in kits grew. This has led to the familiarity between strips of teams around the world. One example would be Juventus from Italy wearing the same stripes as Notts County, black and white stripes. As time has moved on, Juventus have become far more famous around the world but at the start of the 20th century, Notts County were one of the biggest clubs in England and the world of football at the time.

With two world wars spanning the next few decades, any developments in football  fashion was mainly cosmetic with the few changes focusing on moving away from a proper shirt to the style of top that is more commonly associated with the modern era of the game.

As the advent of European Cup and the rise of television, football fans around the world became more aware of teams from other nations and the different styles of kit started to create new influences. One of the most important influences came from Real Madrid, European Cup winners for the first five years. Real Madrid wore a striking all white kit, most notably copied by Leeds United who changed their blue and yellow kit, and sported a smaller pair of shorts than the baggy efforts that were common in Britain. The 1960s not only brought about a revolution in the world of music, there was a fashion change in the world of football as button collars and long shorts went out of style and circle and V-neck collars with smaller shorts.

The 1970s saw even further fashionable changes but the next revolution in football uniforms came with the selling of replica shirts and then the addition of sponsors’ logos on the kit. Football clubs realized they could make money by selling copies of their strips to fans and as televised football  grew more popular, companies were eager to have their name positioned on the team kit.

Although the 1980s were memorable as the era when football shorts were at their smallest and tightest, the most important changes in football uniforms since then have revolved around the technology. Sportswear technology has allowed kit manufacturers to make uniforms that are lighter, cooler and draw sweat away from players’ bodies. All of these innovations are designed to give an edge to the top players in a sport where the slightest advantage can make all the difference.

Fashion trends and styles come and go but the demand for football uniforms has never been higher than it is today. With new technologies making the kit even lighter and more suitable to the quickening pace of the game, football uniforms will continue to keep evolving and fascinating fans the world over.

Components of a Successful Defender in Football Training

Posted on by ISAFA in Uncategorized

When participating in football training, it is important to know the key components of being a successful defender. The main element of defending consists of ensuring that the opposing team does not have possession of the ball. Some defending moves all your team to gain possession of the ball, where other defending moves allow you to simply make sure that the opposing team does not have possession of the football. Below are some key components of a successful defender in football training:

The first part of successful defending in football training is the fact that you must keep a strong focus on the football throughout the game. By knowing where the ball is and what techniques to use to get the ball away from the opposing team, you can scan for opportunities to defend. This is done by considering the place of the ball, and deciding what strategy that the opposing team is using. It is important to quickly find this strategy and come up with a method that places you ahead of the moves of the opposite team.

 
Defender
The second part of a successful defender in football training is to make sure that you are familiar with various skills and techniques. The more that you know, the better you will be at defending. It is essential to learn different dribbling and passing techniques. The main goal in defending is to keep the ball out of the control of the opposite team. Once you have ensured that the other team does not have possession of the ball any longer, you can start developing a strategic plan to keep up control of the football and score your next goal.

When defending, it is important to know many different techniques. You should make sure that you are mentally and physically capable of performing these techniques. Playing football is a physically challenging sport, and it remains true even during training. It is important to support a healthy lifestyle throughout training to be certain that you are up to the task. You will want to make sure that you are eating healthy and drinking plenty of water each day. This is a necessary part of making the most of your training and being on top of your game when it comes to defending.

In order to be a successful defender it is important that you do many drills. These drills can be as a person or as part of a group. A fine mixture of both kinds of drills is ideal. This will help train your body to successfully carry out many motions. These drills will help you to carry out numerous tactical maneuvers with ease. Once you are familiar with the tactical application of many drills and defending techniques, your football training will improve.

Chris Bonzon

There are many things that you can do to be a successful defender. It is important to make sure that you are mixing a healthy lifestyle with other key components to maximize your potential for success.

Exploring the Benefits of Football Training for Children

Posted on by ISAFA in Youth

As parents, we want our children to pursue healthy activities and make the right lifestyle choices. We often encourage them to become actively involved in sports and other extra curricular activities. Many children may decide to take part in a football training program that will develop them for football team play. In this article, we will take a look at the benefits of football training for children to help you decide if this choice is right for your child.

The first thing you should consider when evaluating the benefits of football training for children is the impact that it will have on their personal health and overall fitness.Football  training is often physically challenging and provides a good workout to children. There are many games and activities that are introduced to children during football  training that helps to work out various parts of their bodies. If a child is interested in playing on a football team, these games and activities will help to personally develop them as a player. Many skills and techniques are established during this particular type of training. This can be a fun, physical activity for children. Possibly even an experience that they will remember the rest of their lives.

The second thing that you should consider when researching the benefits of football  training for children is that it can be an excellent way to help children develop a self-image that is positive. Sports training and activities help a child to realize that they have a unique set of talents and skills that they can use for the greater good of the team. They learn to understand that they are an essential part of the team, and without their unique talents and skills the entire team can suffer. They are important, and they know it. Football  training can aid a child in developing this excellent self-image.

The third thing that you should consider when exploring the benefits of football  training for children is that it is a great way to help a child grow socially. Children will interact with other children their age, as well as many adults such as coaches and other parents. They will learn many social obligations, such as the importance of a chain of command, being polite, being respectful, sharing, and how they are the same and different from others.

When a child engages in football  training, they begin to understand the importance of being part of a team and sharing success and failures with others. In order for a child to grow as a mature and emotionally stable adult, need to that they learn how to handle stress, success, failure, and interact appropriately with others. Football  training is a great way to begin all of these important lessons.

As you can see, there are many benefits to allowing a child to actively participate in football Youth Football Camp training. Not only can it help develop the playing abilities of the child, but it can help in the emotional, social, and academic progression of the child.