A typical soccer game...some other stuff too

I read this in a book...about what a typical teenage soccer player does in a game...

Average player runs 5-6.5 miles per game...(2.5 miles for goalkeepers) rests are for only about 3 seconds every 2 minutes.

A player actually has a ball for only about 2% of game time or about 200 yards of that 5 to 6.5 miles.

There is a change of speed or direction every 6 seconds

Games are played at 75% of a player's limits.

I also liked this quote from Anson's Dorrance's book about soccer...

"It's a team game that also requires individual flair, but a player's singular ability must be executed within the team context....The challenge is to become a ball master without becoming a ball hog. That's why the most extraordinary individuals can either elevate or destroy, their own teams."

I think that last sentence is applicable to a lot of star athletes. The first one that comes to mind is Terrell Owens. That is a perfect description of him. He elevates...and then destroys. And I will say that he certainly elevates. He is a phenomenal worker and amazing talent...but he also doesn't understand that less of him can make a team better. I am rooting for the Cowboys as usual, but I do hope that Terrell Owens can prove every sports writer wrong and be a part of a Super Bowl Champion team.

That goes back to what I was saying about how you need to be confident enough to make a difference in a game and not overly confident so that you put on your own show at the expense of your team...or are so confident that you don't prepare correctly. It's so hard to get that balance right. This doesn't just apply for soccer, it applies for all team sports.