It’s the weight of all the little things we’ve done that tips the scale in the big moments. It’s showing up for the workout at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon when it would be easier to be somewhere else. It’s making sure your feet are in the right position for each start, especially when you’re tired and you just want to get through the session. It’s taking time to check your notes from the last training session before you design this one.
Discovering and developing our potential is a process of unfolding,one step and a time with each step informing the next. It’s an act of faith because we never know exactly where it will take us, when the “big moments” will occur or what they’ll require from us. It’s also an act of love – falling in love with the process, with taking those small steps and with being surprised by what shows up along the way.
It can be scary, painful and it’s ultimately challenging. But it’s also a great journey. And, here’s the really good news. It’s uniquely yours to make. Nobody’s potential, nobody’s contribution , nobody’s journey is exactly like yours. The Spanish poet Antonio Machado wrote, ” The path is made by walking.” Get going, keep moving and enjoy the journey.
Enjoy this little video from Owen Cook.
The next training group for U15-18 girls soccer begins January 8. The groups are kept small to accommodate the individual needs of each player. Our group in Victoria trains on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:45 to 5:00 at the Victoria Recreation Center.
Getting Better Together 
Two years ago I met 
Coaches and trainers will often tell players to stretch and may even take time before or after practice to do it. I know we do. It can help in some cases. But, it tends to focus only on specific muscles and not on the net of connective tissue and muscles that work together to help us move. So the effects while beneficial are limited.
What if we thought about developing young people through athletics in terms of the ecology of it?
Ecology looks at, what 
Transitions are a part of every sport. We go from offense to defense, sometimes by design and sometimes as the result of a turnover. The mountain biker or runner switches from uphill to down. Athletes who are good at transition, who handle it well stay in the game , have more fun and are often healthier.
In the world of athletic development today there seems to be a heavy emphasis on sport specific “technical” skills. Your technical skills are an extremely important part of whatever sport you play, dribbling, passing, shooting, catching, etc. Without these skills an athlete will struggle to contribute to their team on the field, court, or ice.
Physical skills allow us to demonstrate our Technical skills. If an athlete is fast, strong, powerful, agile, well-conditioned and injury resistant (i.e. Physical skills) they will be able to demonstrate all of their technical skills they have worked so hard to master. By being a better athlete, the player will be able to create more space from their defender, win more 50/50 balls/pucks, be stronger with the ball/puck, and demand more help from the opponents’ defense opening up scoring chances for other players. Simply put the stronger and faster you are the more chance you will get to affect the game in your favor and contribute to your team.
and play more aggressive. It’s been said before that a good injury prevention program is simply a good physical training program. Meaning if an athlete, before and during the season, is working on jumping, running, changing direction with good mechanics, strength training through a full range of motion, and working on mobility, stability, and recovery they will be more prepared for the physical demands put on them throughout a long season. This will allow them to stay healthy and to play pain free. Not only will this keep an athlete on the playing field longer but their time on the field will be much more enjoyable. They will be able to play the game the way they want to play it, without the hesitation caused by a nagging injury or aches and pains. They can have a full throttle, aggressive, first to the ball mentality.
Physical skills allow you to play at your best when it matters most. Most athletes have the ability to be fast and agile early on in the competition but few are well-conditioned and proficient enough to demonstrate the same speed and agility in the final minutes of a game. Athletes who have prepared for their season will find themselves able to play harder, longer into the game, more so than those who have not. Also, the better an athlete’s techniques while, running, jumping, and changing direction the less demand it will require from the body. In other words, and athlete becomes more “fuel efficient” as they become technically efficient, allowing them to have more gas in the tank for when it matters most.
As a player, imagine your best self on the field. What does that look like? Are you a player that is fast and strong on and off the ball? Are able to change direction one step quicker than your opponents?
We all have had an experience of not being prepared for the next level. Whether in school, work, or athletics, not feeling like you’re prepared can be detrimental to your confidence and performance.
Obviously, physical training plays a big role in someone’s ability to succeed at the next-level. And that’s what we do at Kick-It Training by helping athletes prepare to make as big a contribution at the next level as possible. In order for them to do that we help improve their strength, speed, agility, coordination, and stamina so they can meet the physical demands that they will encounter at a higher level of play. And, we do it in a healthy, common sense way that lays the groundwork for continued growth and improvement.
But I would argue that their 