Level 3 - BFUT Institute of Soccer

There is no great mystery to understanding the Brazilian style of soccer. It is a combination of quickness in their touch and the ability to play without the ball, using the open spaces well. It can be readily taught, but it is vital to approach the learning process as a cycle of education with progressive challenges as skills increase.

Before a coach (educator) can set about instructing players in this philosophy (style) he must truly understand how to instill a love of the game in a player and how to avoid the negative approach which could drive far too many youngsters from the game at an early age.

Why should coaches plan their football season? Every soccer organization from the youth level to the pro-level should develop proper planning skills in order to facilitate constant player and team evaluation and to organize the areas of training that need to be done.

The game of football has the 3 different dimensions to be analyzed when preparing high quality athletes: 

1. The ball; 

2. The pressure on the ball and; 

3. The player that is receiving or trapping the ball. The following program should be performed before practice as part of general/specific warm up; 

The exercises are done while running at a slow to moderate pace to the commands of a coach. The coach leads the exercises in quick succession and the athletes are always in motion.

Receiving is the technique to adjusting the body coordination to the 4 heights that the ball can arrive, applying the use of the arms to protect against pressure, always trying to bring the ball to the ground increasing the speed of the game. Receiving the ball means redirecting it in one touch (applying for low, medium low and high balls). 

Even today, on the cement futsal courts of Brazil, the youth Brazilian players are still learning these basic aspects without the constant supervision of coaches. Here, the younger players must learn how to move the ball quickly and correctly, avoiding injuries or being blamed for making mistakes from the older players. In this natural process of quickness in their decision making and movement of the feet, the young Brazilian players develop these basic aspects. 

Nutrition is the educational area that study of food and how our bodies use it as fuel for growth and daily activities. The nutrients are divided in macronutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that we need to be healthy.

In this initial approach to the Sports Medicine, our biggest concern is related to prevent injuries and immediate treatment when the injuries happen during the games.

In this chapter we will discuss the importance of understanding the psychological factors that could interfere between yourself and your players, and relay the appropriate approach in all the different phases of coach -player relationship in preparation for high performance in any level of competition, under any level of pressure and in any environment.