ASK THE
PROS
Name:
Myron Dong
Hello, My
daughter is 12 years old and is playing competitive level soccer.
Her goal with soccer is to go to the Olympics and become a professional.
Please send answers to the following questions from a players
and coaches point of view. Thank you very much !!
Question:
1. How much
do training camps help?
2.
What is the statistics of High School or College Players making
it to the Olympics or Pro?
3. What do
you look for in a coach and a team to help goal-oriented players?
4. Statistically
how do injuries affect players when injured at a young age?
5.
What do you recommend as a good plan to reach the Olympics?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Answer:
From Karina
LeBlanc starting goalkeeper for the Canadian National Team
& Boston Breakers
1.
How much do training camps help?
Training camps are the place where I do most of my completive
training with my team. They are the most difficult in terms of
training because we usually train two sometimes three times a
day. The amount of things that I learn in that time frame and
the limits that I find myself pushing for, helps me find out how
strong of a player I am, and how much more work needs to be done
to get to becoming the player I would love to be.
2.
What is the statistics of High School or College Players making
it to the Olympics or Pro?
I think they help you but the end result is determined by how
you perform when they are watching you. Your reputation is from
how you perform at certain times and teams want players who always
show up and can perform under many different circumstances. It
is always an advantage if you can maintain good statistics or
go to a college, which has a good reputation, but I know girls
and guys who have made it despite their low statistics and where
they went to school.
3.
What do you look for in a coach and a team to help goal-oriented
players?
At this level, everyone around me wants to be the best and in
wanting that they are willing to do whatever it takes. It is a
lot of sacrifices to get there, but it does not stop once you
are here because if you do, your dream will come and go quickly.
When I think of what a good coach is I think of someone who is
educated in the sport, has experience in coaching all levels,
is competitive, direct and honest and who loves winning. If they
have that attitude then all that will transfer to the players
and the results will come if everyone wants it bad enough. It
would be difficult to find a player that I play with now that
is not goal orientated because for them to have gotten to this
level, they would have had to make many sacrifices in order to
attain their goal of being or playing with the best.
4.
Statistically how do injuries affect players when injured at a
young age?
I know a lot of people who have been injured when they were younger
and they said it only made them stronger because they had to deal
with adversity at a younger age. If at a young age you are able
to deal with the injuries and find a way to make you a better
athlete because of it, then mentally I think you already have
an advantage over your peers.
5.
What do you recommend as a good plan to reach the Olympics?
Work had, dream big and don't let anyone stop you. The ones that
try to are the ones that allowed someone along their way to stop
them. Every athlete hits a wall where you can either fall back
or find a way to climb over. Finding a way will get you where
you want to be and that are what I am still doing. Finding my
way to be the player I want to be.
