2 Key To Become a Better Soccer Player

Dribbling the ball is one of the most important keys to soccer. Everything you do with a soccer ball will improve as you get better at soccer.  When dribbling the ball you want to have it close enough to you to be able to put your foot on it at any second. If someone is trying to get the ball away from you from the side it is best to keep the ball on the foot farthest away from the attacker, this way it is easier to protect the ball. To get better at dribbling the ball you can:

• Practice running with the ball and both a slow and fast( when running with the ball try kicking it every step so that you can get more touches on the ball)
•  Do drill like dribbling through cones 
•  At home walk around your house dribbling it where ever you go

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Trapping the ball can help you to keep the ball under control. When you receive a pass to the foot or any other part of your body make sure to relax your muscles as it hits you. If you do this the ball will not bounce off of you and go far away. As you trap the ball it is important to make it go the direction you plan on taking it, this way you are able receive the ball and go. Being good at trapping the ball can help you control the ball. Some ways to practice trapping is by:

• Finding a wall and passing the ball against it to yourself  
• Have a friend pass the ball back and forth with you( focus on trapping the ball the most)
•   Have someone toss the ball in the air and practice trapping it with your chest , stomach, or inside thigh

The best way to improve your ball control is to dribble or practice doing tricks. Every touch you get with a soccer ball improves your skills but practicing moving the ball with the different parts of your feet can make the biggest difference. Juggling the ball with your foot, knee, and head can also improve your ball control. This will also improve your trapping skills. These are not the only keys to soccer, but they are the ones I find most helpful to be really goods at and I hope you will too!

Carlie Ann Lloyd

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       Carli Ann Lloyd is a midfielder for the US Women’s National Team. She is 5-8 and was born July 16, 1982 in Delran, New Jersey. Carli’s boyfriend is named Brian. She attended Rutgers University and want to Delran High School where she played soccer. Carli is known for her amazing ball control and long distance shots. Lloyd has been playing soccer since she was five and has not stopped. Now she is the top scoring mid on the US Women’s Team.

       October 1, 2006 she got her first goal for the WNT against the Chinese Taipei. In the 2007 Algarve Cup Carli Lloyd earned tournament top scorer and MVP. In 2008 Carli was named Female Athlete of the Year, and was the second women to earn the Native Son Award from Philadelphia Sports Winters Association. Last year she was the hero of the 2012 Olympic gold medal game against Japan, when she got two goals. In that same year she was named 2012 Glamour Women of the Year.  Carli Lloyd was named the Rutgers University Hall of Distinguished Alumni. She is the third- leading scorer for the US Women’s Team. 

     Carli Lloyd has a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Sport Studies. Lloyd loves relaxing on the beach or shopping. She also enjoys getting golf lessons from her boyfriend, Brian. Back in her hometown she has an ice cream named after her, the Carli’s Cake Batter Cookie Dough Kick. Her favorite shows are Game of Thrones,  Shameless, Boardwalk Empire, and Homeland.  

Stephanie Lopez Cox

     Stephanie Lopez Cox is a defender on the U.S Women’s National team. She is known for being two footed, being able to kick the ball good with either foot, and for her calmness when possessing the ball. Stephanie also, though she plays defender, she has assisted or cause many goals for her team. Cox was born April 3, 2986 in Los Gatos, but her home town is Elk Grove. At 5.6ft she is one of the best header on her team. Stephanie got married to a baseball player, Brain Cox, in December 2007. She went to Elk Grove High school where she graduated with a 4.17 GPA, then attended the University of Portland. Stephanie Lopez Cox has played for the U.S Women’s team for 6 years, starting over half of the games.

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     While Stephanie played on the Youth National Team she was the team captain. She had her first appearance on the U.S. on March 13, 2005, the game was against Denmark. At that time she was the youngest player on the team and technically could still be playing for collage. This same year she helped her team to win the NCAA Championship 4-0. In 2007 at the Oregon Sports Awards she was named the Bill Hayward Female Amateur Athlete of the year. Cox has been a Gold medalist since 2008, when her team won the Olympics.

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     Outside of soccer Stephanie Cox played basketball in high school. In her extra time, usually during winter, she will cook and watch movies with her husband. She also does charity work with Nike and other companies. Stephanie likes to read and play soccer racquetball. Some of her team mates describe her as one of the happiest and nicest on the team. Cox is inspired by striving to help other and growing in every way possible, she is a great role model for everyone.

Christie Rampone's Story

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Christie Rampone’s full name is Christie Patricia Rampone. Christie was born June 24, 1975; she is 5ft 6in. Her hometown is in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Christie attended Monmouth University in New Jersey, where she played soccer and basketball for the school. She was the point guard for her college basketball team, and played forward for the soccer team. She got a degree in special education and has her teaching credentials. Christie is married to Chris Rampone, they got married in New Jersey. Rampone moved to California to train for soccer but then moved back to her home town after two years. Now Christie Rampone played for the U.S Women National Team, and is the center defense.

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                Christie Rampone has hundreds of accomplishments in her soccer career. One of which is that when Christie was going to collage she was the all-time leading scorer in their soccer team’s history. On February 28, 1997 Christie Rampone had her first appearance on the Women National Team. In 2008 she was named the team captain for the Women’s national Team, and still is today. In that same year she started every game and helped her team to win an Olympic Gold medal. In 2010 Christie got back onto the starting line after having her second kid. Last year Rampone helped her team to get its third consecutive Olympic Gold medal, she also passed Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm to become the second most capped US player in the US. 

Hope Solo's Accomplishments and Life

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Hope Amelia Solo was born July 30, 1981. Her home town is Ricland, Washington. Solo is married to Jerramy Stevens, a former tight end in the NFL who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They met and attended collage at the University of Washington. Hope Solo is 5-6 feet tall and is the goal keeper for the U.S. Women's National Team. Hope Solo’s first appearance and shoutout for the Women’s National Team was April 5, 2000 against Iceland. When Hope Solo was playing soccer for her high school she was an amazing forward, but when she went to collage the coach got her to play goalie.

        Hope Solo was the 2^nd all-time in the US history in caps, wins, and shoutouts. She also was named a starter for the WFS All-Star game and goalkeeper of the year in 2009. Hope is an Olympic gold medalist; she played in every minute of every game of the 2012 Olympics. Most impressively she did this with a recently healed shoulder. These are just a few of Hope Solo’s many accomplishments.

        Outside of soccer Hope Solo did other things. After the World Cup she made it on the cover of two magazines, Sports Illustrated and ESPN’s Magazine’s Body Issue. She also got to the finale four couples on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Hope Solo does a lot of modeling for sports magazines.

        Two of my favorite Hope Solo quotes are:

I've always found myself to come out stronger than before. If you don't let something break you, you're going to come out stronger in the end.

 Hope Solo

I've been through a lot of things in my personal and family life. That turned me into a fighter. I always strive to be the best I possibly can.

 Hope Solo quotes