Soccer Drills

Craig Waibel - 3 Time MLS Champion

Craig moved to Houston for the 2006 season, in which he scored a career-high five goals as a defender and won yet another MLS title. Waibel notched his first career two-goal game in the October 14 season finale against Colorado. While in Houston, Waibel is serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Rice University women's soccer team while currently playing for Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

2005: Named the Earthquakes U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year for the third straight season…Made season debut, starting and playing 90 minutes on 4/2 vs. NE…Recorded assist 4/23 vs. KC…Suffered torn LCL and ACL on 5/10 vs. Santa Clara University in scrimmage game, placed on season-ending injury list.

2004: Named the Earthquakes co-U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year…Played 86 minutes 4/3 @ D.C.…Scored first career goal on 5/8 vs. MET...Played 46 minutes 5/15 @ DAL, received yellow card…Left game on 7/7 vs. DAL due to right hamstring strain...DNP - 7/10 @ MET, 7/17 vs. COL, 7/24 vs. NE due to right hamstring strain...Entered as a sub in the 89th minute on 8/14 @ KC to play for first time since 7/7 vs. DAL…Started and played 67 minutes 9/4 @ NE, recorded an assist on game-winning goal…Playoffs: Played 90 minutes vs. KC on 10/24...Played 90 minutes on 10/30 @ KC...Champions Cup: Played 90 minutes 3/17 @ LDA…DNP - 3/24 vs. LDA due to left hamstring strain…Exhibition: Played 90 minutes on 5/12 vs. Sporting, notched assist…DNP - 6/5 vs. Canada due to right groin strain…Open Cup: DNP - 7/14 @ Portland due to right hamstring strain…Played 20 minutes 8/4 @ Minn.

2003: Named the Earthquakes 2003 U.S. Soccer Humanitarian of the Year…Made Earthquakes MLS debut 4/12 @ COL, earned yellow card… Registered first two assists of Earthquakes career on 7/2 @ MET… Playoffs: Entered as a sub in 72nd minute on 11/1 @ LA and received yellow card…Started and played 89 minutes on 11/9 vs. LA…Played 81 minutes on 11/15 vs. KC…Started and played 51 minutes on 11/23 vs. CHI, received yellow card…Champions Cup: Started and played 63 minutes @ CSD Municipal 3/16…Played full 90 minutes vs. CSD Municipal 3/26…Open Cup: Played 63 minutes on 8/5 @ Seattle…Exhibition: Appeared in all four exhibition matches, starting on 5/26 @ Chico, 9/1 @ Vancouver and 10/14 vs. Chivas…Received red card on 9/1 @ Vancouver.

2002: Appeared in 12 games, registering one assist…Member of MLS Cup Champion L.A. Galaxy…Made 2002 MLS debut 4/20 @ DAL, playing 10 minutes…Started and played 94 minutes on 5/4 @ KC, recorded first assist of season…Playoffs: Played 28 minutes 10/2 in win over KC, registered assist …Started and played 90 minutes 10/9 in win over COL.

2001: Played for Los Angeles during its winning campaign in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in January…Drafted by the San Jose Earthquakes as 31st overall pick in MLS SuperDraft on February 4…Signed by the Los Angeles Galaxy on May 4, 2001 as a Discovery Pick…Appeared in nine games with Los Angeles, starting two matches…Made first appearance with Galaxy on 5/19 vs. Dallas, coming on as a substitute in the 91st minute for Adam Frye…Recorded his first MLS assist on 8/18 versus Tampa Bay, setting up Cobi Jones in the 79th minute.

2000: Called up by the Colorado Rapids on April 28…Made MLS debut 4/29 against Kansas City Wizards…Played 57 minutes 5/17 @ New England…Began training with L.A. Galaxy in December, 2000.

Other Pro Experience

Waibel started and played 27 regular season games for the A-League's Seattle Sounders in 2000 and scored three goals…Scored one goal in three playoff games in 2000...Netted one goal in 27 regular season matches and three playoff games with Seattle Sounders in 1999...Third on Sounders in minutes played with 2,316 in 1999...Drafted by Seattle in the first round of the 1999 A-League Draft from the University of Washington in February 1999.

College

Scored four goals and registered one assist during his career at the University of Washington…Scored all of his points during his senior year...Started 42 of 56 career games at Washington...Named first-team All-Mountain Pacific Soccer Federation and third-team All-Far West as a senior.

Soccer Drills

Conducting Soccer Drills for the Whole Team

Soccer is a team sport that will require everyone to diligently do their assigned task in order to achieve victory. If one member of the team will be lacking in his or her assigned task, there will be a loophole that could be used by the opponent to win the game.

As a coach, conducting soccer drills should be done for the whole team for all basic functions. If you have a new team with players who are not really familiar yet with the sport, you will have to start training them the basics. You need to cover defense, offense as well as the goal keeper.

Defense Drills

A good virtue any coach should instill to their players when practicing defense is patience. Oftentimes, inexperienced players will just jump in front of the opponent to steal the ball. Although this will be possible, the chances are slim since a single flick could divert the ball to other areas.

Coaches should help their players be patient but alert for any mistake and grab the opportunity to steal the ball. A good training in patience is to teach them how to shadow their opponent.

There will be two teams and each drill will require two players from each team. The first member will be the ball carrier and the other member will just run in shadows. The objective of the defender is to stay in front of the offensive player all the time. They could start in the middle of the football field and switch places once they reach the end.

Offensive Drills

The best way to teach offense in football is to let the players play a game of cat and mouse. Divide the whole team into groups of four wherein they occupy a specific area in the football field. This should be properly outlined and the ball should not go out. Of the four members, one will be “it” and the “it” player’s objective is to touch or steal the ball. The player who last touched the ball will be the new it. If the ball goes out of the line, the person responsible will automatically be the “it”.

This teaches your players to move without the ball proper pacing. The “it” will also practice defense as the player tries to touch the ball against three players at the same time.

If your players becomes great players of the cat and mouse game, shooting will be a lot easier and teaching them plays will even be better.

Goalie Drills

For amateurs and beginners, the often missed position is the goal keeper. Any coach should know that an ill-prepared keeper will mean disaster. You need to teach your keeper through a few drills.

There are two simple drills you could teach the keeper. The first drill is the surprise and jump wherein the keeper stands without facing you. You should “go” and the keeper immediately faces you to jump at the ball wherever you throw them.

Another training exercise is the sit and stretch. Let the keeper sit on the ground with his or her feet on stretching position. Throw the ball a little bit far that will require the keeper to dive and get the ball. Just repeat the exercise so that the keeper will be familiar with simple diving techniques to save the ball.