How to Pick the Perfect Goalie Glove

When purchasing goalie gloves customers are often faced with the biggest question, what is the best size for me? What people don't realize is it is not all about size. Finding the perfect fit relies on finding the perfect style and make of glove for your type of hand.

 

Everyone is built differently and play differently and goalie gloves are built the same way. Some gloves are meant more for dry settings where others are better in wet conditions. Some gloves have finger saves for protection while others offer a more free feeling without them. All these different factors should play a big role in your decisions on goalie gloves.

 

Here are a few key factors to think about when purchasing goalie gloves:

 

1) Hand size: Proper measuring of the hand ensures getting the perfect size for every person. Not all  materials and styles work for every size hand.

 

2) Protection: Finger and wrist fractures are the biggest injuries for goalies so making sure the glove you choose has the proper protection where you need it most is very, very important.

 

3) Pitch: Not every glove is made for every type of play so knowing whether a glove is better for indoor or outdoor use is key.

 

4) Weather: Different gloves preform better in different types of weather conditions. Making sure your glove preforms well in every condition is a huge factor that can mean the difference between letting a goal in or not.

 

5) Game Duration: Another big factor is how long will you be playing for. Most of the high end gloves with softer latex will tear faster than some of the lower priced gloves. Having a cheaper practice glove can help maintain the life of your gloves.

 

Soccer 2000 staff is well trained to help you pick the best glove for you or your loved one. Stop in or check out our glove selection online at www.soccer2000.com.

 

Don't see a glove you want in our inventory? Call the store and we can always try to special order the perfect glove for you.

 

IHSA Boy's Soccer 2A and 3A State Semifinals and Finals!

Illinois High School Boy's Soccer State Semifinals and Finals

Divisions 2A and 3A

All games will be taking place today, November 2nd and tomorrow November 3rd at Lincoln-Way North High School in Frankfort, Illinois.

 

Division 2A

Notre Dame High School vs Wheaton Academy High School at 11AM

St. Viator High School vs Urbana High School at 1PM

 

State Championship at 1PM

3rd Place game at 11AM

 

 

Division 3A

Sandburg High School vs Warren Township High School at 5PM

Stevenson High School vs Naperville Central High School at 7PM

 

State Championship at 7PM

3rd Place game at 5PM

 

 

Follow us on Twitter for updates of the games!



Super-Sectional Tuesday!

16 boys high school teams face off tonight for the chance to move one step closer to becoming State Champions of their high school soccer divisions. The winners from today's games will be playing this weekend in the State Semifinals and then the State Championship.

2A Division

1. Lake View High School vs Wheaton Academy at 4PM at Solorio High School in Chicago, IL
2. St. Viator High School vs United Township High School at 6PM at Hampshire High School in Hampshire, IL
3. Urbana High School vs Marion High School at 7PM in Springfield, IL
4. George Washington High School vs Norte Dame High School at 7PM at Lemont High School in Lemont, IL

3A Division

1. Edwardsville High School vs Naperville Central High School at 5PM at Normal Community High School in Normal, IL
2. Stevenson High School vs Glenbrook North High School at 6PM at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, IL
3. East High School vs Warren Township High School at 7PM at Barrington High School in Barrington, IL
4. Sandburg High School vs Fenwick High School at 7PM at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL

Good Luck to all the teams tonight!

Coaches Training Tips: Dribbling

Coaching Tips For Dribbling

Ages U6-U8

 

Dribbling is one of the most important things a child can learn when first learning the game of soccer. The entire game revolves around being able to dribble and control the ball with your feet. In order to develop this skill, players must use different drills and exercises to become familiar with the ball at their feet. Below is a few different drills that players can do at a younger age to begin developing and improving their skills with a ball.

 

 

Retrieve

The coach begins this drill by throwing the ball in different directions for each player. Players can use different parts of their body to bring the ball back as fast as they can. For example, dribbling the ball with both hands. After a few rounds of different ways to bring the ball back, players must only use their feet and must get the balls back to the coach as quickly as possible.

 

The purpose of this drill is to teach children to move towards a target and to also get to the ball as fast as they can.

 

 

Body Part Dribble

In an area about the size of a center circle, have the children each dribble a ball around while avoiding each other. Yell out body parts such as "elbows", "knees", "head" and "hands" so that the children must dribble the ball with the designated body part while still trying to avoid running into one another.

This drill teaches kids to react quickly and also to keep the ball close

so they can stop it sooner.

Hospital Tag

Create a space appropriate for the number of players. Have players dribble inside the space while trying to tag one another. Once a player is tagged 3 times, they must go to the hospital. The hospital is a space about 10-15 feet away where they will have to go to "get well". In order to re-enter the game, players must do a task (Ex: 6 toe touches on the ball). After the task is completed they may re-enter the game with a fresh start.

 

Hospital tag teaches players to move quickly while

avoiding other players and keeping control of the ball.

 

 

Gates Dribble

Gates are placed throughout a designated area. Make sure there are more gates than children. Gates should only be 2 feet wide. Players will have a designated time, such as 20 seconds, to see how many gates they can go through. Players must go through a different gate before returning to the same gate. Each time the game is played, players are encouraged to try and beat their previous score.

 

This drill encourages players to develop ball control at fast paces as well as control the ball when turning.

 

 

 

 





 



Twitter Trivia Tuesdays!!

Twitter Trivia Tuesdays!

Starting October 30th Soccer 2000 will be posting a single soccer trivia question on our twitter once a week. The first person to answer the question correctly wins a $10 gift card (prizes may vary weekly)! Twitter Trivia Tuesdays will take place every week. Questions will be posted at 12PM.

 

Rules of Trivia Tuesday

1. Participants can only win once a month.
2. Must be followers of Soccer_2000 on Twitter
3. Respond with answer by mentioning Soccer_2000 in your tweet.
1. Example: @Soccer_2000 The answer to trivia Tuesday is Barcelona.
4. Prizes can be picked up at our retail location in Downers Grove.

 

Any questions or comments?

Please feel free to email myoung@soccer2k.com or call the store at (630) 241-9500

  

 

IHSA Boys Soccer Finals 2012

It's that time of year again for Illinois high school boy's soccer finals to take place. Today is a busy day for high school boys all over the state. Division 1A state semifinals take place today in Normal, Illinois at 5PM and 7PM. Also playing today is the 2A and 3A sectional finalists which includes 32 teams from all over Illinois.

State semifinals kick off today with Big Rock High School from Hinckley versus Marquette High School from Alton, Illinois. They will be playing at 5PM in Normal.

Big Rock High School, home of the Royals, has a record of 22 wins and 4 losses. They are led by their head coach Paul Taeuber and their captains Billy Weissinger (forward), Bernie Conley (forward), Jared Madden (midfielder), and Tom Sanders (defender). Leading their offense with an impression 34 goals in 26 games is Bernie Conley. The Royals are sure to to bring their A-game.

Marquette High School comes with a 18 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie record. They are led by their head coach Jeremy Sanfilippo and their captains Zach Horn (goalkeeper/forward) and Matt Hampton (forward). Zach Horn has an amazing 301 saves in 26 games which reflects in their 18 wins this season.

Playing at 7PM for the chance to move onto the state finals is Keith Country Day School from Rockford and University High School from Urbana, Illinois. Both high school's have impressive records and are sure to put up a fight for the chance at being state finalists.

Keith Country Day School is led by head coach Rillo Oliveira and captains Rafi Pelayo (midfielder), Danny Morales (defender), and Matt Greer (goalkeeper). They're offense is led by Rafi Pelayo with 21 goals and David Rebollar with 23 goals.

Home of the Illineks, University high school is led by their head coach Phil Anders and their captains Tarik Koric (midfielder), George Voulgaris (midfielder), and Patrick Wong (forward). Offensively, they're led by Patrick Wong with 26 goals this season.

Both games are sure to great matches, each team with its own strengths. The winners from today will be playing for the title of State Champions tomorrow, October 27th, at 5PM in Normal, Illinois. The losers from today will compete for 3rd at 3PM tomorrow.

For divisions 2A and 3A, their semifinals and finals will be taking place on November 2nd and 3rd.

Tweet! Tweet!

Soccer 2000 now has a twitter! Follow us for all the tips and tricks of the trade, exclusive offers and deals, daily store updates on products and sales and of coarse whatever else pops into our head!

Hope to see you in the twittersphere!