It’s about time for the second installation to my last article “Is dance really a sport? Hell Yes”. In that article I discussed my findings on how dance and sports are connect and how dance serves as a performance enhancer to athletes. Hopefully I got you thinking outside the box but just in case I haven’t, I decided it’s time to start exploring other sports that support my insightful findings and this time I chose Football.
Soccer(Association Football)- A game played by two teams of eleven players with a round ball that may not be touched with the hands or arms during play except by the goalkeepers. The object of the game is to score goals by kicking or heading the ball into the opponents’ goal.
The skill set of this sport consists of:
Attacking- Is when the team in possession of the ball and is moving it forward. The ultimate goal for the team on the attack is to score a goal and the tools you need to execute the overall goal is: Dribbling, Crossing, Shooting, Curled Crossing and Passing.
Defense- Is obviously the opposite, the objective of the of the defense players is to prevent the attackers from scoring and to win back possession of the ball and attack. The key skills to execute this goal are: Tackling, Interception, Marking and Goal Keeping.
Other skills that you will find in this sport are - Chesting, Thigh Control, Volleying and Heading.
NOW there’s two important factors about this game that I would like to point out:
1. Players cannot use their hands unless they are the goalie or if their throwing the ball back into the game if it went out of bounds.
2. Kicking and Heading the ball are the only ways you can score!
So how does dance find its way into this sport you ask?
It’s quite simple dance offers an athlete dorsiflexion of the foot.
Dorsiflexion- Is where the toes are brought closer to the shin. This flexion decreases the angle between the dorsum of the foot and the leg. An example includes the position of the foot when walking on the heels.
In simpler terms as it pertains to this sport, its when the foot is pulling the toes up towards the shin which triggers the calf muscles into a running action. When the foot lands in this position the calf muscles can be contracted which helps propel the body forward because it’s pushing backwards on the running surface.
Just like Football players , Soccer players also have to utilize the entire field which means a lot of running and majority of the time they are sprinting. Dorsiflexion of the foot is a good key when developing a great sprint technique.
There are two motions that can be found in many dance genres that can and will help athletes with their articulation of dorsiflexion of the foot and they are Changement & Tendu.
Changement- Are sautés (a jump off both feet, landing in the same spot) where the feet change position, in a front and back sweep action. The feet are closely together in mid-air and landing in forth position (front and back foot turned out in opposite directions)
This action helps soccer players because when a ball is played high they will have the ability to activate that action(remember dance supports creativity and split second decisions) and go up for what is known as a Header. A header is striking of the ball in the air by a players head.
Tendu- Is the extension of the leg and stretching the foot in a pointed swift action and is controlled by tightening of the core.
This action helps players reach for the ball with speed and the pointed toe gives them a longer extension. Also while performing this action it can help with their body posture because Tendu is done in different ranges of motion while standing in place (front , back and sides). This action also supports body isolation’s which are important in soccer because one of the objectives is confusing the opponent by creating an illusion that the athlete is going in one direction when they are really going in the opposite when having possession of the ball. This allows the athlete to remain graceful from waist up as their feet and legs move fast underneath them. This action most definitely helps with their dribbling skills and coordination.
These are great ENHANCERS for soccer athletes because in soccer feet are their main controllers. Their feet & legs determine the speed of the game, and the direction of the ball when it’s on the ground and in the air (high kick normally no higher than your shoulder). The motions in soccer require shifting of the hips, pelvis, legs, body isolations, jumps and prances. All of these actions are determined on the athletes foot placement, quickness and accuracy. These two actions enhance their touch work, dribbling and passing skills, foul and goal kicks.
Soccer just so happens to be one of the sports that require complex movements and patterns which train the athletes mind and body to work together cohesively.
Just like dancers , soccer players need their legs and the key to great strong athletic legs is strength behind those calf muscles. Genres such as African and Modern are beneficial for the development of power, toning and enhancing the flexibility of the calf muscles.
Two movements that will help this process is Releve & Plie , these genres incorporate both actions in their technique but its more grounded vs Ballet.
Releve- A rise to the toes from a flat position in parallel or turnout.(works the foot muscles)
Plie- A bending of the knees outward , with the back held straight. Also known as a turned out squat (works the pelvis and lower limbs)
These movements also require the athlete & dancer to use their Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles which are located in your calf.
Gastrocnemius- Is two muscles that point and flex the foot and it turns outward when standing or when the knee is extended.
Soleus- Performs the same action as the gastrocnemius but when seated.
These two genres also support endurance while conditioning the body, they help your body build up stamina that is needed for athletic activities.
Both techniques help develop a strong fitness foundation that can be accurately applied in sports. Again these movements can teach an athlete how to be aware of their body placement which is significant for execution and injury prevention.
You all are probably wondering how does she know these techniques really relate to soccer…
I was one of the managers for a college soccer team. One of my duties was practice and game camera operations, so I was able to study the players and their movements. I related their drills and skills to what I was currently doing in my African and Modern dance classes. Their was even a soccer player in my African dance class who NEVER took a dance class before who was really good and caught on fast too(probably because the movements were VERY familiar).
Oh yea how could I forget the perfect co-sign, the Soccer coach agreed with me when I presented him the facts.
Once again I hope this information was helpful and useful to everyone who is reading especially if you’re an athlete. I want you guys to know there are other ways to enhance your body. If you’re a parent with children who are athletic I encourage you to get your child involved and watch them develop into an even better athlete. This is due to the fact they will be thinking outside the box, you never know you may see your son or daughter do a changement to beat their opponent in a Header competition.
As always my Twitter @La_KJ and Tumblr www.barrebullybk.tumblr.com are open for discussion on this very topic. I would love to get your feedback and possibly cover a sport or some drills that relate to the wonderful sports enhancer called DANCE. By the way just in case your wondering I’m an Arsenal Girl even though we’re #4 in Premiere League Standings… Saturday it’s going down at the FA Cup against Hull City 12pm on FOX at Wembley Stadium so TUNE IN! I’ll be on twitter talking junk if you care to join me !
~KJ
UPDATE: Arsenal won the FA Cup !!! (starts dancing)
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