Three Physical Health Benefits of Soccer - Yahoo! Sports

Soccer is one of the best sports that an athlete can become involved in, because there are numerous health benefits of playing the sport. For an athlete, some of the best benefits he or she might get from a sport include the benefits to his or her physical health.

Here are three of the best physical health benefits that an athlete can gain from playing soccer, which can increase the quality of his or her life.

Can Control Weight

An athlete that plays soccer is less likely to be obese, and can actually help him or her lose a considerable amount of weight. Since soccer is a form of aerobic exercise, and it can help burn a lot of calories and fat, which means that an athlete is likely to maintain a healthier weight. When an athlete plays soccer, he or she is jogging, running, and sprinting for a long period of time, which is a great way to get aerobic exercise. A youth athlete that plays soccer will also notice he or she has a higher metabolism, which can control weight later in life. There are many benefits for an athlete when it comes to controlling weight, since a healthy weight can lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. If an athlete is looking to shed a few pounds, then soccer is going to help him or her lose weight, and also maintain a healthy weight throughout his or her life.

Can Build Muscle

An athlete that plays soccer will also notice his or her muscles are stronger, since playing soccer can significantly help build muscles. Soccer uses a lot of different muscle groups, which means that an athlete will notice the benefits in more areas of the body. Soccer can help build and strengthen muscles of the legs, thighs, abdomen, and chest. If an athlete plays soccer regularly, then he or she will notice the muscles becoming stronger, which can help reduce the risk of injuries. When an athlete builds muscles through participation in soccer, he or she is also more likely to notice an increase in endurance, which means that he or she will not get lethargic or fatigued as easily. Building muscle and increasing muscle tone is a great way to increase overall health, and it can also help an athlete increase his or her athletic performance.

Can Increase Flexibility and Agility

An athlete will also notice that he or she has become more flexible and agile, which is a direct result of playing soccer regularly. Soccer requires an athlete to be able to move fast in certain directions, move laterally and vertically quickly, and also run forward or backward. The fast motions that are required in soccer will help an athlete become more flexible, which can help him or her become successful. The legs, chest, and arms will all increase in flexibility due to the constant shifting that is required for soccer, which also occurs as the muscles become stronger. Every time an athlete plays soccer, he or she will go through a lot of different motions and positions, which can only increase his or her flexibility as time moves forward. An increase in flexibility will also help reduce the risk of injury, since the body will be trained to move constantly at such a high intensity.

Jeanne Rose worked as a dietary clerk in a hospital for three years, went to vocational school for Allied Health, and obtained certification in nurse assisting.

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Three Social Health Benefits of Soccer for Youth Athletes - Yahoo! Sports

There are a lot of health benefits that soccer can provide a youth athlete, including many social health benefits. Soccer is one of the best sports for a youth athlete to get involved with, because it can help him or her maintain positive health and wellness. When it comes to soccer for a youth athlete, the social benefits can outweigh the physical benefits, which might be why he or she decides to participate.

Here are three of the best social health benefits that soccer can provide a youth athlete, whether he or she is on a team at school or through another organization.

Can Teach Teamwork

Soccer can help a youth athlete develop teamwork skills, which is very important for social interaction during school, and during his or her adult years. Teamwork is built through soccer by the fact that it only takes one person to mess up, in order to potentially destroy the play, and create a score for the opponent. Youth athletes that participate in soccer will find they can build off of each other, help each other learn, and create an environment built around winning. Not all sports are centered on teamwork, but soccer relies on each person doing what he or she is supposed to at all times. Soccer can also teach a youth athlete to be more positive to his or her teammates, and it can help him or her develop constructive criticism skills, which is also important for social interaction.

Can Help Develop Communication Skills

A youth athlete that is playing soccer is also going to have better communication skills, which can help him or her in many social situations. Communication is needed in soccer because each player has a role to play, and needs to fulfill the role successful, in order for the team to win. A youth soccer athlete is also going to have to communicate with coaches when there is a problem, and be able to communicate his or her specific needs. Communication is also a part of teamwork, because without effective communication skills, the soccer team will not be cohesive. A youth athlete will also need to know how to communicate physical limitations and strengths, in order to become successful at soccer. As a youth athlete becomes more involved with soccer, he or she will increase communication skills, which can enhance performance, and also help him or her bond with other players.

Can Teach Equality

Equality is also a very positive social benefit that a youth athlete can learn while playing soccer, which can help him or her learn about relationships. Both men and women can play soccer, but sometimes a younger youth athlete does not realize this, and often lacks equality skills needed in society. While playing soccer, a youth athlete can learn that women and men are similar, and that regardless of your gender, you can play sports. A youth athlete can also learn that equality means that no matter what you look like, you can become successful, and be very productive at soccer or other sports. A youth athlete is also likely to find out that having physical or mental disabilities does not exclude someone from sports, and it can help him or her learn to treat people in those situations as equals. A youth athlete will meet a lot of people while playing soccer, and this can help him or her learn about equality as a social issue, and can help him or her succeed later in life.

Jeanne Rose has certification in nurse assisting, worked as a dietary clerk in a hospital for three years, and went to vocational school for Allied Health.

Three through, five out in Asia - Fifa.com

 

Japan, Uzbekistan and Jordan clinched places in the next phase of Asian Zone qualifying for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ with two games to spare today. However, Matchday 4 in the third round proved a bad one for Indonesia, Korea DPR, Singapore, Tajikistan and United Arab Emirates, all of whose chances of appearing at the 20th edition of the sport’s biggest event were ended. FIFA.com reflects on the latest developments across the continent.

The big match
Iraq 1-0 China PR
Younis Mahmoud 90+2
The encounter in Doha proved a carbon copy to the sides' previous meeting a month ago, with China pressing hard throughout but Iraq emerging 1-0 victors against the run of play. After an even first half, Jose Camacho’s visitors were looking the likeliest to break the deadlock, with Hao Junmin's brilliant free-kick coming back off the post, before Zhang Linpeng’s dismissal placed Zico’s team at a numerical advantage. The Iraqis made it count, with Younis Mahmoud, the match-winner in the Shenzhen, once again proving the hero by latching on to a through-ball in the closing minutes, holding off his marker and thumping the ball into the roof of the net. The result moved second-placed Iraq on to nine points, six above their opponents, who are all but out of the running to advance.

The surprise
Oman 1-0 Australia
Amad Ali 18
Group D’s Australia arrived at Muscat expecting to seal an early progression with a fourth straight win. However, the visitors' celebration parade was postponed by Oman, who stunned the Socceroos with a 1-0 win to firmly pull themselves back into contention. The hosts emerged a different side from the team that had gone down 3-0 in the previous meeting, taking the lead on 18 minutes when Amad Ali latched collected a pass and slotted the ball past Mark Schwarzer.

The conceded goal obviously spurred Holger Osieck's charges into action, with Brett Holman firing home shortly afterwards only to see his goal waved off for offside. The Australians pushed hard for an equaliser after the interval but despite their dominance of possession, they failed to carve out clear chances as the resolute Omanis held firm for their first win. In another game, hosts Saudi Arabia put three unanswered goals past Thailand to leapfrog their opponents into second place.

The other attractions
Iraq’s success was most welcomed by Group A leaders Jordan, who confirmed their place in the last ten by defeating Singapore 2-0. In the process, the west Asians made history by reaching the continent’s final qualifying round for the first time, and the achievement is even more impressive taking into account the fact they are the only team to have maintained a 100 per cent record in the campaign.

In Group B, an under-strength Korea Republic were made to sweat for the majority of time in United Arab Emirates, with the hosts threatening throughout but failing to score. The visitors, however, had the final say courtesy of their superior finishing abilities, with two opportunistic goals in the closing minutes from Lee Keun-Ho and Park Chu-Young giving them a 2-0 win in Dubai which maintained their pole position. In the other game, Mahmoud El Ali struck the only goal as Lebanon downed hosts Kuwait 1-0 to move second.

Regarded by many as one of the toughest pools, Group C became the first to be decided, with Japan and Uzbekistan joining hands in progression at the expense of Tajikistan and Korea DPR respectively. In today's earliest match, Japan followed up their previous 8-0 demolition of the Tajiks with a 4-0 triumph in Dushanbe. In the other fixture, Timur Kapadze scored the only goal as hosts Uzbekistan clinched three points against Korea DPR, who became the first South Africa 2010 participant to be eliminated.

Elsewhere, Mojtaba Jabari struck a dramatic injury-time equaliser as Iran secured a 1-1 draw in Bahrain. Despite the result, Carlos Queiroz's Team Melli remain at the top of Group E, leading Qatar, who recorded a 4-0 home win over Indonesia, on goal difference. The defeat in Doha saw the pointless south-east Asians eliminated, but the Bahrainis kept their hopes alive with the point.

The player
A super sub for Japan at South Africa 2010, Shinji Okazaki has thereafter established himself as an integral figure for his country. The Stuttgart forward netted his second brace in two games against Tajikistan, which extended his scoring tally to five.

The stat
5 - There was late drama aplenty during these fiercely-contested matches, with five goals coming in injury time.

What they said
Zico, Iraq coach: "China played bravely, but we won the match and the result has almost guaranteed our place in the last ten. The game went as we predicted. We knew China would attack, so we focused on defending in the first half before sealing victory late on.”

Matchday 4 results
Group A: Jordan 2-0 Singapore, Iraq 1-0 China PR
Group B: Kuwait 0-1 Lebanon, United Arab Emirates 0-2 Korea Republic
Group C: Uzbekistan 1-0 Korea DPR, Tajikistan 0-4 Japan
Group D: Saudi Arabia 3-0 Thailand, Oman 1-0 Australia
Group E: Qatar 4-0 Indonesia, Bahrain 1-1 Iran