Keep your eye on the ball

"Alta striker Michelle Staples eyes up a loose ball during the second half against Lone Peak at Lone Peak High School, Wednesday afternoon."

I always had trouble keeping my eye on the ball when I played soccer.

From day one I was always told to "keep your eye on the ball" in terms on kicking, heading or trapping the ball.

The reasoning being that you concentrate more on where you strike the ball and only worry about where it ends up later. Not in a haphazard way of thinking, but a way that if you kick the ball in the right spot, it will end up where you want it.

Well, my problem was just that. I wanted to see exactly where the ball went. I wanted to see my 20-yards laser shot smash into the top corner of the net.

Don't get me wrong, I was a decent soccer player, and still played when I was back east. But it's just one of those things.

You want to see yourself score, even if that means taking your eye off the ball for just a millisecond.