#7 Navigating the Off-Season

[santimit]

CPT#6

After a difficult season with Reykjavík, which ended with the team's relegation, Santiago Mitidiero knew he needed to use the break to improve and be ready for the upcoming championship. With his contract renewed and the goal of returning to the top flight, he decided to take preseason seriously and work on aspects of his game that he could still improve.

During the first few weeks, he trained in Argentina with a physical trainer and a group of young players who were also looking to be in top condition for the upcoming season. The training sessions focused primarily on improving his stamina, speed, and strength, as he wanted to better withstand the pace of matches and compete with greater intensity for the full ninety minutes.

He then moved on to working more with the ball. As a midfielder, Santiago had always stood out for his passing and his reading of the game, but he wanted to add other tools to his arsenal to become a more complete player. He practiced first touches, passing under pressure, and drills to make quicker decisions when facing opponents. He also did various exercises playing out from the back, looking to improve his ability to receive the ball and find unmarked teammates without taking unnecessary risks.

In the final days of preseason, training sessions became more like real match situations. He played several friendlies and participated in tactical drills with his Reykjavík teammates, trying to apply everything he had worked on during the break.

Santiago finished preseason with positive feelings and the motivation to start a new season. He knows that the goal of returning to the top flight won't be easy, but he believes that improvement and consistency are crucial to playing well and helping the team. After a difficult year, he wants to show that he can step up and be an important player in the attempt to return Reykjavík to the top division.

Approved!

[fathands3k]

CPT 6


With the off seasons upon Walker it was not the time to rest and relax. Since becoming a vocal point at the top of the Catalunya attack, he didn't want to miss a beat next season. Thankfully, his training away from the pitch has almost become the stuff of legend and this was no different. However, one thing he looked to change this year was who he invited along for the grueling regime.

Thankfully Jeanious and Kawasaki were up to task to get themselves in the best shape possible for the return to Division 1. With Kawasaki already been a seasoned performer, he was looking to keep at his peak for as long as possible and knew when the invite came his way from Walker, it would be a mistake to miss it. Jeanious the young upstart in the minor team jumped at the chance. Mainly to see how a top performer trains but also to see if he could keep up and pick up some pointers along the way. Much of this training involved long runs to build the stamina needed to play to their peak during the last minutes of each game. But Walker made sure that these runs included the passing of a football all the way. It's all good and well being able to run the distances, but you have to know how it feels with a ball at your feet to understand how it might affect you. This meant that running with the ball became almost second nature. Once the runs where completed this is where technique was built upon and perfected. If you can do it when exhausted, you can do it when you are fresh. These sessions were designed to be killers but also designed to sharpen the skills, the physical fitness and the mental agony that will come their way in the season ahead.

Walker is a student of training, believing that if you don't train beyond what to expect in a match, you can't possibly improve or be ready. But it's fair to say after experiencing this off season, Walker, Jeanious and Kawasaki will be ready!

[Wiggo]

Career PT #6

Billy is now heading into his 6th season in the pro leagues and still finds himself at Tokyo who currently sit in division 2. It must be said that the season just gone was less than ideal for the team, who finished 2nd from bottom even with two new expansion teams having just joined the league. If this wasn’t an indication that the team had to buckle down and work hard to improve then I don’t know what would be.

Even though Billy has now been at Tokyo for 3 seasons, he is still one of the younger members of the squad. Himself and No Face both coming from S23 draft are now entering their prime years but there are still improvements to be made, especially if contributions are going to be made in the pursuit of a promotion to the top division. It is known that the squad is likely to be shaken up quite dramatically over the next couple of seasons with veterans likely to be switched out, but while they are still around, Billy is going to try and make the most of it.

Having come off his most successful individual season, with an average rating of 7.2 and 9 GA from 13 games, Billy has come a long way, but he knows there are sides to his game that he must improve. One of those is certainly his ability in the air, having only won 36% of aerial duels. He looks to Eilish, who has been a staple at the back for many seasons now to help him here. He also trains with both Grizz and Ronflex, hoping they can work out what they need to best link up during the games.

Billy will want to make sure that they can at least match the levels that they reached this season, especially as the WSFC is soon approaching and he is desperate to make sure he is part of the British Isles team that hopes to right the wrongs of the previous tournament.