Congratulations to:

                  Platinum Division
                      Tommy M. - 396

                      Copper Division
                      Coach Dave - 53
                         Alex K. - 51

                      Rookie Division
                        Chapin - 37
                          Elliot - 37
                            Joe M.
                       Tommy A. - 25

                           Fire Fans
                        Abby K. - 14
                      Maddie K. - 10
                        Matt S. - 4

              Are You Juggling?

Balance, ball control and speed are key elements to becoming the best soccer player you can be.  Ball control is what will take you from being a good soccer player to becoming an outstanding soccer player.  Standing out from the rest!  Mastering the touch of the ball will not only improve your game, it can bring you to a higher level of confidence in all aspects of your life.  Juggling will help you learn to control the ball under high pressure game situations.  Developing the fast twitch fibers in your legs, speed juggling can even make you a faster runner.  Juggling is one of the most important daily habits and practices a soccer player should have.

Through the Fire Juggling Club, players are encouraged to practice on their own to improve their technique.  Through practice, commitment, discipline and repetition, these players will develop beyond their regularly scheduled practices and games.   As players achieve their goals, they will receive recognition here on the team website.

Players - juggling can improve your game in many different areas.  Your touch on the ball is vital to the game, and if you juggle the ball consistently you are more likely to be consistent when receiving the ball in games.  It also will improve your confidence on the ball and is a great way to warm up before more strenuous activities.  Juggling the ball with your feet, thighs and head is an excellent activity for beginning and advanced players.  The important and effective way to achieve your juggling goals is to PRACTICE ON YOUR OWN.  The beauty of juggling is that it can be done anywhere.

Rules - No bounces!!  This is an Honor System!  Juggling must be counted by one of the three Fire coaches, a Fire parent, or at least two other Fire players.  Those individuals must then report the results to Coach Dave either in person or via email.  Juggling may NOT be done during regularly scheduled practice times, game warm-ups, or games themselves.  Players are welcome to arrive early or stay late to work on their juggling and have someone count for them.

Juggles Recognition

25 - Rookie Division
50 - Copper Division
75 - Bronze Division
100 - Silver Division
200 - Gold Division
300 - Platinum Division
500 - Juggling Hall of Fame

Soccer Ball - Juggling Records

1.  Soccer ball control: Nikolai Kutsenko (UKR) juggled a regulation soccer ball for 24:30 hours nonstop with feet, legs, and head, without the ball ever touching the ground on December 6, 1995 in Kiev.

2.  Soccer ball control, female: Milene Domingues (BRA), 55,187 times in 9:06 hours, in 1997.

3.  Soccer ball control in a sitting position: Tomas Lundman (SWE), 1:27:48 hour, on February 1, 2001.

4.  Walking while keeping up a soccer ball: Ricardo Silva Neves (BRA) covered 448 miles in June 1992.  He arrived in Brasilia after traveling for 12 days.

5.  Walking while keeping up a soccer ball, team record:  A team from Aubigny (FRA) covered 70 miles and 400 yards in 11:32 hours.

6.  Walking while heading a soccer ball: Agim Agushi (Kosovo) covered 9 miles on October 2002 in Munich, Germany.

7.  Running marathon while keeping up a soccer ball:  Dr. Jan Skorkovsky (TCH) covered 26 miles, 385 yards, for the Prague City Marathon on July 8, 1990 in 7:18:55 hours.

8.  Running half marathon while keeping up a soccer ball:  Uno Lindstron (SWE), 2:55:49 hours on August 10, 1985.

9.  Running 100 m while keeping up a soccer ball: Manfred Wagner (SUI). 15.9 seconds on July 14, 1996 at Rekord-Klub SAXONIA record festival in Flensburg.

10.  Running 200 m while keeping up a soccer ball: Abraham Munoz (USA), 40.26 seconds on October 29, 2000 at Wheaton College, Illinois, USA.

11.  Running 1000 m while keeping up a soccer ball: Josef Lochman (TCH), 5:03 minutes in 1986.

12.  Running 1 hour while keeping up a soccer ball: Josef Lochman (TCH), 5 miles, 693 yards in 1986.

13.  Speed juggling, 30 seconds: Ferdie Adoboe (USA) 141 touches in 30 seconds on August 27, 2003 in New York.

14.  Speed juggling, 30 seconds, female record: 137 by Tasha-Nicole Terani (USA) on August 27, 2003.

15.  Speed juggling, 60 seconds: 269 by Tasha-Nicole Terani (USA) on September 4, 2003.

16.  Heading a soccer ball: Goderdzi Makharadze (GEO) 8:12:25 hours at the Boris National Stadium on May 26, 1996.

17.  Heading a soccer ball, doubles passing:  Agim Agushi and Bujar Ajeti 11,111 times in 3:55:20 hours on November 9, 2003.

18.  Heading a soccer ball, 30 second speed record: Jacek Roszkowski (POL) 173 times on July 23, 1993 in Germany.

19.  Keeping a soccer ball airborne while climbing up a ladder: Paul Sahli (SUI) 111 steps, September 8, 2002.

20.  Running up and down stairs while juggling a soccer ball (with feet and head): Abraham Munoz 2754 steps walking upstairs as well as downstairs in 1:19 hours on December 28, 2002.

21.  Running up and down stairs while heading a soccer ball: Agim Agushi 1920 steps walking upstairs, 1860 steps walking downstairs in 1:12:41 hours on August 2, 2002.

22.  Balancing (not juggling) a soccer ball on the head: Adalberto Sanchez, 2:00 hours on December 21, 2002.

23.  Balancing (not juggling) a soccer ball on a foot: Abraham Munoz, 13:36 hours on August 3, 2001 in Carpentersville.