Schonbrun: Soccer emerges as training tool for star athletes

By: Zach Schonbrun

Posted: 10/14/08

In Steve Nash's elemental days, before MVPs and mop-top hair made him a North American household name, he refined his athleticism with a soccer ball - not a basketball - kept underneath his proverbial pillow. "Goal," he has said, was his first word.

So on a midsummer's night in New York City this June, it should not have been surprising to see the All-Star point guard Nash and professional soccer stars Thierry Henry, Claudio Reyna and Robbie Fowler, among others, playing a pickup soccer game for charity. More unlikely, however, were some of the other participants: NBA stars Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell.

Nash, who will lead the Phoenix Suns against Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets in an exhibition game at the Carrier Dome Friday, has made his soccer background transparent throughout his ascendance as one of the NBA's top players. His brother, Martin, plays in the United Soccer League; Nash himself practiced with the New York Red Bulls in 2006.

The futbol fever, though, has its roots in others, too. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers grew up dribbling a soccer ball when he lived in Italy as a child. Rafael Nadal was a promising player in Spain before he started striking tennis balls at age 12.

Even Randy Moss, wide receiver for the NFL's New England Patriots, kicks a ball around as a training method in the offseason. He began the routine last year, only at the urging of teammate Wes Welker, and went on to catch an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes in 2007.

In an age when sport specialization drives a young athlete's approach, soccer may be emerging as a catalyst for fitness - throwing a wrench into the plan of pundits who push "one sport fits all". In the ever-changing equation for athletic success, perhaps soccer is getting its due as a common denominator.

"It's a great cross-training thing," SU men's soccer coach Dean Foti said. "I think a lot of those guys look at it as a great way to cross-train. And it does keep you in shape."

Foti remembered NBA Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon and former Pro Bowl running back Christian Okoye - both Nigerian exports - as examples of athletes who used soccer as a base for their athletic achievements. For both, the recipe was in the footwork.

"I think the thing they all realize, and I think a lot of athletes can trace their roots back to soccer, is it's just great for developing coordination," Foti said. "It's unbelievable for your agility, your coordination, your mobility, and that type of thing. And that translates to almost any sport."

Has ballet been replaced as a football player's guilty pleasure? Seems simplicity is in as an underground sports fad. Athletes rain dough on hyperbaric chambers and 24-hour trainers to help them keep shape. Others, like Nash, reap the benefits of sport diversity.

Nash has said soccer helps him with his court vision and spacing, enabling him to hit runners and cutters the way a midfielder would. Welker and Moss attest to its helpfulness with their balance. And though Nadal is confined to a 39-by-27-foot court, it doesn't take a virtuoso to see where his greatest athletic strength lies.

"Like tennis, always trying to get to the ball, I think it would just be an easy translation once you get your soccer footwork," SU senior forward Kyle Hall said.

For the ignorant American who scoffs at European "football," there's Kobe. For the bloodthirsty NFL fan who thinks soccer's for softies, there's Moss.

On any fall Saturday morning in America, recreational parks are filled with sweat-drenched children in colored jerseys and size-6 cleats getting their first taste of competition. Soccer remains a bedrock among United States youth activities. It has its role as an establishment for many, before baseball, football and basketball can take hold.

That it gets overshadowed as a foundation for American athletics is a consequence of closed-minded fanaticism - and red-blooded consumerism. Sprite follows basketball courts, not soccer balls.

But it also follows Kobe. And Nash. And Baron Davis and Jason Kidd. And if it's paying close attention, it may discover another secret behind their success.

"(Moss) has good footwork, so maybe it does help your feet," SU freshman wide receiver Marcus Sales said.

Footwork in sports, a novel concept. Do the hyperbaric chambers come big enough to dribble a soccer ball inside?

Asked if he would like to see SU point guard Jonny Flynn out playing pickup soccer, Hall quickly approved.

"If he wanted to come play, sure I'd practice with him," Hall said. "He's quick, he's got good footwork already. I think he'd be a good soccer player."

Flynn may want to stick to his day job. Being a crossover athlete depends nothing on one's crossover. Lately, though, it seems the same can't as easily be said vice-versa.

Zach Schonbrun is the sports columnist for The Daily Orange, where his columns appear every Tuesday. He can be reached at zsschonb@syr.edu.