World Cup: Build it out from the back

The US Women’s Soccer Team is aiming for its third World Cup in a row this summer. It’s an incredible event and a lot of fun to watch. There’s so much we can take away from the matches: the importance of hard work, practice, patience, and teamwork. However, for today’s tip we’re highlighting a strategy that may not be as obvious if you haven’t watched a lot of soccer. The strategy is what soccer players call “building it out from the back.” Effectively done, players control and pass the ball on their half of the field or around midfield until an opportunity for advancing the ball develops. Certainly goals are scored by way of fast breaks, free kicks and corner kicks, but most goals come from building it out from the back. The lesson here is that the set up, or the prep work, is what leads to success. For students, yes, they can pull an all-nighter or study for an hour and potentially still earn a decent grade. But that requires a little bit of luck. The key to most success comes from the set up and the prep work done in advance. Build it out from the back and the percentage of success improves greatly.