INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Ideally, a punt is an essential transition from defense into offense for your team. If you were quick enough to make a big save, help your team by transitioning quickly and efficiently back into offense, putting the ball into play for your team. Look for open players and open spaces where your players will be able to run onto the ball. You want to be quick, but not too quick. Wait until the opposing players clear out of the box and give you enough room to make your punt. Everyone should be heading back downfield to get on defense, and your players should be streaking downfield to get open on offense. You don't just want to punt randomly, or send the ball back immediately to the other team. Look for open spaces that your teammates will be able to run onto the ball. The momentum should be carrying the ball in the appropriate direction, allowing you to have the advantage, as long as an opponent doesn't get a head or a foot on it. Look for open space and send the ball toward it. Think of a punt as the first play of an offensive movement. Don't just send the ball straight up into the air because it's fun. try to make something happen with it. Eventually, you want the ball to be going toward your opponent's goal, not straight up in the air. It's harder for your teammates to control a very high-arcing punt, so focus on keeping your punts long and accurate, not super-high and out of control. If your punts tend to go extremely high, focus on letting the ball drop down a little farther before you make contact with it. Most goalies drop the ball almost all the way to the ground before making contact. Start dropping the ball slightly earlier in your punt to get the timing correct. One excellent way of controlling wild punts is in working on your back-spin, making the ball arc and head downfield, but stop rolling upon landing, giving your punt a more reliable accuracy. This is done by bringing your toe up as soon as you make contact with the ball, creating a right angle with your foot and your shin. If you can punt like this, it'll be a lot easier for your teammates to control the punt eventually. Instead of punting, you can also roll the ball to one of your teammates after the opposition has cleared out, or you can throw the ball to your teammates as they're transitioning into offense. This can sometimes be a much-quicker, though less powerful, way of getting the ball into play. If your opponents defenders are pushed way up toward the midfield, punting might turn the ball right back over to them. It might be smarter to roll the ball to one of your defenders and transition into offense that way. It's also common for some goalies to toss the ball onto the ground and take an impromptu free-kick. You'll definitely want to make sure that all of your opponents have cleared out completely if you try this, because they'll be able to come in for a challenge as soon as you put the ball on the ground. tretch out your hamstring first. Because you'll be stretching your kicking leg somewhat high to complete a punt, it's important to stretch out thoroughly before attempting or practicing punts, and never attempt to punt "cold." Always follow through with your kicks to keep your hamstrings safe and loose.

SUMMARY: Punt quickly after making the save. Put the ball into open space. Don't kick it too high. Practice your back-spin. Don't punt every time. .

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Once you realize that comparing yourself to others doesn't work in your favor, you'll look for additional measures of your success. If you start to feel and express gratitude for the gifts that you do have, you will shift your focus from others to yourself. Spend more of your time focusing on the positive and good in your life. You may find that you start noticing more of it when you're not busy comparing yourself to others. A gratitude journal is a way to remind yourself of what you have. This will help you look at things that you may have taken for granted. Then, you can give appreciation to them. Think about several of your best memories. They can be things you did, places you went, friends, you spent time with, whatever makes you most happy. Focus on being grateful for those things. By keeping a gratitude journal you can increase your chances of success. However, just going through the motions without motivation will work against you. You need to force yourself to look at things you may have taken for granted and give appreciation to them. Make the decision to acknowledge the depth of your gratitude and enhance your life. Write in depth. Instead of just making a laundry list of things, give a thorough explanation of a few things that make you feel grateful. Write about surprises or unexpected events. This will give you a chance to savor the good feelings that you experienced. You don't need to write every day. In fact, writing a couple of times a week might be more beneficial than writing every day. By being kinder and less harsh with yourself, you will encourage yourself to go the extra mile and to try harder. It is tough to resist comparing yourself to others. But you are ultimately in control of your life. You make choices to lead your life in a particular way. You make decisions that are best for you, not for anybody else. It doesn't matter what other people do or have. You are the one that matters in the course of your life.

SUMMARY:
Focus on what you have. Keep a gratitude journal. Be kind to yourself. Understand that you are in control of your life.