New soccer aerial stop & go off-footed tricks--success on first attempts

I tend to develop a gloomy feeling about things like my progress in soccer, as a result of focusing mentally on my failures, and ignoring my successes. Demanding impossible rate of progress from myself, I continually disappoint myself.

I felt I needed to remind myself in writing regarding how the first hour of evening soccer practice today, was actually bright, even though the day as a whole was gloomy. This written record will serve to remind me of my natural strengths.

Although I had not worked with my right foot (I am left-footed) for a few days, first hour of evening practice today, things went well with the right foot on the second and third touches of the runs, without warmup, and with difficult new tricks being accomplished on the first attempt.

I surprised myself at my ability to succeed doing new never attempted before stop and go type aerial dribble patterns with my right foot.

By aerial dribble I mean moving around at a brisk speed while keeping the ball off the ground but under control. By stop and go, I mean that what I was attempting and succeeding with on the first or second attempt, with no warmup, was air dribbling a few feet at a brisk speed, coming to a stop while air-dribbling, and then air-dribbling in forwards again at a brisk speed.

Evening practice started at 751 PM. My intent was always to keep the ball off the ground between touches, and to be moving at a rapid speed. I counted an attempt a success if I kept the ball off the ground between touches, covered approx the intended distances between touches, and moved at speed between touches when such was prescribed by the intended pattern.

The first run of the day (no preceding warmup work) at 752 PM, my intent was to: kick the ball with my LF forwards 6' (T1); chip the ball up & over the imaginary defender with my RF, about 9' forwards (T2); kick the ball forwards with my RF (T3) while maintaining control. I succeeded on the first attempt.

2nd run of the day, 755 PM, my intent was to: kick the ball with my LF forwards 6' (T1); touch the ball without moving forwards with the RF (T2.0); kick the ball forwards 9' with the RF (T2.1); kick the ball forwards with the RF while maintaining control (T3). I succeeded on the first attempt.

3rd run of the day, 757 PM, my intent was to: kick the ball with my LF forwards 6' (T1); touch the ball without moving forwards with the RF (T2.0); touch the ball again with RF without moving forwards (T2.2); kick the ball forwards 9' with the RF (T2.3); touch the ball with the RF (T3). I succeeded on the first attempt.

These 2nd & 3rd runs of the day on the first attempt I succeeded with a trick I had never attempted before.

800 PM, my intent was to: kick the ball with my LF forwards 6' (T1); touch the ball without moving forwards with the RF (T2.0); touch the ball with the LF without moving forwards (T2.1); kick the ball forwards 9' with the RF (T2.2); touch the ball with the RF (T3). I succeeded on the 2nd attempt doing this never before attempted trick.

827 PM, my intent was to: kick the ball with my LF forwards 6' (T1); kick the ball forwards 9' with the RF (T2); touch the ball without moving forwards with the RF (T3.1); kick the ball forwards with the RF (T3.2). I succeeded on the 1st attempt doing this never before attempted trick.

841 PM, my intent was to: kick the ball with my LF forwards 6' (T1); kick the ball forwards 9' with the RF (T2); kick the ball about 9' to my left with the RF (T3); touch the ball again with a foot (T4). I succeeded on the 1st attempt doing this never before attempted trick.