Players look forward to breaking in new soccer shoes at the beginning of every season. This is necessary to mold quality leather shoes to your feet over the life of the shoes. Top-end kangaroo leather, thin yet strong, makes an ideal soccer shoe upper to take the shape of your foot.

Knowing how to properly lace your soccer shoes, or cleats, can make a serious impact on the comfort, safety and performance of your soccer game.

Soccer players at the recreational level come in all shapes and sizes. At the higher levels of the game, though, players tend to have a very fit physique, lean and muscular without being too skinny or overly muscled. Professional male forwards -- and the occasional female, such as former U.S.

Soccer players must learn fundamental skills and tactical awareness to succeed during competitive games. Important soccer skills to master include ball control, passing, dribbling, shooting and defending.

The great thing about soccer is that all it really requires to play is a few people, a ball and an open grassy area. While this kind of pickup game is fun to play, the closer you can get to a regulation game, the more fun it becomes.

Badminton might not be as popular as tennis or racquetball, but it takes a lot of endurance, ability and strength to play the game. An important consideration for athletes who play this sport is maintaining a diet that provides enough energy, fluids and reserves so the body can recovery quickly and perform optimally.

Thanks to the game’s long history, soccer has grown to become the most popular sport in the world. Millions of people around the globe watch major competitions, and soccer stars become huge international celebrities.

The way your soccer cleats fit can affect the way you kick and run the field. Soccer cleats fit differently than your regular shoes -- your normal shoe size won't necessarily be the same for soccer cleats.

The first official rules of soccer were drawn-up by the English Football Association in 1863. These rules, known as the Laws of the Game, are now governed by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, commonly known as FIFA.

Adidas and Puma entered the shoe market after the owners of Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory, two German brothers Adolf and Rudolf, split ways. Adolf created Adidas from the original factory in the early 1940s while Rudolf created Puma in 1948. Nike introduced its first soccer cleats only in the 1990s.

The topic of handball is an often contentious area of the soccer rulebook, which seems to be involved in some form of controversial incident on an almost weekly basis. FIFA, the world soccer governing body, does not define the term handball in its rulebook.

Soccer is a game of athleticism and conditioning. These are the foundations of the game. If you go out on the field without them, you will fall hopelessly behind and won't be able to compete. The game requires multiple skills, including the ability to advance the ball upfield by dribbling and passing.