Stephen Strasburg's return from Tommy John surgery began on Sunday afternoon in Hagerstown,
Maryland. That's where he made his first minor league rehab start after undergoing reconstructive
elbow surgery.
In the Class A game, Stephen Strasburg looked about as good as the Washington National could
have hoped.
Playing a quality long ball is an important piece of the soccer performance puzzle. Goalkeepers,
defenders and midfielders routinely take free kicks and play direct balls where considerable
distance on the kick is needed. Add to that, the need for attackers to strike high-speed shots and
it is easy to see that kicking velocity and distance are critical to success.
