Uncover Basic Soccer Conditioning

Let it be known that a soccer conditioning program is the very basis on which the success of any team depends. The result of following soccer exercises is strength, agility, and endurance which permit them to be called fit for the game, let alone winning it.

However, there may be situations when you and your team do not get enough days to train before a tou
ament. This does not suggest you to cut back on your conditioning exercises. You would not want to see your players down with injuries either previous to the match or in the match.

If you design a good soccer fitness training program, your players can get fully conditioned even in as less as 3 days time. All that it takes is seriousness, good preparation, and its implementation. There are one or two tips which work well with short but successful training plans.

Warming up: Instruct the players to start with any of the following; a five minute jog, high knees, jumping, or heel flicks. Take adequate rest for a few seconds in between. Then do some stretching for another 5 minutes that will tone up the muscles. Be sure to include all the major muscle groups in these soccer workouts.

Running: Some coaches tend to make their players do continuous running. Although there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s advisable that players strictly do some soccer specific running only. It means that for 20 to 30 minutes, they do a mix of running, jogging, walking, and sprinting in no set order.

This form of running at different speeds helps the players get strong and have more control over their bodies. And they do not feel exhausted since a walk after a sprint evens things out.

Just let the individual players decide on what they wish to do and when. If they want to do sprinting for a longer time but only limited jogging, even that is fine. As the players progress and their strength increases, you can augment the time of the soccer conditioning program by 5 to 10 minutes.

Stretching: Impress upon the kids to do stretching after the match as well as a training session. Concentrate on including the whole body but emphasize on hamstrings, groins, quads, calves and lower back. Keep in mind that the stretching positions should be longer than the warm-up sessions. Normally, 20 to 30 seconds is fine.

Make the players rest a day before the match. This will give the muscles time to recuperate and also overrule the possibility of an injury before the big day. It is also a time to discuss the strategy with them along with boosting their confidence.

Discuss some funny things or joke so that they feel lighter.

Understand me! When you apply this to your sessions, your players shall improve dramatically. To know more about soccer conditioning, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community which will leave you richer with resources on youth soccer.