Soccer conditioning

It’s not surprising to know that it’s soccer conditioning which serves as a platform for the success of any team. Soccer exercises build strength, agility, and endurance without which players cannot even think of being in shape for a live match, forget about winning it.

Nevertheless, situations may arise where you or your team don’t get sufficient time to practice before a match. This does not suggest you to cut back on your conditioning exercises. You don’t wish to see your players getting hurt prior to the match or at some point in the game.

Any well laid down soccer fitness training plan can lead to training players completely in just 3 days time. All that it takes is seriousness, good preparation, and its implementation. Here are a few tips to work with short but effective conditioning programs.

Warming up: Instruct the players to start with any of the following; a five minute jog, high knees, jumping, or heel flicks. In the meanwhile, find time to rest to a minute or so. This should be followed by some stretching of muscles for about 5 minutes to tone them up. Make sure that these soccer workouts consist of all the main muscle groups.

Soccer Fitness

Running: Some coaches make their players do continuous rounds of running. Though it’s absolutely ok, but in my opinion the players should be made to practice only soccer specific running. It means that for 20 to 30 minutes, they do a mix of running, jogging, walking, and sprinting in no set order.

Running in this manner enables the players to get strong and control their bodies better. And they do not feel drained since a walk after the sprint helps balance things out.

Leave the decision making to the individual players about what to do and when. If they have a liking for sprinting more than jogging, so be it. As the kids develop more strength and energy, you can increase the length of the soccer conditioning program by 10 minutes.

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

Make the players rest a day before the match. This will make the muscles build up strength as well as negate the possibility of injuries. Also, use this time to discuss your plan with the team and encouraging them.

Crack jokes so that they get relieved of tension.

Trust me! Once these techniques are applied, your players shall start playing dramatically well. In order to know more about soccer conditioning, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that will give you access to great soccer resources.

Andre Botelho is the author of "The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide" and he's a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn  how to explode your players' skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Drills For Kids.