It’s a known fact that a Soccer conditioning program provides a strong base for a team’s success. 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.
Still, your team or you may face situations where there is paucity of time to train ahead of a tournament. It’s not an imply that you to make changes and curtail your conditioning exercises. You would not want to see your players down with injuries either previous to the match or in the match.
If a soccer fitness training series is devised correctly, even 3 days time would be sufficient to train the players fully. All you need to do is be honest in carrying out the plan based on some good homework. Here are some tips that work fine with short but efficient training programs.
Warming up: The players must be told to begin with either of these; a five minute jog, jumping, high knees, or heel flicks. Take adequate rest for a few seconds in between. Then do a few stretching exercises for about 5 minutes to tone up the muscles. Make sure that these soccer workouts consist of all the main muscle groups.
Running: Some coaches have the habit of making their players do continuously rounds of running. Though it’s absolutely ok, but in my opinion the players should be made to practice only soccer specific running. This leads to the fact that they do running, jogging, walking, and sprinting in no set order for half an hour.
This form of running at different speeds helps the players get strong and have more control over their bodies. Also, they do not get fatigued since a walk after a sprint balances things out.
Leave it to the individual players to decide what they want to do and when. If they enjoy doing sprints more than jogging, that is OK. As the kids develop more strength and energy, you can increase the length of the soccer conditioning program by 10 minutes.
Stretching: Encourage the players to do it whenever they can; after a training session and after the match. Focus on the entire body but give special attention to hamstrings, groins, quads, calves and lower back. Keep the stretching positions longer than in the warm-up sessions. Generally, 20 to 30 seconds is a good duration.
Ask the kids to rest completely a day before the match. This will help the muscles restore their form and also there will be no possibility of an injury. It is also a good time to have a discussion with them and boost their confidence.
Discuss some funny things or joke so that they feel lighter.
Understand me! Once these techniques are applied, your players shall start playing dramatically well. To know more on soccer conditioning, subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community and benefit from its immense resources on youth soccer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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 training fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Soccer Drills
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