Here are a few key elements of soccer conditioning and what your players should strive for:
Drills – incorporate the ball into conditioning drills to improve agility and make the drills more game like. Rather than jog around the park for a warm up, why not jog with the ball?
Interval training – sprint movements for 15 seconds with short breaks; Sometimes, to get open and to make those game winning runs, players have to go from a dead stop to a full sprint.
Random movements – increase heart rate and cardiovascular fitness; add in some plyometic work to your conditioning drills, whether it’s jumping over the ball from side to side or jumping up for headers; have players start on the ground and get up off the ground to head the ball.
Physical strength – to hold players off who are trying to win the ball; add in some push ups and sit ups to the end of each training session
Acceleration – beat players with the ball and to the ball; soccer is so much about quick stops and starts, do sprint work like ladders to boost speed, acceleration and endurance.
Flexibility – reduced injuries and to make plays and avoid pressure; can your players reach for and control that long passes that seems like it’s destined to go out of bounds? Make stretching a part of every practice at the beginning and the end.
Sharpness – comes with daily work
Stamina – strive for the highest level of fitness so players can express themselves on the field; who is going to win the ball at the end of the game? Who will make that long run down the sidelines with five minutes to go?
