Soccer Conditioning Drills

Let me tell you that stretching is an vital part of soccer training tips and professional coaches highly recommend it along with almost every player in every sport practicing it daily? Soccer is a sport which is continuously growing and developing in its intricacy.

There are two types of stretching that can be incorporated in kid’s training for soccer; static and dynamic stretching.

Static stretching requires players to stretch their muscles to a point of resistance and hold for a given duration of time. Rebounding, rhythmic bouncing, and recurring motions are involved in dynamic stretching. It is generally considered as more dangerous and less effective than static stretching.

This article discusses some benefits of stretching that go a long way in making a good player great.

Soccer Training

Stretching reduces injuries: Continuous stretching during the day and performed over a period of time may promote muscle growth that, consecutively, could reduce the risk of injury. Stretching also provides an effective way of enhancing the muscle size and strength.

Stretching influences flexibility: Stretching puts off the loss of flexibility. Nevertheless, stretching works best when performed for a greater length of time than for shorter periods of time.

Stretching for some minutes prior to any occasion is liable to improve flexibility. When it comes to soccer training tips, the best bet is to distribute a stretching program over a predetermined length of time to continuously increase the range of motion.

Stretching enhances performance: Player’s performance improves when stretching exercises are designed to be soccer specific.

Make sure that the kids enjoy stretching: Make stretching fun for the kids by including a variety of soccer drills into your session. Keep changing the type of warm up exercises that you perform before stretching. Try various activities like tag games, ball tag, and keep away.

Concentrate all your energy on stretching, experience and identify with each stretch while checking for soreness.

For almost all players, one single 15-30 minute stretch for each muscle group is sufficient but some may need longer stretches and more repetitions.

This is because when the temperature of muscles is higher than normal, tightness decreases and extensibility increases. Players who want to maintain or increase their flexibility can partly achieve this goal by stretching. It is better, safer, and more productive to do stretching exercises when the body temperature is higher than normal.

This is why some coaches tend to make their kids perform stretching exercises after a workout as well. Stretching for five minutes after practicing soccer skills prevents muscles from tightening too fast.

Usually, players who practice an active warm-up ahead of stretching get a superior range of motion than those kids who just stretch. So if injury prevention is your aim, stop stretching before exercise and increase the warm up time.

I again reiterate that the most important of all soccer training tips is to remember that hurried stretching does not help kids become flexible, gets monotonous and pointless, so let them take their own time to warm up before stretching. You can subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community and get your way to innumerable articles, videos, and periodic newsletters.

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: Youth Soccer Drills.

The importance of soccer training tips for goalkeepers can be easily made out from the fact that a goalkeeper is the only player on the field who can touch the ball with both arms and hands.

For this reason, the soccer skills of a goalie give him an advantage over all the other players on the field. But this also makes training goalkeepers for soccer not only unique but challenging.

Soccer Goalkeepers are often the first line of the offense and the last line of defense, depending upon the technique of play. They wouldn’t mind using their body in every possible way to stop the ball or obstruct a shot from getting inside the goal. They are ready to dive in any direction to catch hold of the ball.

Goalkeepers training for soccer on various techniques specific to their role and the level of their play can be extremely demanding. At the same time, his or her mental state should be kept in mind while teaching him various skills.

Soccer Training

A striker in the team is the only player who has the potential to stand in comparison with the goalkeeper. Almost all goalies have essentially played as goal hungry strikers at one point or the other in their soccer careers. You’ll often see a goalie and the forwards in a direct battle at different levels of competition.

Of all the soccer training tips, the one essential for the goalie to follow is that he should stay balanced and be aware of the center of gravity of the body. This will benefit a game setting by enhancing the activity of a goalkeeper and the promptness of other players.

While a majority of goalkeepers are tall with big hands and long arms but even if it is not the case, they simply compensate for the lack of their physical attributes with good vertical and lateral mobility.

It is necessary of the coaches to recognize that goalkeepers need constant motivation no matter how good is there sense of self-worth. It is necessary that goalkeepers split up and perform practice soccer drills specific to their role after that have done their regular warm up exercises with the team.

Because goalkeepers have a dominant personality and a sense of control, they are leaders of the team. So they should be placed in a voiced and representative capacity so that they can successfully accomplish their duties with the support of all the team members.

The goalie can handle the ball only in the 18 yard box. Anyone other that a goalie who fatefully gets to touch the ball with an arm, ends up winning the opponent a free kick. In the case of the goalie’s team mate, it is a penalty shoot from “the spot”.

So your job now is to use these soccer training tips to improve goalkeeper’s performance on the field as they are the leaders inside the 18 yard box and should be valued by their teammates. Subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that has tons of articles, newsletters, and related videos to improve your coaching skills.

Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Soccer Drills.

I’d like to ask you something. Not following the soccer training tips, most soccer coaches blindly design training programs for their players just to make up the numbers and simply go through the motions. Are you guilty of this?

Before planning your next training session, set some goals for the team. Ascertain what you specifically wish to achieve from the training session and do everything required to get that done.

Introduce new, fun, and innovative soccer drills in your training sessions to add variety. It will break the monotony of doing the same drills day in and day out. Once players start enjoying their practice sessions, you’ll notice that their performance will improve consistently.

Notwithstanding their age and the level at which they play, your players must learn to respect you and listen to you. Respecting each other feelings promotes a friendly atmosphere for both the kids as well as the coach.

Soccer Training

Soccer players get an edge over others when they are highly flexible. The same is classified into 3 parts.

Dynamic flexibility: It refers to a player’s capability to perform fast movements within the full range of motion in the joint, like twisting from side to side.

Static active flexibility: This is the aptitude of a player to stretch a hard muscle by using the tension from within that muscle. Let’s take an example; holding one leg in front of you and keeping it as high as you can. Doing this your hamstring is stretched and as the hip flexors and quadriceps grip your leg up.

Static passive: It’s the skill of using the body weight or some external force to hold a stretch. For instance; hold your leg out in front of you and rest it on a chair.

Let’s now move on to the next step in following soccer training tips. It requires you to check that kids are wearing an appropriate gear, depending on the weather conditions.

Training for soccer needs to be supported with a fitness program that will help the areas where your team needs most help. One should keep the following factors in mind while designing such a training program.

Kid’s age: There is a direct connection between decrease in the flexibility of soft tissues and the reduced range of movement, as one grows older, notwithstanding the gender. However, decrease in flexibility can be significantly slowed down if we keep active.

Gender: Girls show greater movement, no matter what their age.

Activity: When it comes to displaying soccer skills, active individuals demonstrate a greater range of movement than inactive individuals.

Injury: Injuries also hamper the range of motion in a joint.

Pain: With an increase in pain, flexibility decreases resulting in muscle spasms. Nonetheless, flexibility in kids is not hampered by strength training unless the exercises are done correctly and in full range of motion.

Genetics: A player’s genetics also have an effect on the amount of flexibility that his or her body possesses.

So make sure you incorporate these soccer training tips into your training programs with a view to improve their effectiveness and productivity. Subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community that has tons of articles, newsletters, and related videos to improve your coaching skills.

Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn  how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Drills For Kids.