It’s not all about the physical training your performance coach at Acceleration will help you work on your speed, agility, strength and power so that when you get on the field, efficient and powerful movement will be second nature.
As your athletic career progresses and your goals change, so should your training program. Re-testing regularly is also essential to make sure your program is tailored to your goals and will bring you closer to achieving them. Conditioning the aerobic and anaerobic systems will give players the ability to work hard, recover, and work hard again and again during the game. Your coach will make sure you have worked on stability first to address any imbalances and then progress to strength training, and finally power.
If you’re a striker, you need to be powerful in that first 5 to 10 meters of acceleration because if you can get to the ball before the defender who’s marking you, that could get you in a good position for a shot on goal.Ī good performance coach will be able to tailor your training programs during offseason, pre-season and in-season to make sure you’re a well-rounded athlete. If you can move in different planes quickly and effectively it will vastly improve your ability to adapt and react to the game around you. Training that explosive change of direction is also pivotal for a center midfielder. While wingbacks need to have running capabilities, an explosive sprint and ability to quickly change of direction will help them burst up the field during a game. Goalkeepers especially can benefit from explosive plyometric training to help them jump higher and save balls in any plane – vertically, laterally, and horizontally. Adding dynamic plyometric exercises to your program can improve the strength and stability of your ligaments and tendons for fast reaction on the field regardless of the position you play. Power and strength training is also essential to sprinting. You need to work on decelerating, slowing down and changing direction efficiently and safely before introducing specific speed and agility drills. Working on landing mechanics and force absorption is essential before you introduce any advanced plyometric jumping exercises. Drills like eight point balances or ankle exercises on different surfaces such as foam, grass or wood can help train the ankle ligaments and foot muscles to react to any instability you might encounter on the field. Unilateral exercises can also help to develop an even balance on both sides of the body as soccer players are often pushing off one leg when running and jumping. Verbal cues and working within a small range of motion can help ensure your VMO is activating correctly during squats – which will also improve the stability of the joint when running and jumping. Knee stability is another element to a strong foundation and your coach will need to address any issues with patella tracking. They may use trigger pointing and mobility exercises to improve the joint movement and make sure the muscles, particularly the glutes, are activating properly. Hip flexibility can have a big impact on how you change direction, and in an initial assessment with Acceleration, your coach will assess any tightness in the hips and glutes. Improving joint mobility and flexibility is also essential to ensuring your longevity as a player and will help you to adapt quickly, absorb force or change direction sharply during the game. Having joint stability in the ankles, knees and hips is the first step to a solid foundation for a soccer player. Any underlying immobility or instability issues might cause you to compensate with other muscles – potentially leading to injuries down the track. In conjunction, you should be training your brain to improve decision making and to hold your concentration.Īthletes need stability throughout their body. Then work on speed and agility before including strength and power training. To improve your performance, focus first on building a solid foundation of stability and flexibility.
The difference between an average soccer player and a great soccer player is invariably based on the work they do off the field.