Thursday, August 15, 2013

Reason Players Need College Soccer Training

By Andrea Davidson


If you're a college soccer player then you know how important it is to be fit for the start of the season. It might not be much fun, but college soccer training is a key element in whether you're ready when the whistle blows for the first game. Trainers that have planned the preseason fitness regime will usually see better results than those who do not have a preseason fitness program.

The better trainers will have planned the sessions in advance. Usually you'll start your fitness regime around five to six weeks before the first game. At the very begging things will probably be taken quite slowly, with light jogging and light warm-ups in the first week. Stretching is usually a big factor because many players are quite stiff at the start of preseason.

As soccer players use their legs most of the time these muscle groups need to be thoroughly worked out by doing moving and static exercises. The moving exercises usually involve standing on the spot and moving the legs and arms in circular patterns. This stretches the legs and arms, loosening the muscles. Static exercise is usually less intense and involves a great deal of stretching.

Running forms an important part of the training regime because in soccer there is a lot of running around. Aerobic conditioning is vital and should be gradually increased as the season nears. Cross country running and sprinting should be undertaken as these will get you fit quickly. Later you should also start dribbling with the ball, practicing control and movement.

As the season draws near you should be focusing less on long distance running and more on short sprints and working with the ball. For the latter players are usually grouped in pairs or as five-a-side teams and have to work in tight spaces with the ball, touching it a maximum of once or twice before having to pass to a team member.

What normally happens at the end of each session is a short game where players practice free kicks or shooting. At the end of the session there is normally a warm down, with some light running followed by light stretching exercise to keep the muscles loose. This should not be done to the extreme as stretching the muscles can tear them.

When starting out in preseason it is best to start on light work, because the players that return will probably not be very fit. It takes a while to build up stamina and this is done partly by a injecting a sense of fun into the sessions. Players can become bored very easily, therefore they often need motivating during fitness work.

As the season gets underway you may find that your preseason college soccer training regime has not quite gotten them fit for matches. This is not unusual. The only way for players to get fit for matches is to play competitive matches. Oftentimes it takes around two to three games for them to get fully fit for the actual game. Preseason should training help them get there quicker.




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