Reasons why Speed, Strength and Power is important for the game of soccer.
Kerry Zavagnin, who plays for the
Kansas City Wizards and US
National Team, has benefitted from Williams Soccer training.
Background:
From my experience, I have noticed that soccer training is well developed on the team level, but is lacking is in the area of speed and strength development on the individual level. Most trainers believe that running for distance is the only way to condition an athlete (including goalkeepers). Coaches concentrate on ball work, team drills and distance running during practices. In truth, to compete with the quality of soccer players today, athletes additionally need a combination of long and short distance running as well as strength training to gain the competitive edge. Williams Soccer gives athletes the total training approach that emphasizes both Speed and Strength which are so important, but lacking, in soccer training. This is where Williams Soccer Performance Systems gives players the ultimate advantage over their competitors.
Listed below are the areas that Williams Soccer addresses with all soccer players in our program.
- Deceleration/Changing Direction - Soccer challenges the player to stop, change direction and receive a ball while moving at a high rate of speed. Many players have difficulty performing this skill effectively and consistently while maintaining their game focus. Deceleration is a skill we will focus on by emphasizing body position and proper mechanics all while changing direction. When changing direction, the hips should be low to the ground and the athlete should use both feet to drive off so they change direction explosively.
- Starting Speed (Acceleration) – To a soccer player this might be the single most important skill to learn. Soccer is a game in which a player is constantly moving but most of running is short sprints (5 to 10 yards) with many changes of direction. Having an explosive first step on the field will make the difference between getting to the ball or not. An athlete needs to be able to perform the same explosive sprinting style time and time again, this is known as sprint endurance. When training, sprint endurance concentrates on performing linear drills and combining lateral skills with acceleration. This is more functional to the player because the player rarely runs in straight line (common sense right?).
- Strength training - One of the most overlooked aspects in the game of soccer, is the importance of overall physical conditioning. It has been my experience that many soccer coaches understand the benefits of strength training, but view it as secondary to skill training or simply misunderstand its importance in the game. Contrary to popular belief, strength training has a positive effect on an athlete’s speed and explosive power. In addition, strength training helps to reduce injuries and aids in a faster recovery should the unfortunate occur. Williams Soccer can and will prove this as they have many times before.
RATIONALE FOR EXERCISE SELECTION
The sport of soccer requires strength, explosive power, speed & agility, and overall total body strength. When selecting appropriate exercises Williams Soccer uses the following guidelines:
- Train using primarily multi-joint (whole body) exercises
- Train Explosively when possible (there is no such thing as "slow-speed")
- Train on your feet when possible (as we play the game)
- Train using exercises that require placing or supporting weight above your head (to promote core strength and stability)
Examples of exercises that are effective for soccer players:
- Squat Variations (Box Squats, Front Squats, Split Squats)
- Deadlift Variations (Trap Bar, Dumbell, Straight Bar)
- Sled Dragging – Ankle, Forward, Backward
- Reverse Hyperextensions
- Adduction/Abduction Cable Work
- Multi-Hip Exercise – Hip Flexion
- Game situation drills – Many athletes have difficulty incorporating proper speed techniques, such as good running mechanics, on the playing field. It is easy enough to produce the correct results in the gym, but much harder to implement during high-pressure game situations. This problem can be addressed by designing drills that simulate game like situations, in which the athlete is under the watchful eye of a trainer. Any problems or faults in form or technique can be quickly addressed and corrected. This allows the athlete to incorporate what they have learned in a hands-on atmosphere.
Conditioning requirements in soccer:
Soccer is a game in which players must utilize all energy systems during games, most importantly the numerous sprints whereby taxing the immediate energy systems (Phosphagen and Fast Glycolysis systems) on short and long sprints. Approximately, 1/4 to 1/3 of the total yardage covered in a match is at a walk or a jog. Speed endurance works on the athlete lactic threshold by giving shorter amounts of rest during treadmill sessions. Interval training would be the best way to train all energy systems. The old wives tale that running miles is the only way to train aerobically is history.
In designing a sport-specific training routine, knowing which energy systems provide the majority of fuel for the competition is the starting point of program design. A soccer game lasts 90 minutes (with up to 30 minutes overtime), during which the average soccer player will cover 2,000-9,000 yards. The duration of the game and the distance covered require aerobic endurance. However, the average distance covered in a continuous run is only 5 to 30 yards (usually around 10). Therefore the typical work/rest ratio between running/sprinting/walking in soccer is 1:3:2. The ability to perform repeated fast sprints over time requires a trait known as anaerobic capacity or high intensity exercise endurance (HIEE). Anaerobic capacity is simply the ability to perform very high workloads repeatedly. If you want to develop both aerobic endurance and HIEE as required in soccer, the answer is interval training.
Interval training entails high work levels interspersed with periods of low activity or rest. Training in intervals allows one to run at higher intensities than those that could be maintained continuously. This training develops not only HIEE, but also increases cardiovascular endurance in a similar degree as continuous endurance activity. Periodization of the soccer running program can be accomplished by varying work/rest intervals, total number of sprints, and frequency of sprint training in an integrated manner with the resistance-training program.
Injuries
Soccer is a tough sports event. That's why it is understandable that a number of soccer-specific injuries are, unfortunately, a part of the player's life. There are players who practice 2-3 times a week and then play 20-30 games a year. And, of course, there are the professionals who practice every day, sometimes twice a day, and then play about 100 games a year. For all of them that process is not injury-free.
The point is that a large number of injuries can be limited if the player is well prepared for the requirements of the game. In soccer, the majority of the injuries can be attributes to a lack of high-level preparation for practice and games. All different sports have specific injuries and soccer is no exception to the rule. Due to the nature of the game it is obvious that the major pressure is on the lower extremities.
E. Doyzer has documented thousands of injuries with high-level soccer players in Germany, and came to a conclusion that the distribution on the different parts of the body is as follows:
Feet - 25.5% |
Elbow - 0.7% |
Ankles - 14.5% |
Shoulders - 0.3% |
Knees - 14.6% |
Neck - 2.7% |
Thigh - 27.5% |
Back - 4% |
Wrists - 2.5% |
Abdomen - 1.5% |
Hips - 4% |
Head - 1.6% |
Forearms - 0.6% |
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82% of the injuries are in the area of the legs, and 18% for all of the other parts of the body. It's interesting to note that for less-qualified players, like juniors and kids, these numbers are 76% and 24% respectively. The difference can be explained with lower skill levels, which makes younger athletes involve more parts of body than they need to when they play. What does all this mean to you? The correct balance of core strength workouts and proper aerobic conditioning will not only improve your game, but lessen the likelihood of an unfortunate injury.
Trained several professional players and National Team Players:
Client list includes professional players and National Team Players:
Professional
Tim Howard – Manchester United Football Club
and US National Team
Clint Mathis – Real Salt Lake and US National
Team
Eddie Pope – Real Salt
Lake and US National Team
Eddie Gavin – Metrostars
and US National Team
Tony Meola - Metrostars and
US National Team
Kerry Zavagnin – Kansas
City Wizards and US National Team
Mike Petke – Colorado
Rapids and US National Team
Greg Berhalter – Energie
Cosbus and US National Team
Mike Magee – Metrostars
and U-20 National Team
Ricardo Clark – San Jose
Earthquakes and U-20 National Team
Tim Regan – Metrostars
Michael Bradley – Metrostars
and U-20 National Team
Ernest Winhoffer – Sparta
Prague and St. Benedict’s High School
Collegiate
Guy Abrahamson – Rutgers and U-20 National
Team
Bonnie Young – Penn State and PDA Wildcats
(Professional League)
Elizabeth Reed – Notre
Dame US Women’s National Team
Nikki Krzsik – University
of Virginia and US Women’s National Team
Jon Barrajo – George Mason
University
Ali Donofrio – Seton Hall
University
Allie Vespa – Columbia University
Caitlin Colesanti – Williams
College
John Lewandowski – Seton
Hall University
Ian Joyce – Seton Hall University
Kayla Devlin- Rider University
Laura Buckley – New York
University