At the Soccer FIT Academy we like to think of our style of training as different or unique. But what makes it different? Last Friday I had a meeting with a local club soccer coach that stated, “I never refer my kids to speed/agility programs, and I try and discourage them from doing strength and conditioning programs away from my practice.” He had never heard of our program and really didn’t seem to interested in hearing about what he assumed was just another speed program. He went on to discuss that many of the programs he has been involved with over the years were focused on improving the athletes speed, strength and conditioning, but he felt that this type of training only focused on the physical attributes, while neglecting the soccer specific aspects that could make them a great soccer player. So I prodded the coach to tell me what HE thought the players needed.
These are the conversations I have every week, as I continue to refine our approach to training. I have had dozens of conversations just like this over the past few months and here are some of the aspects that seem to be most important to coaches.
- Combating Fatigue/ Increasing Endurance
- Speed of Play
- Performance Under Pressure
- Strength on the Ball
- First Touch
- Communication/Vision
Another soccer fitness coach recently stated that “former soccer players make the best speed/fitness coaches because they understand the game and how speed is to be applied.” I understand this thought process, but it seems to assume that speed/strength coaches don’t take time to understand the game, and that they are solely focused on the physical attributes. Great players don’t always make the best coaches because most of the time things came fairly easy to them and they didn’t have to step outside the box, look at the big picture and work hard to develop their weaknesses. Coaching is all about watching, absorbing, studying, applying, rethinking and making adjustments.
If a player struggles to perform under pressure many factors may play into this aspect. It takes a dedicated coach with a broad background in many areas to determine what is causing this lack of performance. Does the player lack confidence, speed, vision, game intelligence, footwork, or skill? Or have they simply not had enough repetitions in these situations to become more confident in their ability to take on a defender in key situations at game speed? Will they get these repetitions in practice 2x per week?
This is what will refine our program in years to come. We have a system that focuses on integrating all aspects of performance. In the model below (go to http://www.soccerfitacademy.com/?p=799 if you have trouble viewing the picture) you will see that we integrate and develop each of these categories in an age specific manner with an attempt to create more repetitions in specific situations that apply to soccer performance. The only goal we have is to to create better soccer players. I don’t care how much they lift, and I don’t care how fast they run. All that matters is, at the end of the day, they are seeing the game, enhancing their confidence with the ball, improving their reactive quickness and able to last an entire match. If a player needs to be stronger, we make them stronger. If they need to improve their vision we put them into reactive drills. If they need to be quicker we work footwork, plyos, agility drills, etc. both with and without the ball. If they can’t last an entire match, we condition them.
We have a staff made up of soccer coaches, stronger players, players that are great with a ball and speed / strength coaches. Every day we discuss what is most important for the player. Sometimes we argue because we feel passionately about a particular aspect. And at the end of these discussions we meet somewhere in the middle and come up with a unique approach that blends the technical with the physical. In this sense, we are different, and we are developing unique programming styles. It is impossible to explain in a blog post the complexity of the model, but ask 10 players what the workout was about each day and you will get 10 different responses. That is because each player is taking something different from the drills. Each player is developing their individual weaknesses, and each player is becoming a more well rounded soccer player. This is our goal.
To take your game to the next level, make sure you register for spring classes (March 1 through the end of May) at www.soccerfitacademy.com. If you are not in this area and wish to come to a summer camp, you can email me for more information at Scott@athletefit.com