This blog was originally published by Erica Suter on Girls Soccer Network. Full disclosure: I never jogged two miles around a track. I hate long distance running, so I avoided it like the plague during my 20-year soccer career. I'm proud to say I hardly did any long...
Keep conditioning simple. Understand the game demands and energy systems used. Understand muscle actions and movements. Here is an excellent podcast with former Orlando Pride Performance Coach, Ivi Casagrande, discussing off-season conditioning for female athletes. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94-qGQjFqhw&t=733s[/embed] Here are some of the drills she mentioned in the episode that I also...
It's the first half. Your female athlete is on fire. She's running off the ball. She's exploding into space. She's bursting past defenders. She looks downright unstoppable. Then, the halftime whistle blows and a switch flips. Hard left turn, in fact. Come the final stretch of the game, she's looking...
Conditioning for soccer players needs to be a higher intensity than the game. Here's what soccer players already cover: - Aerobic fitness - Jogging motor pattern They tick these boxes during warm-up, during technical drills, and low to moderate intensity small-sided games. Here's what soccer players need: high intensity...
I was oscillating between the words "intense" or "serious" or "soul crushing" to precede the title to this post. Hardcore seemed to be the most attention grabbing as well as most suiting. Though it's not good for SEO purposes, I don't care. I'm ready to turn...
Here's what you need to know about conditioning: - Most female soccer players are already getting aerobic system work - Most female soccer players aren't put under a stimulus higher than the game - Most female soccer players aren't doing conditioning to be fast and tap into their...
"I want my girls to have better fitness." This is a common request I get from soccer coaches. Before I give them the magical answer, I ask them what they're currently doing for conditioning. I'll get a myriad of answers I don't want to hear: 1. Circuits with...
This much I know: conditioning programs will make or break your athletes. You’ll either build them up to withstand the demands of their sport, or you’ll tear them down and hinder their health and destroy their love for movement. So yeah. I'm going to drop the mic right...
If everyone would take their children to the playground for an hour a day, run around it fast, run hard for 60 seconds or more, rest to eat oranges for a few minutes, then repeat, I wouldn't need to write this article. Alas, here I am:...