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Darren Evans
Mrs. Vogt
English IV
Research Paper: Soccer Training and Conditioning
For soccer training and conditioning, an individual must work at his or her
greatest competence and must desire becoming a superb player. The individual needs to
consume all training and conditioning programs in order to increase in both technical and
tactical aspects of the game. Through these programs, a player will increase in overall
performance. This leads to numerous benefits that come with hard work and dedication
during training sessions. Training and conditioning for soccer consumes much time but
increases overall play. Some of the more common benefits an individual may gain
include flexibility, strength, speed, technique, and power.
Soccer warm ups have three major benefits to a player which are a low risk of
injury, higher performance, and flexibility. It lowers the risk of an injury, teams should
do low intensity exercises that simulate the movements done in a game. It helps to stretch
the muscles slowly and gradually so that the muscles are loose. Player’s heart rate,
respiration, and mental setup will already be fixed on the same wavelength needed for a
match during warm-ups. Flexibility is also important. Stretching helps by making a
player more agile, a better tackler, and a more incisive striker. Most soccer players
know:
The time spent on warming up differs from coach to coach and so does the
intensity of the exercises and the body areas the warm-up focuses on, but no
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coach in his or her right mind would send the players on the pitch for a match or
training session without them being properly warmed. (“Conditioning-Soccer
Warm-ups” 1)
Conditioning results in the enhancement of a player’s game; therefore, players who
practice “warm-ups” before game plays usually perform better than those who do not
train before matches.
As time goes by, the game of soccer evolves. “Modern soccer is getting more and
more physical and strength has become a crucial factor when evaluating a player's
qualities. Of course, it's not a rule that a good player must necessarily be a strong one.”
(“Conditioning- Soccer Strength” 1) Soccer conditioning through physical strength
affects shot/header power, helps shield players away, gives players better balance, and
jumping. Shot power is increased by working on the lower back and abs. The bigger the
individual, the harder it will be for the enemy to work his way around and take the ball.
Good upper body can help push the opponent away, making more room for a shot or
pass. Having strong legs is the key for good balance. Balance maintains or evolves every
aspect of soccer.
Speed work consists of acceleration, maximum velocity, and speed endurance
development. Being able to accelerate quickly and powerfully is the most important skill
that needs to be improved. This speed is needed in clutch situations. Examples would be
breaking away from your opponent, chasing down an opponent, or getting to the ball
first. As Patrick Beith said, “Soccer speed training is something that gets left out of most
players overall training plan. Soccer is a mix of anaerobic and aerobic energy systems but
most training plans for soccer athletes revolve around endurance training” (Beith 1).
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When players are practicing, it is best to run at different bursts of speeds instead of the
same pace. Players also need speed endurance which is the ability to maintain speed in
the presence of fatigue without decelerating. This allows players to run the entire game.
All of these will ensure that players get faster and become a dominant force during a
match.
With its long sprints and few opportunities for rest, the game of soccer puts a
massive running demand on its players. Many teams have a huge emphasis on fitness
training in the preseason. As Clint said, “I know that this training is important, and
without devoting myself to it, I wouldn’t be where I am. If you don’t grind, you don’t
shine. That’s why I do this day in and day out.” (Clint 1) Once the season arrives, teams
sometimes use their frequent games to maintain conditioning levels. It is smart to
maintain high energy levels, fresh bodies, and sharp skills. Some teams grind through a
warm-up routine that eliminates soreness, stimulates muscles, maintains flexibility and
hones their skills during multi-game weeks.
The core is the muscles deep within the abs and back. In soccer, having a strong
core is vital to reduce injury and enhance performance. “At the very heart of becoming a
great athlete is not only having a strong and powerful core, but one that will reduce
injury.” (Tollison 1) Every movement begins at the core. The goal of a proper core
training program is to strengthen, stabilize and provide power to the core. By
strengthening the core, one becomes more able to utilize the muscles such as the legs and
arms. This helps to create enough force to produce efficient movements.
When players are practicing, it is best to run at different bursts of speeds instead of the
same pace. Players also need speed endurance which is the ability to maintain speed in
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the presence of fatigue without decelerating. This allows players to run the entire game.
All of these will ensure that players get faster and become a dominant force during a
match.
“Exercise is as important as breathing for sports persons. In fact exercise is an
incredibly important for each individual.” (Kim 1) It helps to sharpen the athletic skills
and strengthening of the immune system thus keeping many diseases away from body.
For strength of abdominal muscles, medicine ball exercises are a must for athletes. The
Medicine ball, which is a weighted, is able to train many different core muscles. This
improves injury prevention, rehabilitation and performance enhancement for soccer
players. It is great for stretching and relaxing the body.
“Soccer training drills are important to keep the interest of the players at a high
level.” (“Soccer training skills” 1) They help to identify areas of technical skills that a
player can improve on. These drills should be performed to feel like it is a game situation
which helps to improve player’s technique. A drill will have a specific technical or
tactical component to it. This drill must be well organized so that all the players can
benefit from the experience. Drills help to work on the teams overall weaknesses.
“Using plyometrics for soccer is one of the most effective ways to increase
explosive speed and power.” (“Plyometrics for Soccer” 1) They stretch muscles rapidly
and then immediately demand a powerful concentric contraction. Jumping, explosive
movements such as rapid changes in direction, sprinting and kicking, will all benefit from
plyometrics for soccer. The training should not leave players out of breath but give them
the urge to do more. Actions should be performed at high speed and with maximum
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intensity while maintaining high quality. Before performing plyometrics, players must
develop a solid, well balanced strength base.
Good muscular power and strength endurance is important for soccer. Explosive
power is also crucial for a soccer player. “Power is a product of both absolute strength
and the speed of movement. Increase either one (without lowering the other) and you
increase explosive power.” (“Sample Soccer Weight Training” 1) The goal is to convert
maximal strength gains made during the off-season and early pre-season into
performance-boosting strength endurance. The general guidelines include lower weights
and higher repetitions. Players should use short rest periods between exercises and time is
often used instead of repetition. Increase the intensity over a period of weeks by
increasing the time per exercise or decreasing the rest periods.
In order to musculature of the entire lower body, plain-old squats and dead lifts
will work. "Playing soccer greatly increases your risk for ankle sprains, hamstring pulls,
and ACL tears." (Ferruggia 1) They will give players stronger legs and will prevent
injury and allow for increased speed and power on the field. Soccer involves bouts of
short sprints followed by jogging so interval cardio is ideal for training. This will give
players the feel of being in a game while preparing their heart and lungs for the season.
As a result, a player’s flexibility, strength, speed, technique, and power should
increase and help he/she grow as a player. All of these aspect help with someone’s soccer
training and conditioning. Benefits that can be taken from these aspects include lowering
the risk of injury while giving a better performance. Also, this will help in lowering the
risk of injury and increasing in speed endurance. Soccer conditioning allows for players
to become stronger and will be able to use this strength during long tiring matches, while
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soccer training allows for players to grow both tactical and technical during games.
Overall, dedication is the key in order to become a better player. A player must really
want to go the extra steps to having outstanding soccer training and conditioning.
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