Soccer Speed Training

Soccer speed training for youth soccer players is now necessary for teams to compete at the highest level. There is a great need for speed development for young soccer players to get faster. The game of soccer has changed in the last five to ten years into a power, strength and speed game. Light runs or casual jogs are outdated methods to train for soccer regardless of the age or sex of the player.

The need for speed to get faster for all youth soccer players is common with most teams.

Soccer speed training for youth players includes:

1. Acceleration and deceleration

2. Agility - the ability to stop and change direction on demand at high speed

3. Maximum speed



4. Reaction speed

5. Speed of the mind (anticipation)

6. Movement of the ball at game speed.

In order to accomplish this you need to have the following:

1. Base Strength

2. Specific Strength

3. Power

Let us take a quick look at some definitions:

Speed: Is the rate of motion or equivalently the rate of change of position, many times expressed as:
Distance moved per unit of time.

Examples of this are miles per hour or kilometres per hour.
In soccer we see this as how fast a player is moving with or with out the ball.

Acceleration is the rate of change of velocity.

In soccer we see this in the short amount of time a player changes "gears" from either a walk or slight jog into a full out sprint.

Deceleration is the ability to slow down.
It is important for soccer speed training to incorporate deceleration drills. This is particularly important for female athletes. Many female athletes tear their Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) because they have poor ability to slow down. This type of non contact injury occurs when an athlete must slow down to change direction.

A well conditioned soccer player has the ability to slow down and change direction quickly while maintaining proper balance and coordination. This is something that MUST be practiced.

Female athletes as young as twelve years old are susceptible to tearing their ACL.

The ACL is located within in the knee joint and prevents abnormal rotational force at the knee joint.

The last thing that is important is the overall conditioning of a soccer player. If you have read the fitness or myth page on this site you know how I feel about slow steady jogs for conditioning. I will clarify with you and give you simple examples that I use to increase conditioning for young athletes further on.

The need for speed to get faster must start with base strength exercises.

Click here to go to Soccer Speed Training Specific Strength Exercises.

Click here to go to Soccer Speed Training Power Exercises