Youth Soccer Conditioning for Aerobic and Anaerobic Power

Youth soccer conditioning needs proper energy system development for the corresponding age group. Let us look at a couple of definitions

Aerobic Power:

The ability of the body to take in, transport and use oxygen to produce energy. The greater your aerobic power, the better your performance in soccer. Genetics and training status largely determine aerobic performance.

Some people have muscle fibers that are more geared towards endurance events. These fibers tire slowly and have a high capacity for aerobic energy production. With training the ability of the heart to pump oxygen rich blood and the ability of the muscles to extract and use this oxygen is improved.

Anaerobic Power:

Anaerobic power is the power produced with out oxygen present. Sprinting, at the end of a race, is predominantly an anaerobic activity. Power at these intensities can only be sustained for a short period of time.

Pre-Adolescents

These young male and female soccer athletes bodies are changing and growing. The changes are minor until they reach puberty. The aerobic and anaerobic energy systems are still immature and a youth soccer conditioning program for aerobic and an aerobic power is not the same as it is for adults.

Further more from an injury prevention perspective do not send them out for slow steady runs or jogs. This will only lead to overuse injuries, fatigue and loss of interest in the sport.

Children of this age are better served playing games and learning proper running mechanics. Most research indicates that it takes about 45 minutes to an hour of steady jogging to get the results needed to improve Max VO2. At this age young athletes do not have the mental capacity to do this and maintain proper running form.

It is in their best interest to learn proper running mechanics, move forward and backward, side to side, change direction, stop and go. A young soccer athlete will improve both aerobic and anaerobic power simply by learning to move more efficiently.

I suggest with younger players that you spend some time learning/teaching proper running mechanics. You do not need to be track coach to do this. If you have the background great.

Here are a two exercises you can do to get started.

1. March in place

2. Seated Arm Pump

Just by doing these two exercises their should be a difference in their running technique. The key is to do this as often as possible

Adolescents

As children grow so do all the systems in their body. Naturally they will have a higher Max VO2. They also have the capacity to handle more intense interval sessions as their is an increase in their bodies ability to handle the free hydrogen ion. Obviously during puberty there is an increase in different hormones.

Youth soccer conditioning programs for these athletes may be more "formalized" with interval or Fartlek training. So instead of doing relays you can do shuttles with work to rest ratios of 1:2, 1:3, 1:4.

Next with the older adolescents you may start conditioning with 1:1 intervals. Again you can use shuttles with distances of 20 or 30 meters. You can also incorporate box drills such that they are changing direction.

Sample youth soccer conditioning program.