Writing a book about conditioning for soccer has been a career goal of mine since I started in the physical preparation field. Working with athletes of different calibers and competition levels has offered a number of insights that I feel are valuable to the fitness community. By no means do I feel the perspective I can offer is going to satisfy all facets of the competitive soccer spectrum. However, my main objective is to offer the perspective of someone who has worked at the youth/amateur, collegiate, professional, and international levels. I present the most consistent aspects of programming, what I deem the foundation of physical preparation, that are the most applicable to all environments.
Through the insights provided in this book, I hope to empower coaches and players to explore their own training and competition cultures and be mindful of the positives and negatives. Look within the process; do not simply wish to duplicate positive outcomes. Instead, establish a foundation of insightfulness and self-exploration by analyzing the processes that lead to positive outcomes. Find the weaknesses or inconsistencies within the processes and improve them through small modifications.
It isn’t my intention to tell others they are wrong, but instead to provide my perspective to help you create a solid foundation for various competitive levels. This book presents ideas for coaches and athletes to implement at appropriate times of the year to build a foundation of knowledge that is conceptually consistent with established practices based on scientific literature and a sound understanding of the physiology of the body.
Complete Conditioning for Soccer is organized to take you through all stages of the fitness, health, and wellness spectrum of a soccer player. Many coaches think of training soccer players solely as conditioning them to be more fit to play more games. The reality is that all aspects of physical preparation and recovery are pertinent to a soccer player’s career. Chapter 1 lays the foundation of knowledge for the training methods discussed through the rest of the book. The key elements of fitness—strength, speed, agility, conditioning, and power—are addressed. These are the aspects of fitness that lead to optimal physical performance. However, it also is important to understand the relevance of each variable in the various positions in soccer. Chapter 2 details the assessment and evaluation of players. The tests described in chapter 2 will provide an accurate depiction of each player’s physical preparation. Chapters 3 through 6 cover the main concepts to consider when training the variables of fitness. Although each position varies in its prioritization of these variables, it is important for all players to maintain a sound base of knowledge for the prescriptions being implemented into the training program. Chapter 7 discusses preparation for training and competition. Chapter 8 provides an overall look at periodization.
This chapter considers the different phases of the calendar and the different competition formats to prepare players. Chapters 9 and 10 discuss the critical topics of recovery, injury prevention, and return to play to complete the spectrum of physical performance.
Intentionally, many topics within this text overlap. My hope is that coaches and athletes will refer to Complete Conditioning for Soccer throughout the year; it isn’t intended to be a one-time read. Programming is purposefully presented with ranges instead of finite volume–load recommendations so trainers and athletes have the freedom to adopt high- end or low-end prescriptions based on the caliber of player.
I thank each and every one of you for being open to a new perspective. I am hopeful that with an industry of open minds we can continue to learn from each other and push the physical preparation of players toward training that is more efficient and benefits the quality of performance on the field.