Conditioning Philosophy

Conditioning for competitive soccer players is a year-round requirement. Soccer requires strength, speed, endurance and agility. To be prepared to meet those requirements, the soccer player must maintain a strong aerobic and anaerobic base. This is not something that can be easily recreated each season. The player that maintains her appropriate conditioning throughout the year will be strides ahead of her competitors when the season begins. Appropriate conditioning requires that the athlete maintain an appropriate diet in order to have adequate energy stores to meet the high demands of soccer. Hydration is equally important. As the training intensifies, the water intake must increase to maintain the chemical balances in the body to maintain endurance and strength and prevent cramping.

Cardiovascular Endurance

A good cardiovascular base takes approximately 4 months to build (assuming an intense exercise session of at least 30 minutes 4-6 times each week). WE DO NOT HAVE 4 MONTHS!! If you want to be competitive, you must report to training in good physical condition. You will only be helping yourself and your team.

Strength

Upper and lower body strength are every bit as important at the high school level as endurance. As you become more competitive you will play against bigger and stronger players. To shield a ball or win a ball when on a challenge against an opponent will require physical strength.

Nutrition

Competitive soccer is like racing a boat or a car every week. You would not fill your boat or car with low-grade oil and fuel and expect it to perform. In this philosophy you should not fill your body with low-grade fuel (like fast food, simple sugars and the like) and expect it to perform at competitive levels. As a young female athlete you should maintain a diet that is approximately 20% fats, 20% protein and 60% carbs. Generally speaking, during training and the season you should eat more pasta, whole grain breads, potatoes, whole grain cereals, fruit, vegetables and dry beans. Do not eat high fat meals on game days. You should not eat immediately before a game (2 hours minimum, 3 hours preferable, 4 hours optimum). If you want to have a really bad game, stop at BK or Wendy’s for a double cheeseburger and fries on your way to the game.

If you need assistance or advice in any of the above areas, please see Coach Underwood.