Be on the look out as each month, I am going to be pumping out information on what middle school, high school and college soccer players can be doing each month to improve their performance while also juggling club soccer and a busy school schedule.
"Our HS/College season has ended, When should we get back into training?"
With some quality training/coaching and mentoring, soccer players can still use the month of November (what's left of it) to their advantage. With that said, I am actually ok with high school and college soccer players taking a little bit of time off. I would say high school players should take 1-2 weeks off and college athletes, juggling a busy late fall semester, can probably relax a bit until after they get back from Thanksgiving break.
It’s important to also acknowledge that soccer doesn't have a break from HS to club season. I say "off-season" but really, they are still playing. College kids are a bit different since they don't play club. My considerations will reflect that.
1- It’s first important to just build the habits of consistent training each week now that fall soccer is over. DON’T WAIT TOO LONG! My recommendations are finding a trainer, consistent schedule and program you believe in. Ideally Middle school athletes are training 1-2x a week, HS 1-2 and college students 2-3x a week.
2-Coming off a HS/College season, having played a lot and maybe only training 1-2x a week can leave bodies beat up and "tight". During the November, a huge emphasis on rehab or extra mobility work around the hips, groins, ankles and calves is important. Here’s just a few ankle/foot health drills I use with my athletes.
3- VOLUME > INTENSITY. When programming for my soccer players off-season month 1-2, I focus more on slower reps and higher reps or really just time under tension rather than maximal effort/speed. This allows us to regain muscle we might have lost in-season. Since they typically practice 2-3/week with club rather than 5-6 with their school team, we can afford to have a little bit more volume. This also helps with our next 2 goals.
4- General > Specific. The only thing specific, is the sport itself. Training in the weight room should be very general. However, there are considerations/modifications for each sport, especially when considering conditioning. November is NOT the time to focus on specific conditioning for soccer players. Lets just train and keep it simple for now.
5-FOUNDATION-The winter months are our building months before we focus on max strength/speed/power. Can't build a house without the foundation.
Stay tuned for more monthly breakdowns on training goals!
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