Performance Training and Injury Prevention content provided exclusively by Velocity Sports Performance

Developing Explosive and Injury-Free Soccer Athletes (Part 1 of 3)

by Cody Carter, BS, CSCS

When considering what speed looks like on the soccer field, there are many things to take into consideration. Can you get your body to accelerate efficiently? Do you know if your body can adequately handle stopping that speed you’ve built up? Will your joints, muscles, and ligaments be able to with stand the forces put on them during change of direction? The players who are fastest racing a stopwatch in a pre-programmed direction may not be your most successful soccer players. The athletes who understand basic movements and can answer “Yes” to the questions above are most likely the most talented, dependable, and injury-free players.

The purpose of September’s Performance Training Tip is to build a foundation for a soccer player who wants to gain explosiveness and the ability to change direction efficiently, without ending up on the sidelines with an injury. The exercises described below will be built upon in October’s issue and in November’s issue. At the end of the 3 part series your soccer athlete has done a few simple things with a progression to gain an edge on competition.

Prisoner Squat: The purpose of the prisoner squat is to ensure that the athlete can put their hips, knees, and ankles in the proper position for a landing that can absorb force. Also, the athlete’s quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes need to be strong enough to handle their own body mass.

Start by putting your feet hip or shoulder width apart with the toes even. Stand up straight with your arms out in front. While keeping the natural curve in the spine push your hips back while lowering them like you are going to sit in a chair. Your chest stays up, arms parallel to the ground, knee caps pointing in the direction of your toes; your heels stay glued to the ground. If it is difficult to keep your heels down try spreading your feet out an inch on each side until they stay down. Work on increasing your squat depth until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground. Start out by doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions. When that becomes easy, try putting your hand behind your head.

Lunges: The lunge helps develop unilateral strength. Important for balance and sprinting down the soccer field. When examining how you sprint or accelerate, only one foot is in contact with ground at a given time as move.

Begin by standing up straight with your hands on your hips and thumbs facing forward to keep your pelvis in a neutral position. Step forward with one leg as shown in the picture below. Your chest should stay tall, with your front knee staying over your front heel. Try to keep 2/3 of your bodyweight on the front heel of your foot. Return back up to the standing position when your back knee slightly touches the ground. Alternate your legs for 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each leg. As that becomes easy progress to a walking lunge instead of the lunge and return.

Single Leg Balance: Once your body gains relative strength in your legs, you will be able to move to workout that is based on fast, powerful movements called plyometrics that increase explosiveness. Those exercises can include single leg plyometrics which will help with balance and quicker acceleration on the soccer field.

Balance on one leg with the other knee level with your hip and arms synchronized as if you were running as shown in the picture below. Do this on both legs for 15 seconds. When you can stand on both legs for 15 seconds without losing position or balance, go for 20 seconds. However, every 5 seconds make one quarter turn to your right by hopping. Think of it like numbers on the clock, staring at 12, go to 3, then to 6, continue to 9, and end it back at 12. Try that on both legs in each direction with losing position or balance.

As with anything in athletics including soccer, you start simple and move to more complex drills, situations, and skills. Next month you will be shown 3 new exercises that will build on what you have been given in this month’s newsletter. Consider this month’s group of exercises a foundation that has been laid for your launching pad that will then put you into the rocket you want to be on the field.

About Velocity Sports Performance:
Velocity Sports Performance is a national network of training centers where athletes of all sports, ages and skill levels go to improve their core athletic skills - speed, power and agility. Athletes train in small groups with degreed and certified performance coaches. Velocity Sports Performance is the Official Performance Training Partner of Cal South Soccer. Players who train with Velocity Sports Performance can expect to get to the ball quicker, cover more of the field faster, increase their shot power and reduce their chances of injury. Velocity Sports Performance has training centers throughout Southern California including Irvine, Redondo Beach, Anaheim, Carlsbad, San Diego, West LA and Santa Clarita.