How to Keep Fit Year-Round for Youth Soccer

Year-round fitness will ensure a more successful and more enjoyable soccer experience. It's especially important for serious players.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bottled Water
• Running Foods (gels And Bars)
• Exercise Equipments
• Soccer Apparel
• Soccer Cleats
• Soccer Shin Guards
• Soccer Videos
• soccer balls

1. Play soccer year-round. You need not sign up for more competition, though. Take a break and play casually, or participate in a soccer class or clinic.

2. Play other sports. Sign up for an off-season sport or school team, or play casually.

3. Practice cross training. Swimming, basketball, cycling or running - all will contribute to good cardiovascular fitness.

4. Start conditioning early. Even young children can be encouraged to do sit-ups and push-ups. Older children can explore specific soccer conditioning (such as resistance, or weight, work).

5. Do resistance, or weight, work. Beginning at about age 14, players can get an edge by lifting weights. They should have expert supervision and advice.

6. Work on getting faster. Players shouldn't train for a marathon, but they can benefit by running up to 20 to 30 minutes, and doing soccer-specific fast running.

7. Combine skills with conditioning. Young players should practice soccer skills while improving physical fitness.

Tips & Warnings

• Explain the benefits. The majority of goals are scored in the final minutes of a soccer game, when fatigue sets in.
• Get into shape and stay that way. It is much easier to do this than to repeatedly start from being sedentary and get into shape.
• Young children may keep fit naturally by running around and playing other sports. Older players will achieve greatest benefits by adopting special conditioning for the rigors of soccer play.
• Practice family fitness. Research shows that the number one motivator for children to exercise is the example set by their parents. Work out together, or at least take part in a supportive way (set up goals, serve balls, hold the stopwatch, and so on).

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Tired of Being Tired? Fight Fatigue and Try FRS for FREE!

[soccerstar4-eve]

on 1/18/2009 Its easier to just do travel. You play Fall,Winter and Spring then can go to camp in the summer