High School Soccer Conditioning Drills

High school soccer is the fastest growing sport in the US, with more than 730,000 athletes competing at the high school level, a number that has doubled since 1990. As anyone who has played the game knows, soccer requires an extremely high level of physical fitness because players are running the entire 90-minute match. Your level of fitness will determine how well you can use your skills on the field. Soccer drills involving both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning are the most effective way to improve your level of fitness.

Identification

Generally, soccer conditioning drills involve two types of training, aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic activities include sustained exercise like jogging, fast walking and cycling, while anaerobic activities are of a higher intensity -- like sprinting -- and are performed for only short periods of time. A soccer player must be conditioned in both. In the course of a match, a player could run up to 5 miles, so aerobic drills are designed to build stamina. Anaerobic drills are intended to help a player with quick bursts of speed or adapt to drastic changes in direction followed by a quick recovery.

Aerobic Conditioning Drills

Trevor Dacosta, a high school soccer coach, said proper conditioning is important because it not only allows a player to keep up with the demands of the game, but because being fit keeps a player healthier and at a lower risk for injury. He recommends a 3- to 4-mile jog at a slower pace three times a week to improve cardiovascular fitness. At practice, have your players dribble around the outside edge of the field with the ball at their feet without stopping or walking for up to 20 minutes.

Anaerobic Conditioning Drills

Dacosta said because soccer involves rigorous movements and quick changes in direction, a player must also include interval training like sprinting followed by a short period of rest in their conditioning regime. One of the more effective and demanding anaerobic conditioning drills is the shuttle run -- sometimes referred to as "killer runs." Take four cones and place them 10 to 15 yards apart. Have your players start at the first cone, then have them run to cone two, then back to one. Run again to cone two and back to one, then to cone three and back to one and finally run to cone four and back to one. The players should be running at full speed using all their energy and focus. Ideally, players should perform five to 10 sets, under the discretion of the coach, and resting for 20 seconds in between sets.

Considerations

As with any level of intense physical activity, it's important to have your players take frequent water breaks. Depending on the coach, the conditioning routine will also include a series of stretches and even strength training with weights. The keys to soccer fitness are flexibility, speed, endurance and strength and according to Dacosta, being fit will only make the game easier to play.