Like athletes in other sports, soccer players risk overtraining if they don't incorporate adequate rest and recovery in their exercise regimen. Symptoms of overtraining include mental confusion, depression, anxiety, prolonged or excessive fatigue, irritability and sleep problems.
Significance
Soccer is an intense sport, so players must train hard to excel. Typical skill areas include sprinting, endurance running, jumping, and kicking and heading the ball. The pressure to perform well drives some soccer players to perform rigorous workouts every day to develop strength, coordination and endurance. It's not always easy to distinguish between the effects of rigorous but safe training and overtraining. Generally, players who don't allow their bodies to recover begin to experience psychological fatigue. For example, they might get irritated when you ask the team to perform a drill or snap at teammates who make mistakes. Their performance on the field also might suffer.
Perfectionists
It's good to be a strong competitor and to work hard to develop skills, but some personality traits make soccer players more likely to risk their health by overtraining. For example, a player who is a perfectionist will work hard during team drills, give it their all during practice games and spend much of their time practicing fundamental skills, such as dribbling and shooting. But a desire for perfection can lead to compulsive behavior that jeopardizes the player's health.
Insecure Players
Insecure soccer players are also at high risk for overtraining. For example, if a soccer player on your team can't handle constructive criticism or displays an inordinate need to impress others, that player might work too hard on and off the field to improve her performance, leading to overtraining.
Prevention
To minimize dangerous overtraining, coaches should encourage players to find a balance between a rigorous training schedule and a healthy life outside soccer. For example, if you suspect some of your players are overtraining, tell them to step away from the sport for a time and focus on their personal life. Encourage them to spend time with their friends and family rather than devote all of their free time to training. Also, have players discuss any health symptoms with their doctors.
Warning
Overtraining can have serious consequences besides psychological fatigue. Overtraining taxes the body, which increases the likelihood of injuries. Common soccer injuries due to overtraining are tendonitis, particularly in the knees; groin injuries, such as hernias; and lumbosacral strain, or injury to the muscles of the lower back.
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