There are seven soccer secrets that any player can do that will increase their speed and agility and help them get stronger too. These Secrets must be learned by all soccer coaches. Speed kills on the soccer field, and these seven secrets will help you outplay your opponent.
To strike fear into a defense, a player and team must be fast. In order to be fast, there are two factors that can help increase the speed of any player. The first factor is stride frequency. The faster a player moves their arms, the faster their feet will move. The second factor is the length of the stride. When running, a player should have the knee raised almost to the height of the navel.
Here a player is working to change direction quickly. A player must be able to move in any direction and at any speed…slow or fast. Important lateral movements include shuffling and lateral running.
Many soccer players stand too upright and put a lot of stress on the knee, and when they do, they’re not in a good position to explode in a new direction. Stopping quickly and safely requires players to drop their hips, bend their knees, and take smaller steps when trying to stop.
Strengthening the lower body will help all soccer players get faster and increase their speed through strength training. Lower body strength training should include strengthening the back, gluteal, hamstring, and calf muscles of soccer players.
Training soccer players to be anaerobically fit will improve many aspects of your team’s soccer skill speed and performance. To train anaerobically, football players must work in many explosive bursts of 15 to 25 yards. Furthermore, these movements must include linear movements (north/south) and lateral movements (east/west).
The more flexible a soccer player is, the less likely they are to get injured, plus flexibility improves speed and agility.
For soccer players to run fast and be explosive, they must be well nourished and hydrated. Helping your players with their nutrition will pay big dividends.
I found that these seven secrets to soccer speed and agility help make all soccer players more athletic and therefore more dangerous on the soccer field.
Have a nice day!