Center Of Gravity Drill
Objective
Increases stomach muscle and help your balance.
Drill
The game of soccer is very much a game of balance. Being able to elude defenders, jump over tackles and just control your own body can be at times a very difficult challenge. By creating a strong center of gravity and building one’s stomach muscles, they instantly increase their sense of balance and control over movements.
Creating a strong mid section will also benefit your shot. With strong abdominal muscles your shot will be much harder and travel with a greater velocity. Here are a couple of sit up drills to help you create and maintain a solid mid section.
Straight Leg Crunches - Set up the exact same way as the bent knee crunches except this time don’t bend your knees. Your feet should be high in the air. Again, lightly support your neck with your hands and raise your head and shoulders to the sky.
Scoops - Sit on the top of a staircase or somewhere where your feet will dangle just a bit. Rest your hands just behind your butt and lean back, raising your knees to your chest. From this position slowly move your legs, straightening your knees, downward and in a scooping type motion.
As your feet are fully extended and scooping, pull your knees back to your chest and repeat the scooping rotation. This takes a little getting used to but is very effective. Older athletes may want to put a LIGHT 2 -5 pound weight on their feet to in-crease the difficulty.
Throw Downs - Grab a partner for this one. Lay down flat on your back. Extend your arms as far above your head as possible and grab onto the ankles of your standing partner. Raise your legs to a 90 degree angle, perfectly straight in the air.
Have your partner, try and throw your legs to the ground. You need to use your stomach muscles and keep your legs just inches off the ground and then raise them back up so that your partner can throw them down again. Repeat this 10 - 25 times depending on age and strength.
Creative Dashes
Objective
Quickness and recovery speed.
Drill
Set two cones 10 - 15 yards apart from each other.
The twist to this drill, and the reason it builds quickness and recovery time is because you start in awkward positions.
For example, the first time you should start on their bellies. Jump to your feet and sprint the 10-15 yards.
Next, jump in place pulling your knees to your chest. Whenever you’re ready stop jumping and start your full out sprint.
Get creative and start in different positions.
Doggies
Objective
Stop, turn and go.
Drill
Pick a starting point and measure out 5 yards and place a cone. From that point measure another 5 yards (10 Yards) and place a cone. From that point walk another 5 yards (15 yards) and place a cone. Continue until you have put all 5 cones down and the farthest cone is now 25 yards from the starting point.
When you are ready sprint to the first cone, turn and run back to the starting point. Then turn and sprint to cone 2. Turn and come back to the starting point. Then sprint to cone 3. Repeat this until you have sprinted out to each cone and come back to the starting point.
Drag Race
Objective
Sprint to the ball to shoot at the goal.
Drill
2 or more players are needed.
A ball is placed on the penalty mark or the top of the goal area. Two players run from the goal line to a cone on the center line, and back toward the ball. The first player to get to the ball shoots at the goal.
Epidemic
Objective
Team work and bonding through conditioning.
Drill
Take four cones and make a square. Depending on how many players you have you may want to use an entire half of the soccer field. Place your entire team of players into the square and then pick one player to be the “Carriers.” This player now must try and tag their teammates and help the epidemic spread.
Once the “Carrier” tags somebody, that tagged player must link hands with the “Carrier” that tagged him/her. Now these two players, attached at the hands, must work together to try and capture another player and build on their chain.
When they tag a third player, that player must also join in on the chain and now the three of them must work together, running around the square trying to spread the Epidemic. The object of the drill, besides building fitness is to create a gigantic chain of athletes, linked by their hands, chasing after free bodies.
By the end of the drill you should have 1 long line of players working as a team to close off an area of the square to contain and capture the last free player. This drill is a ton of fun and allows the athletes to get fit, while building team unity and having a blast.
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