What should a club soccer practice look like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Foot skills and small sided games. Constant movement and touches. Little watching and time without the ball.

No if a top team lots of fitness. Bigger stronger more fit vs other teams equal wins. It’s all about athleticism and getting those athletes in top shape. Foot skills and small side games are the European/South American way.

When I was in Portugal a grandfather was training his grandson (only around 12)...jumping up and down on benches, major plyos and conditioning. My dad got to talking to the grandfather who was an ex-pro and he told my dad that every kid there already has very high technical skill and the difference is in conditioning.

We had a ton of pre-season conditioning and always ended practices with wind sprints and all kinds of plyos. Many kids today just aren't in the top physical shape their parents think they are. WE also were given instruction on what to do OUTSIDE of practice. We conditioned on our own too, throughout the season.

Every top team that my kid has been on across sports expects conditioning and strength training on your own time. Practice is for getting touches on the ball with your teammates and being able to work on skills with and against competition.

MLSnext clubs are at practice 4 days a week. Conditioning is done some days. And at my kids ECNL when your team loses you do the sprints/planks/push-ups until the next round. It's built in.

It's funny when Americans think nobody conditions their teams in other countries. 99% of American kids are only training the 2-3 days they show up at practice and so many teams carry large rosters for the $$ that they aren't playing the full 90 minutes and likely couldn't play at full game pace for 90.

My kid practices four days a week and they run either mornings or before school. They lift at school. It's a waste of time and a sign of a bad coach if the kids are running laps at practice

Ours will do agility or sprints after practice some times. Great coach

[Anonymous]

Practices should not be all about conditioning but the way youth soccer is I think coaches do need to build some conditioning into the practice.