Summer off-season work (or not)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid argument. The most important thing to do is maintain fitness. After that if your child needs structure to improve instead of just playing their ceiling is going to be much lower than those that don't have to and they should just give up now.

How does maintaining general fitness improve your soccer skills between June and late August?

Everyone sees the kid huffing and puffing during pre-season. Soccer skills are irrelevant if you can't run. Maintaining fitness is alot easier than trying to get it back. Swimming, playing another sport, running a couple of miles a day all maintain base level of fitness. Sitting on a couch all day but juggling a ball for 20 minutes a day will do much less for you than staying fit and not touching a ball for a month.

The post is about improving soccer skills for next season

You're saying soccer skills are irrelevant.
You definitely are commenting on the wrong post.

Let me put this into simpler terms since you are either obtuse or oblivious. Going into pre-season refreshed and fit is going to allow you to hit the ground running excited to play and improve. Grinding all summer for minimal gains will lead to overall less improvement, overuse, and more injuries in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid argument. The most important thing to do is maintain fitness. After that if your child needs structure to improve instead of just playing their ceiling is going to be much lower than those that don't have to and they should just give up now.

How does maintaining general fitness improve your soccer skills between June and late August?

Everyone sees the kid huffing and puffing during pre-season. Soccer skills are irrelevant if you can't run. Maintaining fitness is alot easier than trying to get it back. Swimming, playing another sport, running a couple of miles a day all maintain base level of fitness. Sitting on a couch all day but juggling a ball for 20 minutes a day will do much less for you than staying fit and not touching a ball for a month.

The post is about improving soccer skills for next season

You're saying soccer skills are irrelevant.
You definitely are commenting on the wrong post.

Let me put this into simpler terms since you are either obtuse or oblivious. Going into pre-season refreshed and fit is going to allow you to hit the ground running excited to play and improve. Grinding all summer for minimal gains will lead to overall less improvement, overuse, and more injuries in the long run.

Sounds good on paper or as soundbite

But not how soccer skills development and improvement actually works

How did you conclude working on improving your soccer skills equals "grinding all summer for minimal gains"?

How does working on strength and injury prevention lead to more injuries?
If working out in the summer automatically equalled overuse, all the top players would be suffering from overuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid argument. The most important thing to do is maintain fitness. After that if your child needs structure to improve instead of just playing their ceiling is going to be much lower than those that don't have to and they should just give up now.

How does maintaining general fitness improve your soccer skills between June and late August?

Everyone sees the kid huffing and puffing during pre-season. Soccer skills are irrelevant if you can't run. Maintaining fitness is alot easier than trying to get it back. Swimming, playing another sport, running a couple of miles a day all maintain base level of fitness. Sitting on a couch all day but juggling a ball for 20 minutes a day will do much less for you than staying fit and not touching a ball for a month.

The post is about improving soccer skills for next season

You're saying soccer skills are irrelevant.
You definitely are commenting on the wrong post.

Let me put this into simpler terms since you are either obtuse or oblivious. Going into pre-season refreshed and fit is going to allow you to hit the ground running excited to play and improve. Grinding all summer for minimal gains will lead to overall less improvement, overuse, and more injuries in the long run.

Sounds good on paper or as soundbite

But not how soccer skills development and improvement actually works

How did you conclude working on improving your soccer skills equals "grinding all summer for minimal gains"?

How does working on strength and injury prevention lead to more injuries?
If working out in the summer automatically equalled overuse, all the top players would be suffering from overuse.

Soon close!!! All top players take breaks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fitness over summer is too much wear and tear especially under 13-14 years old. Kids need time off. Ball mastery for 15-20 min couple times per week and occasional pick up maybe. Outside that : vacation, swimming, family, anything else but soccer.

Around that age is when I personally started taking my off season fitness seriously without any push from my parents. I found it was a lot harder to get back in shape when practices started. I didn't want to be dying or outplayed by my teammates in those first couple weeks. I did all of the swimming, playing, etc but also focused on sprints and running. This was also during the era of coaches doing line drills and ladder runs the first couple practices and we barely touched a ball lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid argument. The most important thing to do is maintain fitness. After that if your child needs structure to improve instead of just playing their ceiling is going to be much lower than those that don't have to and they should just give up now.

How does maintaining general fitness improve your soccer skills between June and late August?

Everyone sees the kid huffing and puffing during pre-season. Soccer skills are irrelevant if you can't run. Maintaining fitness is alot easier than trying to get it back. Swimming, playing another sport, running a couple of miles a day all maintain base level of fitness. Sitting on a couch all day but juggling a ball for 20 minutes a day will do much less for you than staying fit and not touching a ball for a month.

The post is about improving soccer skills for next season

You're saying soccer skills are irrelevant.
You definitely are commenting on the wrong post.

Let me put this into simpler terms since you are either obtuse or oblivious. Going into pre-season refreshed and fit is going to allow you to hit the ground running excited to play and improve. Grinding all summer for minimal gains will lead to overall less improvement, overuse, and more injuries in the long run.

Sounds good on paper or as soundbite

But not how soccer skills development and improvement actually works

How did you conclude working on improving your soccer skills equals "grinding all summer for minimal gains"?

How does working on strength and injury prevention lead to more injuries?
If working out in the summer automatically equalled overuse, all the top players would be suffering from overuse.

Soon close!!! All top players take breaks!

Find one that spends entire off-season chilling on beach sipping fruity drinks from curly straws

They practice rest and active recovery in real life. Not go dormant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is such a stupid argument. The most important thing to do is maintain fitness. After that if your child needs structure to improve instead of just playing their ceiling is going to be much lower than those that don't have to and they should just give up now.

How does maintaining general fitness improve your soccer skills between June and late August?

Everyone sees the kid huffing and puffing during pre-season. Soccer skills are irrelevant if you can't run. Maintaining fitness is alot easier than trying to get it back. Swimming, playing another sport, running a couple of miles a day all maintain base level of fitness. Sitting on a couch all day but juggling a ball for 20 minutes a day will do much less for you than staying fit and not touching a ball for a month.

The post is about improving soccer skills for next season

You're saying soccer skills are irrelevant.
You definitely are commenting on the wrong post.

Let me put this into simpler terms since you are either obtuse or oblivious. Going into pre-season refreshed and fit is going to allow you to hit the ground running excited to play and improve. Grinding all summer for minimal gains will lead to overall less improvement, overuse, and more injuries in the long run.

Sounds good on paper or as soundbite

But not how soccer skills development and improvement actually works

How did you conclude working on improving your soccer skills equals "grinding all summer for minimal gains"?

How does working on strength and injury prevention lead to more injuries?
If working out in the summer automatically equalled overuse, all the top players would be suffering from overuse.

Soon close!!! All top players take breaks!

Find one that spends entire off-season chilling on beach sipping fruity drinks from curly straws

They practice rest and active recovery in real life. Not go dormant.

I'm sorry you lack reading comprehension skills.

[Anonymous]

It’s amazing how some of you know exactly what’s best for every kid. You realize what works for one may not work for all. There are plenty of successful players who work throughout the summer just as there are plenty who rest. Do what works for your kid. So many here arguing that the best way for their kid is the best way for all kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s amazing how some of you know exactly what’s best for every kid. You realize what works for one may not work for all. There are plenty of successful players who work throughout the summer just as there are plenty who rest. Do what works for your kid. So many here arguing that the best way for their kid is the best way for all kids.

From teams, coaches, leagues, trainings etc that's every single argument on this forum lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s amazing how some of you know exactly what’s best for every kid. You realize what works for one may not work for all. There are plenty of successful players who work throughout the summer just as there are plenty who rest. Do what works for your kid. So many here arguing that the best way for their kid is the best way for all kids.

There aren't plenty of top level players resting all 2 months of summer

Unless you're talking U-littles

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fitness over summer is too much wear and tear especially under 13-14 years old. Kids need time off. Ball mastery for 15-20 min couple times per week and occasional pick up maybe. Outside that : vacation, swimming, family, anything else but soccer.

So leave in June at fitness level 8 out of 10

Return in August at fitness level 4?

Whatever, sure. fitness level goes down a bit in the summer from a soccer standpoint but swimming and beach time is great for the body and mind, and he doesn’t burn out during spring and fall. Feel sorry for your kid that he has to be like a racing horse all year long. Even with all the extra conditioning and he’s still statistically very unlikely to play college or pro so maybe take it down a notch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fitness over summer is too much wear and tear especially under 13-14 years old. Kids need time off. Ball mastery for 15-20 min couple times per week and occasional pick up maybe. Outside that : vacation, swimming, family, anything else but soccer.

So leave in June at fitness level 8 out of 10

Return in August at fitness level 4?

Even with all the extra conditioning and he’s still statistically very unlikely to play college or pro so maybe take it down a notch.

That's the reality however there are kids who focus on that small percentage that make it, rather than half assing it because majority don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fitness over summer is too much wear and tear especially under 13-14 years old. Kids need time off. Ball mastery for 15-20 min couple times per week and occasional pick up maybe. Outside that : vacation, swimming, family, anything else but soccer.

So leave in June at fitness level 8 out of 10

Return in August at fitness level 4?

Whatever, sure. fitness level goes down a bit in the summer from a soccer standpoint but swimming and beach time is great for the body and mind, and he doesn’t burn out during spring and fall. Feel sorry for your kid that he has to be like a racing horse all year long. Even with all the extra conditioning and he’s still statistically very unlikely to play college or pro so maybe take it down a notch.

My DD nor anyone else's kid doesn't need to train like a racehorse all summer to do what's required to improve soccer skills
Its not training for American Ninja or an ultra marathon

What does it take to burn out? I've never seen it in any kid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fitness over summer is too much wear and tear especially under 13-14 years old. Kids need time off. Ball mastery for 15-20 min couple times per week and occasional pick up maybe. Outside that : vacation, swimming, family, anything else but soccer.

So leave in June at fitness level 8 out of 10

Return in August at fitness level 4?

Even with all the extra conditioning and he’s still statistically very unlikely to play college or pro so maybe take it down a notch.

That's the reality however there are kids who focus on that small percentage that make it, rather than half assing it because majority don't.

Imagine if every Olympic athlete, college athlete, professional athlete listened to someone telling them at 10 years old to not give 100% later in life because you have slim to no chance of making it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fitness over summer is too much wear and tear especially under 13-14 years old. Kids need time off. Ball mastery for 15-20 min couple times per week and occasional pick up maybe. Outside that : vacation, swimming, family, anything else but soccer.

So leave in June at fitness level 8 out of 10

Return in August at fitness level 4?

Whatever, sure. fitness level goes down a bit in the summer from a soccer standpoint but swimming and beach time is great for the body and mind, and he doesn’t burn out during spring and fall. Feel sorry for your kid that he has to be like a racing horse all year long. Even with all the extra conditioning and he’s still statistically very unlikely to play college or pro so maybe take it down a notch.

My DD nor anyone else's kid doesn't need to train like a racehorse all summer to do what's required to improve soccer skills
Its not training for American Ninja or an ultra marathon

What does it take to burn out? I've never seen it in any kid

It’s both psychological and physical burnout. By going all year long you are planting those seeds. They may not manifest right away or even the next season, but they will down the line. The kid has to want it deep, deep down for themselves, otherwise you create serious conflict if you push more than a little. My guess is your kid is working overtime for you more than themself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fitness over summer is too much wear and tear especially under 13-14 years old. Kids need time off. Ball mastery for 15-20 min couple times per week and occasional pick up maybe. Outside that : vacation, swimming, family, anything else but soccer.

So leave in June at fitness level 8 out of 10

Return in August at fitness level 4?

Even with all the extra conditioning and he’s still statistically very unlikely to play college or pro so maybe take it down a notch.

That's the reality however there are kids who focus on that small percentage that make it, rather than half assing it because majority don't.

Imagine if every Olympic athlete, college athlete, professional athlete listened to someone telling them at 10 years old to not give 100% later in life because you have slim to no chance of making it

Yikes you want your kid to be a pro so bad you can taste it. When they are 18 you will have regrets as will they. Ease up on them, there will be a benefit in their long term performance and love of the game.