A perfect gift for parent and child, buy the book: 100 amazing facts about soccer
Most sports require a lot of requirements. Think about basketball players and height. swimmers require a specific body type, as do sprinters. Fat percentages can be a predictor for marathon winners. Racers for Formula 1, have to get sponsor deals in order to perform their sport.
Soccer is quite different. In soccer, a lot of internationals played soccer on the street, barefoot, with cheap material. Currently, the number 1 & 2 of the world, Messi, and Ronaldo differ almost 20 cm in height. Professional soccer players are in all sizes. As such, genetics does not seem to play a huge factor in becoming a professional. There is one attribute that may increase your chance of becoming a professional soccer player, and that’s speed. This is good news because sprints can be improved by training.
Don’t Think Skills, Think Teamwork
A quote from the great Johan Cruyff tells the tale.
Choose the best player for every position, and you’ll end up not with a strong XI, but with 11 strong 1’s.
Every coach is looking for players that fit into a great team, they are not necessarily looking for great players. Likewise, scouts are looking for certain traits, not necessarily physical. Especially youth players tend not to be judged on their physical qualities. Boys and girls going through a growth spurt may be totally different within 2 years. Technique and personality are the most important. Beyond technique and personality, speed is a factor.
Elite Youth Players Are NOT Judged On Their Physique
Anthropometric measurements are measurements taken from our bodies to provide information on our physical state. These are basic measurements;
- height
- weight
- body mass index (BMI)
- body circumferences
- skinfold thickness
The Future Of Scouting Is Not Based On Physique
In the past, most soccer clubs would focus on anthropometric measurements. There is, however, a trend on focussing on qualities, not physique. One problem with soccer is known as relative age effect. (RAE). Soccer players that are born in the first months of the years have a greater chance of being selected. These “older” kids tend to have stronger physiques. AJAX acknowledges this problem and focuses more on technical and team skills than physical. AJAX motto is technique will win at the end.
One study from Belgium followed elite youth players and compared which players stayed and which players dropped out. Of all the measurements performed, anthropometric measurements were not significant. Read that study here.
Another recent study from Spain looked at elite players and their physical attributes. Players from the top Spanish youth league from the under 14,16,18’s were investigated. Although most players within the teams experienced RAE. Once within the elite teams, your date of birth was of no significance. The study showed that body-type, anthropometry measurements, and body composition were not important. The authors noted;
Think Fast, Be Fast, Don’t Focus On Aerobics
Don’t worry if you are not big, or tall. Although both studies found those body measurements were not important certain attributes were. Both the Belgium study and the Spanish research showed that speed was very important. Especially explosive sprint is very important. The Belgium study found that the 5-meter sprint was one of the determinants for getting a contract. Furthermore, it is estimated that sprint power could account for almost 17% of playing time. Other studies have found similar results, notable;
- Research from Austria age 14-17 found that strength and speed were major determinants for a future professional career.
- A study from England found that speed on the 10 meters and 20-meter distances are faster in youth professional players than in control.
- The Spanish study also found better sprint performance in selected than their non-selected players.
- Overall speed and explosiveness are found to be of important for becoming professional Soccer players.
- Sprints from top European countries are faster than those from lower-ranked countries.
While speed is important, aerobics is not. Aerobics is endurance and above a certain standard of aerobic endurance, the excess is not predictive of reaching a higher level of professional soccer. One Spanish study compared soccer players from different divisions found that;
How To Improve Speed
Speed is an important part of soccer. In an average soccer game includes every player performes (goalie excluded)
- between 17-81 sprints.
- most sprints are between 2-4 seconds.
- 90% of the sprints are less than 20 meters.
- peak speed about 32 km/h.
- forwards are faster than defenders
While for females top speed is largely determined in their teens, this is not the same for males. Males reach their top speed potential 20-28 years of age. Females are grown after their teens, while men have more potential to increase their lean mass. So, while you are 14 years old boy, you have around 10 years to improve your speed.
You Can Increase Your Speed
As little as one sprint session a week found to improve sprint speed. One study from Norway compared a once a week sprint group vesus a control group. The sprint group followed a training program with progressive and different weekly sessions. the training consisted of 40-meter sprints in different intensities. compared to the control group, the sprint group improved in a maximal sprint (40-meter sprint), 10 X 40-meter sprint and 20-40 meter top speed.
Another Way Of Increasing Speed
One way of increasing sprint explosivity is contrast training. Contrast training is different than regular strength training and involves performing high and low loads at high speed. This kind of training has been part of the athletic scene for many years. The study consisted of young soccer players divided into the contrast training group, strength training group, and control group. After 2 months, training two times a week, the results were presented. Compared to the control group, all sprint performances were improved in the strength and contrast training group. Compared to the strength training group, the repeated change of direction (RCOD) test was improved only in the contrast group. RCOD consist of 6 times 20-meter sprint test. within the 20 meter sprints, different turns are made. This kind of direction change is prevalent in many sports, just think about soccer and American football. Read the study here
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