Stamina is a huge factor in the game of soccer. Unlike hockey where the players take shifts or baseball where you take half inning breaks from standing in the outfield, soccer requires constant motion up and down a regulation field measuring 100 yards long by 60 yards wide. The fitter the player and his team the longer and faster they will be able to play at their A level.

Stamina is what separates the pros from the weekenders who play soccer. In matches like the FA Cup where there is no such thing as a draw, players are required to go all out for the full ninety minutes. Coaches at all levels need to work on stamina training with their clubs in order to maintain a high level of fitness for the entire soccer season. Stamina and strength go hand in hand on the soccer pitch. A player needs strength and the ability to play a complete game while moving in spurts and starts all over the field.

Warming up before any practice or game is crucial in the prevention of injury. Imagine your star player earning $75,000 a week while he is sitting on the bench with a pulled hamstring because he didn’t stretch properly before pushing himself.

Loosen up with five minutes of jogging in place. Follow that with a series of exercises such as jumping jacks, heel flicks and high knee steps. Finally, stretch it all out for roughly five minutes. All of these will help to improve your agility and stamina over time. Try running at different paces (especially fun for kids). Start with a fast run, slow it down to a fast walk then revert back to jogging. This will simulate game situations and help to preserve the player’s energy. Here is a list of warm-up standards any athlete is familiar with: crunches, resistance bands, squats thrusts with weights and push ups.

The following is an example of working out your legs and mid-torso: start jogging for five minutes, try sprinting for 20 yards, slow it down to a jog for 300 yards,  turn around and run backwards for 20 yards, face front again and sprint for 30 yards, walk it off for about 50 yards and then finish up with a short 300 yard or so jog. When you have finished with this phase of your warm-up stretch out your calves, quads, lower back, groin and most importantly, your hamstrings.

Because soccer requires such an extreme level of stamina, endurance training is an integral part of a soccer training program at any level. How do you think the players on your team will feel late in a game when their opponents are fading and they still have the energy to finish off a winning match? Endurance training means lots of aerobic exercises to reduce the strain on your heart and keep you playing for longer and longer periods of time.

Soccer players need stamina training. We have established that but how do they go about accomplishing that increased endurance needed on the soccer field? Cycling is a sport that will build up leg muscles and provide aerobic exercise. Jogging and hill running will work as well. Think about stair climbing in some taller buildings or a sports stadium.

If the player is serious about his strength and endurance training he might invest in some equipment such as a stair climber, treadmill or cross-trainer. Sprint training can be accomplished through the sprint-walk-jog formula described earlier.

Sprinting requires a lot of upper body strength. This is where strength training comes into play. Circuit and weight training will help to build up those pecs.

Here is a list of common activities you can do to increase your endurance:

• A full squat using your own body weight
• Clean and press three quarters of your weight overhead – remember to build up to these weights
• Curl half your weight
• Try 40 press-ups in a minute or less
• How about 40 bent-knee abdominals in under one minute
• Now 40 squat thrusts in about one minute
• Finally, Eight chin-ups (male) or three chin-ups (female).

None of these are easy feats. Stamina can only be increased by completing circuits of continuous activity at low to moderate intensities for three minutes or more. Stamina training can also include distance events where the athlete has to try to run a distance of 3000-5000 metres at about 70 to 75 per cent of maximal heart rate for optimum aerobic benefits.

Soccer Fitness