By Anthony Hazelwood
The following activity has individual players working on their CNS and linear speed activations. This activity may be used after a warmup and before the start of a session to get players ready for what’s coming ahead.
When preparing the activity, if needed, concentration and difficulty levels may be increased by having players execute something extra unique by setting more restrictions. Every activity may be modified, and it is up to the coach to be creative. However, it is important to respect the parameters of the exercise time, the rest, the types of actions used and the weekly periodization of the activity.
Additionally, it is beneficial to train a soccer team and its players with all the elements of the game being present in the session. By doing so, it will promote soccer specific adaptations to the player’s body, mind, and emotional triad. Ultimately, these adjustments will enhance their real-time game performances on a physical, emotional, conscious, and subconscious mental level.
Area Size: Lines 12 yds. apart.
Total Activity Time: 10 Minutes.
Sets: 1.
Action and Recovery Interval Time: 1:5.
Repetitions: 10 per player.
Intensity: High.
Objectives:
Fitness: Maintain high intense corporal actions.
Technique: Proper fitness and off/on the ball execution/techniques.
Mental-Emotional: Players fully engaged and concentration is high.
Concentration Level: High.
Setup:
Create three lines of 12 yds.
Put one player on the top cones and four players on the bottom starting cones.
Activity 1: Accelerate and Decelerate.
To start, the players located at the top cones will be performing an in place fast feet action. On the coach’s whistle, the players with the ball will rapidly pass the ball and quickly proceed to sprint at the receiving player.
The objective here is that the receiving top coned player begins with a fast foot in place action, the passing player passes the all and immediately closes the receiving player down and decelerates about an arm’s length away from the ball. This will ensure an acceleration and deceleration action preparing the players for the session.
Activity 2: Accelerate and Decelerate Variation.
To start, the players located at the top cones will have the ball and the players located at the bottom will be performing the fast feet action. On the coach’s whistle, the players with the ball will rapidly pass to the receiving player. The player will receive the ball and quickly pass the ball back to his teammate.
Then, the player will close the teammate down as in activity one.
Coaching Points:
Make sure fast feet activations are being performed before receiving the ball. There many other variations that can be performed for feet activations: two-foot jumps, forward and backs jumps, side to side jumps etc.
Ball Accuracy needs to be on point and the force applied to it and the sprint performed after the pass needs to be game like for activation purposes.
By Anthony Hazelwood
Current Seattle Sounders Academy Performance Coach with previous European academy coaching experience as an assistant fitness and strength/conditioning soccer coach with Levante U.D. (2013-2014) and Getafe SAD CF (2015-2016) in Valencia and Madrid, Spain respectively. A USSF “A” licensed coach with a BSc in Physical Education and an MSc in Sports Training and Nutrition.
