Today's post is from our Soccer Conditioning Expert, Scott Moody at SoccerFIT Academy. I've posted some of their information on speed, fitness and agility testing in the past because I think Scott is on the leading edge of soccer conditioning in the U.S. and I work with him through our Sporting Affiliate Club in Overland Park, KS. Here is his latest update on the testing they have been doing with clubs and coaches around the world. I thought you'd find it interesting and helpful especially since there's no cost to test your players and see how they stack up. It's also a great evaluation tool that can be used to assess the progress of the players over the course of a season, year or career.
We now have over 700 coaches in 30 countries using the SoccerFIT Game Speed Test to evaluate their players and teams. Some of the college coaches have found the test a very useful preseason tool, as it shows strengths and weaknesses in SKILL, SPEED and FITNESS, and can quickly show where you are strong (and weak) as a team. We continue to support all programs using our test with eBooks and clinics that highlight our systematic approach of blending the physical aspects with the technical aspects to create a more applicable (and efficient) way to integrate speed, agility and fitness into normal practice sessions.
On the club level we have started testing all the teams and players in various clubs to create a clear picture of the developmental process within the club. Below is a graph of the girls side of one club we consult with (from U11 to U18). We ranked the teams in the club by age group, and by average Game Speed Score within the age group, to get this graph. As you can see, there is a steady progression up to U15 and then a steady, leveling off off SKILL, SPEED and FITNESS. Here is a link to a recent post that explains this in more detail.
Over the course of this fall season we will be working with small groups of teams and individuals within certain age groups to see how specific training interventions can help players progress above the normal rate of development for their age group. Over time we will have compiled a vast database of information that shows how players develop in normal 2 day per week practice schedules, and how 1 and 2 day per week training sessions can help improve each category.
For those of you running the Game Speed Test with your players, you can look at the trend line (dotted line in the graph above) to see where the average player in each age group is scoring. Then compared this to your players score (and improvement over time), to see if they are progressing along the normal rate of development, or if they are progressing above the average. Below is a sample of the individual report that we prepare for players, coaches and clubs that use us to consult their programs. For more information about using the SoccerFIT Academy to consult with your club, contact me at: Scott@AthleteFIT.com or click here to view our library of eBooks.
Leave any questions that you have in the comments and I'm sure that Scott will be happy to answer them.
Have a Great Day!
Tom
