Soccer Requires A State of
Excellent Physical Fitness

If your child is in a soccer club, great pains are made to make sure your child is in good enough physical shape to withstand the rigors of the game. Every club has a fitness program that is designed to be age appropriate. The most important aspects of soccer fitness are endurance, agility (quickness) and strength.

My experience is that the strength part of soccer fitness is not part of the program until players are about 16 years old or older.  You'll find that all colleges have their soccer players (men & women) lifting weights. My oldest daughter had some "guns" by her senior year in college.  You won't find this for the 9 and 10 year old kids, so you don't have to worry!

Here are some basic things about fitness and being prepared to play that apply to all players, no matter how old...

• Warm up thoroughly before starting practice or games 
• Start slowly with stretching and flexing and gradually build up 
• Warm up is more than a minute or two event.  Generally it should take at least 10 minutes to "get ready to play."

 Things players should be aware of while warming up...

• Pay attention to injury warning signs.  ie. pain 
• Use footwear with plenty of cushioning

Keep in mind that you can develop a great deal of strength and power without resorting to strenuous types of exercise like weight lifting and push ups.  Soccer, especially for youth sports, mostly endurance.  There is a lot of running and sprinting involved in soccer play.