Springfield MO Soccer

I am proud to introduce my newest contributor. Brian Bounds, who provides soccer (futbol) specific physical training, including speed and muscle power. Brian has some important tips for players facing several games in a short period of time. Especially timely with the Kickapoo Shootout beginning this afternoon. Take it away Brian…

Unlocking Your Potential: A Few Overlooked yet Fundamental Components to the Success of a Footballer

by Brian Bounds, MPT, ATC/R, CSCS

Although there are many things that a coach, player, and parent can do to ensure success at football, many components are often overlooked. These components include an adequate warm-up prior to play and cool down following play, proper hydration and nutritional components, and the oft overlooked recovery and regeneration aspect. In order to be effective in a tournament, a team must combine various tactical and technical aspects with speed, agility, footwork, coordination, balance, and core strength in addition to the aforementioned components of warm-up and cool down, nutrition, and regeneration. A proper warm-up and cool down, eating correctly, and paying attention to the regeneration process are often neglected and as a result the athlete or team cannot perform to their utmost potential. The coach, athlete, or footballer should not overlook any of these as they are all important to playing at a high level. The following is just a few key pointers everyone should keep in mind to become a successful soccer player or perhaps when preparing for and participating in a weekend or extended-day (such as State Cup) tournament.

Warm-Up and Cool Down
The purpose of the warm-up is to prepare the body for the demands of the game. The warm-up will elevate the body’s core temperature, increases the suppleness of the muscles, tendons, and joints, enhances the oxygen to the working muscles, and improves neuromuscular coordination. An athlete should not prepare for a game simply by jogging and statically stretching. In fact, recent research has shown that static stretching prior to activity may actually hinder performance by decreasing the oxygen supply, deteriorating the neural input, and reducing the peak force, strength, and power of the muscles. The warm-up should be dynamic in nature (i.e., it should mimic the movements of the game). By performing dynamic exercises the athlete may actually improve the active range of motion necessary for the movements required for the game. The warm-up can also be used to mentally prepare for the game. The athlete can use this time to go over the game in their heads and try to visualize the game in their head. By visualizing situations in their head prior to them occurring the athlete will be better prepared to handle these situations when they happen in a game. An athlete should spend at least 15 to 30 minutes preparing for a match or training session. So, if there is an early morning game, the athlete must make sure they wake up in time to get properly warmed up. If they arrive just prior to the game, they will not have enough time to warm up and will have to spend the first part of the match or training session just to get into the game.

Too many times an athlete will simply leave a match or training session as soon as it concludes without cooling down effectively. By doing this, the athlete is missing an opportune time to get a jump on their next training session or match. The cool down should be approximately 10 to 15 minutes long and should consist of a light jog followed by static stretching. Stretching performed after activity allows for the most increases in flexibility to happen. It is easier to stretch a muscle when it is warm and after a training session or match is the best time to do this. The cool down can also accomplish other things. For instance, a proper cool down can facilitate the regeneration process. An athlete may also cut down on the amount of muscle spasm and soreness that can occur following a tough training session or game. By properly cooling down, the athlete will get a jump start in preparation for their next game or training session which will allow them to perform at a higher level.

Nutrition
Proper nutrition and hydration is another vital component to the success of a footballer. Often times, a soccer player (especially the younger ones) think they can eat or drink however they want and expect to still perform at peak levels. This cannot be further from the truth. Too many times I have seen soccer players eating or drinking horribly prior to or immediately following a training session or game. They will eat junk foods or fast foods and drink pop. A well-balanced diet is crucial to performing at the highest levels as is a good pre-game and post-game meal. By not eating properly, the athlete will become fatigued quicker and thus not be able to keep up with the demands of the game and a drop in performance will be seen (especially during the second half).

Soccer players rely on food to provide the energy to the working muscles required during play. Carbohydrates are a key nutrient required of soccer players. Carbohydrates provide sugars to the body which is stored as glycogen and then broken down by the body to provide the energy necessary to fuel the athlete. A soccer player must eat a carbohydrate-rich diet especially during times of high activity. The diet should be composed of primarily carbohydrates (about 60-65% of the caloric intake). About 30% of the caloric intake should come from fats while the remaining 10% come from proteins. A well-balanced diet will most likely provide this.

The pre-game meal should be composed primarily of carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, potatoes, pastas, fruits, and vegetables. It should be eaten approximately 2 to 3 hours prior to play. The athlete cannot, however, just eat a good pre-game meal and expect to play well. They must be eating well-balanced and carbohydrate-rich meals throughout the week. The athlete can effectively eat well throughout the week leading up to a weekend tournament and improve the amount of glycogen stored in the liver. By doing this, they will have a larger amount of glycogen available for breakdown into energy during the game.

The post-game meal is also critical. Following a match, the athlete will have completely diminished their supply of glycogen. Therefore, the aim of the post-game meal is to replenish these glycogen stores. Research has shown that an effective post-game meal consists of a ratio of about 4-6 to 1 carbohydrates to protein. The carbohydrates help to replenish the depleted glycogen stores while the protein helps to build and repair the muscle tissue and cells. The post-game meal should be eaten as soon as possible following play (preferably within the first 30 to 60 minutes following the conclusion). If some athletes have difficulty eating solid food following play, then a liquid variation of the post-game meal can be substituted. If this is the case, smoothies are an excellent option.

In addition to a good diet, hydration is also an important factor. A footballer should be drinking plenty of water throughout the day. By staying properly hydrated, an athlete will stave off the devastating effects of dehydration. When an athlete becomes dehydrated all of their bodily systems are affected. They will not be able to keep up with the game mentally. They will become fatigued. Their muscles will not be able to effectively keep up with the demands of the game. They will move slower. In essence, their performance will deteriorate. An athlete must be drinking plenty of water prior to the game, during the game, and after the game. If an athlete is thirsty then they are already dehydrated. It is also necessary for an athlete to drink electrolyte-rich beverages such as Gatorade or Powerade during a game. Electrolytes are critical to maintaining the body’s fluid balance and preventing dehydration. The soccer player cannot be expected to play at a high level if they are not properly hydrated particularly in multi-game and multi-day tournaments that are played in hot weather. Here, hydration becomes even more critical. If a soccer player becomes dehydrated during one of the days of a tournament such as State Cup then their play will likely be reduced for the remainder of the tournament, if they are even able to play at all following a bout of dehydration.

Recovery and Regeneration
This is perhaps the most overlooked component of an athlete’s training process. Many people often think that an athlete will adapt to the demands placed on him or her during training and matches. However, this cannot be further from the truth. In fact, the exact opposite is true. An athlete adapts while they are not playing and often while they are resting. By just performing and paying attention to a few key regeneration strategies an athlete will recover quicker from a training session and match. In turn, they will be able to come back quicker and play and train at a higher level which will result in greater successes on the pitch. If the athlete neglects this process and the coach or parent does not encourage it, then the soccer player will never reach their full potential. It is just as important as the actual training itself.

Several strategies can be incorporated by the athlete to aid in the regeneration process. As I said earlier, regeneration largely occurs while an athlete is resting or not training. It often happens while they are sleeping. Therefore, I encourage athletes to “actively rest”. This is when an athlete will perform light intensity activities (such as a light warm-up and stretch, moving around in a warm pool, or working with the ball at the feet) on their off days. The purpose of this is to get the blood flowing which will in turn provide nutrients to the muscles that will aid in the recovery and repair of these muscles and rid the muscles of waste products. The pumping of the blood and the active movements will accelerate the regeneration.

Other strategies of regeneration and recovery may include more passive activities. These may include such things as massages, hot tubs, cold tubs, saunas, contrast showers, and stretching. Although these are not active, they can still help to improve the blood flow and thus facilitate recovery. The athlete should also not dismiss the power of a good night’s sleep. A person should try to get around 6 to 8 hours of sleep a night. A person who gets adequate amounts of sleep will be more alert and less fatigued and better able to perform at high levels.

Nutrition is also critical to the regeneration process. The athlete must make sure they are eating small portions of food throughout the day. This will ensure that the athlete has a constant flow of nutrients to the muscles and cells. The soccer player should also try to eat something light about one hour prior to sleeping. This can something as simple as a bowl of cereal, protein shake, fruit cup, or nutrition bar. By doing this, the athlete will have some form of nutrition in their system that the muscles can extract from while sleeping. If this is not done, then the athlete will not have enough nutrients and the body will break down lean muscle tissue to get the nutrients it needs for the adaptation process to occur. This is counterproductive and the athlete will never be able to effectively recover and adapt to the demands of training and thus, not perform at their optimal level.

Every single one of the components mentioned here are fundamental to the success of the soccer player. They should not be overlooked. By not paying attention to one or all of these strategies, the athlete is doing a disservice to themselves. They will be unable to perform at their highest levels. I encourage every soccer player to integrate each of these into their lifestyles and training routines. Doing so will unlock the full potential of the footballer and allow them to achieve goals that they might not have otherwise achieved without these components.

Brian can be reached at 417-496-1418 or bounds.brian (at) gmail (dot) com if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions. Brian has committed to providing future articles for the site. If you have suggestions about topics you would like to know more about you can leave a comment here (click on comments below) or contact Brian directly.