Injury prevention can be a misleading term. More often than not, soccer coaches and players are under the impression "injury prevention" is a magical, stand-alone program filled with balance drills, BOSU balls, and instability pads. As a soccer performance coach, I often get asked what I do for injury prevention with my athletes. As much as I want to say...

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This much I know: the feet are the foundation to a well-rounded soccer player. Dazzling footwork is what gives the beautiful game pace and excitement, and it's what separates technically proficient players from the rest. Foot quickness is a key factor any time a player performs an explosive move past a defender, navigates their way out of tight pressure, executes...

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I’m a big fan of mastering the basics. Owning the basics not only give athletes more confidence, but also more of an edge during game time. When it comes to soccer, not enough youth players are nailing down the basic skills needed to take their game to the next level. For youth players 8-12 years of age, it is imperative...

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Early specialization is one of the hottest topics in youth sports, and for good reason. More often than not, kids who play soccer are rarely getting time off from the game, and have no real off-season to recover. There is Fall, Winter, Spring, and now, even Summer soccer. Not taking a season off can prove to be overwhelming for a...

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This much I know: core exercises for youth athletes are butchered all the time. Whether this is because trainers are not teaching them well enough or because athletes are performing them with a lack of control, proper core training is a rare sight. Often times, core training for youth athletes amounts to little more than kids performing hundreds of Sit-Ups....

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ACL injuries are incredibly common among female soccer players. Many of the greatest women's soccer players in the world, stars like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, have suffered torn ACLs. ACL tears are the most common serious injury among female soccer players, and one that can leave a player sidelined for up to a year or more. A 2016 article...

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If you want to be the best soccer player possible, you need rotational power. While I am all for Squats, Lunge variations, Pull-ups, Push-ups, and Deadlifts for building maximal strength, I believe rotational movements are the icing on the cake for optimizing performance. Before I dive deeper into this discussion, let me ask you a few quick questions: Have you...

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The most common question I get from soccer parents and coaches is how to improve agility on the pitch. After all, soccer is a game of multi-directional runs, quick turns against pressure, and lightning-fast scrambles to recover position. Having the agility to change directions just a hair faster than your opponent is sometimes the difference between winning and losing. Where...

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The 2018 World Cup has given many people the chance to witness the colorful art of soccer. Each team is a canvas painted by the swirl of the various roles of each player. There are sharp players like Lionel Messi who weave around defenders and create space through the midfield by maneuvering into different open areas. There are strong, powerful...

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Here's a sad truth: soccer players don't strength train enough. With the hectic life of the modern student-athlete including games, practices, school, homework and more, something's got to give. For soccer players, this something is often a consistent presence in the weight room. I get it--it's tough. But if young players don't increase their strength over time, they put a...

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