Agility for Soccer
For soccer players, moving gracefully on the pitch requires a high level of agility. But simply performing a bunch of agility drills won’t take your game where it needs to be. The reality is you must strengthen the muscles that power your movements on the field.
According to Jeff Howser, Duke University’s speed and conditioning coordinator, improving strength and balance in your hip stabilizers is critical, because “your hips are the base through which you transfer all of your power to the ground. The stronger your hips, the more force you can apply.”
New York Red Bulls fitness coach Pierre Barrieu makes sure his players initiate every movement “from the hips, not the knees.”
Below, Howser and Barrieu each provide two agility exercises. Howser’s Blue Devils perform the Lunge Balance and Squat Balance twice a week, during agility training days.
Howser’s Drills
Lunge Balance
• Assume lunge position, with back knee resting on ground and arms extended out to sides
• Raise hips until back knee is two to three inches off ground; hold position for three to four seconds
• Slowly rotate torso left; hold for three to four seconds
• Slowly rotate torso right; hold for three to four seconds
Reps/Rest: 2-4 each leg/15-20 seconds
Howser’s Tips: Keep your chest up and center of gravity upright, not over your front leg // Place feet close together at start of exercise // As you get used to performing exercise, spread legs further apart.
Squat Balance
• Stand in athletic stance with arms extended overhead
• Slowly drop hips into squat position; hold
• Slowly rotate torso left; hold for three to four seconds
• Slowly rotate torso right; hold for three to four seconds
Reps/Rest: 2-4/25-30 seconds
Howser’s Tips: You can change the load on your legs by adjusting the space between your feet // If you really want to load up your legs, widen your stance and go down; it’s an incredible burn.
Barrieu’s Drills
Hurdle Lateral Shuffle with Sprint [see diagram for set-up] • Stand left of first row of mini hurdles
• Without crossing feet, shuffle laterally right over each hurdle, leading with right leg so each foot touches once between hurdles
• When right leg steps over last hurdle, plant with right foot and explode into short sprint straight ahead, then begin shuffling laterally left at next row of hurdles
• Repeat through entire pattern of hurdles
Hurdle Lateral Shuffle with Diagonal Sprint [see diagram for set-up] • Stand left of first row of mini-hurdles
• Without crossing feet, shuffle laterally right over each hurdle, leading with right leg so each foot touches once between hurdles
• When right leg steps over last hurdle, plant with right foot and explode into diagonal sprint to opposite end of next row
• Begin shuffling laterally right at next row of hurdles
• Repeat through entire pattern of hurdles
Barrieu’s Tips: Rounded shoulders and forward lean are common among soccer players. But this posture makes it difficult to fully extend the hips, because the shoulders are in front and the back is pushed back. So, try to get in the habit of moving from the hips, getting full extension and being straight through the back.
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Agility for Soccer
For soccer players, moving gracefully on the pitch requires a high level of agility. But simply performing a bunch of agility drills won’t take your game where it needs to be. The reality is you must strengthen the muscles that power your movements on the field.
According to Jeff Howser, Duke University’s speed and conditioning coordinator, improving strength and balance in your hip stabilizers is critical, because “your hips are the base through which you transfer all of your power to the ground. The stronger your hips, the more force you can apply.”
New York Red Bulls fitness coach Pierre Barrieu makes sure his players initiate every movement “from the hips, not the knees.”
Below, Howser and Barrieu each provide two agility exercises. Howser’s Blue Devils perform the Lunge Balance and Squat Balance twice a week, during agility training days.
Howser’s Drills
Lunge Balance
• Assume lunge position, with back knee resting on ground and arms extended out to sides
• Raise hips until back knee is two to three inches off ground; hold position for three to four seconds
• Slowly rotate torso left; hold for three to four seconds
• Slowly rotate torso right; hold for three to four seconds
Reps/Rest: 2-4 each leg/15-20 seconds
Howser’s Tips: Keep your chest up and center of gravity upright, not over your front leg // Place feet close together at start of exercise // As you get used to performing exercise, spread legs further apart.
Squat Balance
• Stand in athletic stance with arms extended overhead
• Slowly drop hips into squat position; hold
• Slowly rotate torso left; hold for three to four seconds
• Slowly rotate torso right; hold for three to four seconds
Reps/Rest: 2-4/25-30 seconds
Howser’s Tips: You can change the load on your legs by adjusting the space between your feet // If you really want to load up your legs, widen your stance and go down; it’s an incredible burn.
Barrieu’s Drills
Hurdle Lateral Shuffle with Sprint [see diagram for set-up] • Stand left of first row of mini hurdles
• Without crossing feet, shuffle laterally right over each hurdle, leading with right leg so each foot touches once between hurdles
• When right leg steps over last hurdle, plant with right foot and explode into short sprint straight ahead, then begin shuffling laterally left at next row of hurdles
• Repeat through entire pattern of hurdles
Hurdle Lateral Shuffle with Diagonal Sprint [see diagram for set-up] • Stand left of first row of mini-hurdles
• Without crossing feet, shuffle laterally right over each hurdle, leading with right leg so each foot touches once between hurdles
• When right leg steps over last hurdle, plant with right foot and explode into diagonal sprint to opposite end of next row
• Begin shuffling laterally right at next row of hurdles
• Repeat through entire pattern of hurdles
Barrieu’s Tips: Rounded shoulders and forward lean are common among soccer players. But this posture makes it difficult to fully extend the hips, because the shoulders are in front and the back is pushed back. So, try to get in the habit of moving from the hips, getting full extension and being straight through the back.