The game of soccer has changed over the last ten to fifteen years and there are now many reasons to put young soccer players on strength and power training program. But first, keep in mind these are not programs that turn your son or daughter into a body builder.

In the past many coaches would have their players do push ups and sit ups as well as go for 40 minute conditioning runs. This now is outdated soccer conditioning. This type of soccer training leads to weakness, postural imbalances and over use injuries.

It is for these reasons that youth soccer players (male and female) from age eight and up need to be on some sort of strength and conditioning program. In the past, before the convenience of text messaging and computers, young athletes would be in the street, in a park or at a playground playing and being active. Unfortunately many young soccer players are easily entertained by just sitting on their “buttocks” watching a screen.

There is a rise in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears in females. Recently I had to inform a thirteen year old girl and her father that she completely tore her ACL. The injury occurred in an indoor league. Now she needs to build back her strength and power. The orthopedic surgeon decided against a repair at the time because her growth plates had yet to fill in.

It is time to move forward and build strength and power to prevent these types of injuries.

Here are the top five reasons youth soccer players need to train for strength and power:

1) Confidence - strong and powerful players develop amazing inner strength, they believe they can achieve anything on the field.

2) Speed – Naturally by slightly increasing a player’s strength and power they will improve speed on the field. This is a quality that all coaches at any level look for in a player.

3) Injury Prevention – players need the strength to stop instantly under control then explosively change direction.

4) Long Term Strength Development - players who focus on distance running weaken the development of fast twitch muscle fiber needed for strength and power. It is absolutely necessary to focus on strength and power development between the ages of 13-17. Conditioning for soccer is done with high intensity interval training.

5) Burn Fat - Both male and female players I have worked with who had low fitness levels due to high levels of body fat were able to make significant changes over a three to four month time span. A smiling face speaks volumes.

In summary the time is now to change from outdated long runs, sit-ups and push ups to current training methods to build strength and power for your child or team.

Get your complimentary copy “Athletic Development for Soccer Players”, a strength and conditioning guide that includes basic strength, power, speed, agility, quickness, stamina, nutrition and soccer injury prevention tips. Go now to http://www.elitesoccerpower.com and download it to your computer.