During the pre-season, the focus of endurance training should shift to developing anaerobic capacity.
Activities such as Control, Pass and Sprint should be integrated into training twice per week. Training for
aerobic endurance should be in the form of SSG only.

As with the other elements of conditioning, the major goal for endurance training during the competitive
phase or in-season should be to maintain fitness levels established during the off and pre-seasons. Doing
exercises specifically geared towards anaerobic conditioning once per week should be sufficient.
However, this will be based on the number of practice sessions per week. Chapter 11 describes how to
effectively prepare a training plan for the in-season in greater detail. As is the case with pre-season
training, aerobic conditioning should be entirely in the form of SSG. Methods such as interval training
should only be used if there is a significant decline in fitness levels or if a player is returning from injury.

ANAEROBIC AND AEROBIC CONDITIONING FOR YOUTH PLAYERS

Although soccer games at the youth level are generally played for a shorter duration (60 minutes instead
of 90 for example), anaerobic and aerobic conditioning will still have a profound effect on the
performance levels of these players (much less important for children in the pre-pubescent age group). As
mentioned in Chapter 1, youth players also perform and have to recover from intermittent, high-intensity
actions, and can cover up to 6km during a 60-minute match. They also maintain heart rate values ranging
between 80 and 90% of their maximum values.

Youth soccer players in the pre-pubescent age group will have lower VO 2 max values and a lower
tolerance for high-intensity exercises in comparison to their adult counter parts. However, they are able to
increase their work capacities, and as such, endurance-based training may certainly have a beneficial
effect. Children in this age group are not able to properly cope with exercises targeting the glycolytic
systems, especially the fast glycolytic systems. As such, endurance training for this age group should be
mainly concerned with the phosphagen and oxidative systems. Exercises for these players should come
mainly in the form of fun games including small-sided games and other activities such as Stuck in the
Mud, Tag, Knockout and relay-type games.

The exercises presented for developing the oxidative systems (Individual Dribbling and the Centre Circle
Game) can also be used. However, the total duration should not be more than 15 minutes. In addition, the
recovery time between work periods should be longer and the exercise should not be high in intensity
(less speed dribbling or sprinting).

A structured endurance training program for these players should not be a concern, but endurance
activities should be included in training at least once a week and preferably at every training session. As
the year progresses, you can gradually increase the duration of the chosen (endurance) activity.

As children enter the adolescent age range, their VO 2 max increases naturally and their tolerance for high-
intensity exercise improves. Coaches of children in this age group can start incorporating more soccer-
specific and ball-oriented exercises into training sessions for both anaerobic and aerobic conditioning.