SAMPLE TRAINING PROGRAMS

In the following section we present sample weekly training plans (2 training sessions/ week) for the
various phases of the season. Remember, these plans are for coaches of youth and amateur teams with
limited training time. Each plan is constructed based on the guidelines outlined above and is based on the
conditioning objectives for that training cycle.

If you manage to schedule a third training day into the weekly schedule, then you can follow the
guidelines given in the Program Design Sections of Chapters 2 to 8 to plan your training session. You
may also choose to focus strictly on technical or tactical-based exercises in that session if you feel it
necessary. These are just sample plans and should be tailored based on the needs of the team and the
improvement of the players as you progress from week to week throughout each training phase.

As previously mentioned, the main conditioning objective during the competition phase is the
maintenance of fitness levels acquired during the off and pre-seasons. However, because less time will be
devoted to conditioning during practice sessions, it is impractical to target all conditioning components
within a twice-a-week training schedule. Instead, we recommend a rotational system that covers all the
components within a three-week cycle:

In the first week (cycle A), the focus will be on training for agility and explosive power.

In the second week (cycle B), the focus will be on training for explosive power, anaerobic endurance and
starting speed and acceleration.

In week three (cycle C) the emphasis will be to maintain strength and anaerobic endurance as well as
training for starting speed and acceleration.

In each week, you will concentrate on specific conditioning components and set attainable fitness targets.
The sequence should be repeated at the end of the 3-week cycle.