Steele Canyon High School Women's Soccer

An Introduction to Strength Training for Soccer By Renato Capobianco, MA, CSCS I've often heard people say that lifting weights is bad for soccer players because it makes you slow and you lose flexibility. Well, that statement can be both true and false. If one embarks on the wrong type of strength training program, say, one more suited for body building, and doesn't bother to work on their flexibility, then it would be easy to think that lifting weights is detrimental to a soccer player. But if the right kind of strength training program is used and a player continues to work on their flexibility, strength training with weights can be a beneficial form of training for soccer players. This is kind of like saying that eating food makes one fat. If you eat the wrong foods all the time, never watch your caloric intake, and never exercise, eating any virtually any food under those circumstances will make you fat. But, if you tailor your diet to suit your needs and include proper exercise, one will see that food as the necessity it is. We must always ask ourselves, "Why are we doing what we are doing?" Time is precious so let's use it efficiently. I recently gave a summer conditioning program to a college soccer team. I made it very clear that the strength training aspect of the program was to supplement their soccer playing and their anaerobic/aerobic conditioning. Inevitably, some of the players will find that lifting in an air conditioned gym is less strenuous and more fun than running shuttles in the hot summer sun. In their mind, they got their workout out in, right? By the end of the summer, they may have missed 6-8 running sessions and countless 4v4 games because, in their mind, the strength training constituted a soccer workout. Hence, the loss of flexibility and the decreased ability to run for 90 minutes. Strength training is a very important element in developing a total athlete. However, it should be viewed as one of many elements a soccer player must enhance. I place it in the same category as juggling, playing soccer tennis, being proficient at 5 v 2, and the development of individual skills. All these activities will improve one's touch and decision making in tight spaces. Hopefully one will see this translate onto the field in the form of better technical skills and improved decision making. Strength training can make movements faster and more powerful. I also believe that, especially with teenage players, increased strength can give a player added confidence, especially when having to go into challenges with bigger players. How you apply the added strength and power as it relates to a soccer situation will ultimately determine how effective it is. Strength training for soccer should be approached as a total body proposition. The upper body, the core (abs, obliques, low back), and the legs must be part of a comprehensive program. One should focus on exercises that strengthen groups of muscles versus exercises that only work individual muscles. Remember that 99 % of all body movements in an athletic setting take place when a group of muscles work together in a kinetic chain. This is where the phrase "Train muscles, not movements" comes from.

Nutrition Tips Four Nutrition Myths Among Soccer Players By Donald T. Kirkendall of U.S. Soccer RESOURCE CENTER - February 19, 2004 Dr. Donald T. Kirkendall, who works with U.S. Soccer’s National Teams, examines four common myths about nutrition among soccer players. Four Nutrition Myths Among Soccer Players By Donald T. Kirkendall There are more myths that coaches, players and parents may be following, but below four of the more common myths are dispelled. By following the nutritional guidelines below, players, coaches and teams can put themselves in an advantageous position before the match starts. Myth 1: Game performance is not affected by what you eat. Virtually every study on athletic performance for both team and individual sports shows that a diet rich in carbohydrates improves running performance. However, nutritional research from the 1970s to present day still show that soccer players choose a diet that is approximately 40 percent carbohydrates, 40 percent fat and 20 percent protein. What is discouraging is that in the very early 70s, the Swedes conducted a study that showed soccer players with low muscle fuel (glycogen) walk about 50 percent of the game. Even 30 years later, a study showed that more than half of a national team in the 1994 FIFA World Cup thought food had nothing to do with their performance. The bottom line is that players eat what is put in front of them. The more carbohydrates an athlete eats, the more endurance he or she will have. This means that when the end of the game approaches, the player will be able to run faster and longer if he or she consumed the proper amount of carbohydrates. Myth 2: What you eat after the game does not matter. At games and tournaments around the country, players will sometimes eat the worst post game snacks possible including soda, sweet drinks in soft packaging, potato chips, candy bars and fries. Everyone who has ever been to a soccer field on a weekend has seen this. Muscles are most ready to receive a fresh supply of fuel during the first hour or two directly following exercise. The smart coaches and parents supply food that will start refilling muscles with carbohydrates at just that time. A proper supply of carbohydrates is needed. It can come from a carbohydrate replenishment drink or other foods like bagels with jelly, pretzels, raisins or other dried fruit. This is even more critical between tournament games when the time between games is even shorter. Myth 3: A diet is good as long as an athlete gets enough protein. While most every survey of the athletic diet shows that players get all the protein they need from food, there is a problem. The vast majority of protein is consumed in conjunction with fat. Marbled meat, ground beef, and fried chicken all are examples of protein that is combined with lots of fat. Red meat should be trimmed of fat, and ground beef should be very lean. Chicken should have the skin removed before cooking. One place protein isn’t commonly found is the immediate post-exercise meal. A little protein helps in storing new fuel in the muscles faster than when there is no protein. Players can try to figure out a protein source after the game or drink a carbohydrate replenishment drink that contains protein. Myth 4: Your body is the best indicator of when to drink; Mother Nature knows best. For most mammals, it is OK not to drink until thirsty. However, the thirst mechanism of humans operates differently than the average mammal. In fact, the human thirst mechanism doesn’t even kick in until a person has lost about two percent of body weight from sweating. At this level, a decrease in performance begins to become evident. Players should drink before starting the game, every 15-20 minutes during play if possible, and at halftime. Make sure the team has drink bottles along both sidelines and in the goals so players have easy access to fluids during stoppages of play. Don’t forget that playing in the cold is also dehydrating, so drinking fluids is just as important in cold weather. Overall, it is important for the well-rounded player to keep an eye on what the eat and drink in order to get results on the field. For more information on nutrition in soccer, check out the Resource Center archives on the Services page of ussoccer.com. ****************************************************** This article is courtesy of U.S. Soccer RESOURCE CENTER - February 19, 2004

With minutes left in a 1-1 game vs. OLP, JENNIFER SCHAFER spinned and from 30 yards out blasted a ball into the left corner of the net for the game winner. As dramatic as any goal/win in SC's history, the Cougars survived without some key players and falling behind 1-0 late in the second half. But with approximately 18 minutes left, CHELSEA JENNER stripped the OLP keeper and scored to even the score and setting up Jennifer's game winner. The win would not have been possible without GILLIAN HUGHES and BETHANY RANGEL stepping up in starting roles, helping JANEL SANCHEZ and ALYSSA LLANOS shut down OLP. Coach Charlie stated, "Gillian and Bethany played an incredible game for us, and Jennifer's goal was just unbelievable. She had taken some big shots throughout the game, and I was surprised that even  from that far out, OLP didn't step up to defend it." OLP's sweeper JESSICA ACEVES stated, "I didn't think she was going to shoot!"  A great win against a D3 Rival with seedings on the line. Next up West Hills after the break. The win moved the Cougars to 8-3!

Arriving at 4:34pm for the 4:30pm, the Cougars used the first half to warmup and then proceeded to shutout Santana 2-0. Another awesome game by the defense and goalkeepers SUMMER BLAND and LAUREN RADICE paced the Cougars and their fourth win a row, moving the team to 7-1. COURTNEY CLEAVES led the offense, assisting on both goals for JENNFIER SCHAFER and CHELSEA JENNER. MIA JACKSON's cross from Courtney's through pass to Chelsea in the opening minute of the second half set the tone for the half as the Cougars dominated the Sultans.

In the JV game, the Cougars won 2-0 on goals by CANDICE NEWTON and MELISSA SAUNDERS, moving the JV Cougars to 6-1-1. Next up Vasqueros Tournament!