Introducing
Resistive and OverSpeed Elastic Band Training
This
program was developed specifically with the needs of the collegiate soccer
player in mind, although it can be adapted to players of younger ages and levels
of development. These needs are the result of the fact that the level of
competition in soccer has increased to higher and higher levels every year.
To
strive to compete at these high levels, the soccer program must pay attention to
several important areas. The first is to recruit top level talent, which is
becoming more and more difficult for each college since the amount of talent is
predetermined. Because of this limit in talent, great conditioning qualities
must be developed in each of the athletes so that they can achieve maximum
performance.
Thus,
the second area that the coach must focus on is to look for new ways to make the
training and conditioning of each athlete more efficient based on the limitation
of time that each coach has to contend with. This is how we arrived at this time
efficient way of developing the physical qualities of the athlete.
With
and Without Ball Resistive/Assistive Elastic Band Training
(WWBRAEBT) - How Does it Work for Soccer?
This
form of training bridges the gap between what we do in the weight room and on
the soccer field relating the demands of the sport.
We want our players to apply their speed, strength and agility to winning
possession, scoring goals, and winning games.
We try to relate WWBRAEBT to game environments as much as possible.
This is how we achieve time efficiency.
Keeping soccer and conditioning separate doesn't help either one as much
as putting them together. The use
of WWBRAEBT is done to increase the intensity (quality) of training per unit of
time and the efficiency. Time as we
have mentioned, is limited. WWBRAEBT
allows the body to move faster than they would be able to do without assistance. Down hill running is an example of this form of training.
In addition it also provides the quality of overload by providing
resistance. This is accomplished
through the use of elastic bands secured around the athlete at the waist, at
their center of gravity. This
allows for the efficient training of strength and speed within the same
exercise. This is known as
resistance/assistance training. Switching
resistance/assistance can only be done if the body position of the athletes can
be changed in the fastest possible manner. Practically this means that agility
will be required and affected to the highest possible extent. This is the
greatest benefit the soccer players can get from such training, because in the
game of soccer today, above all, the most important physical quality is the
agility. To create this environment
both experts needed to create new unique equipment that allows switching
directions in the fastest possible way.
With
and Without the Ball Considerations
WWBRAEBT
at Texas is done about 50-50, with and without the ball. This depends on the
time of year and the intensity level we are trying to achieve. When we are
working on developing certain physical qualities, such as strength and power,
the presence of the ball is not an optimal situation. It also must be realized
that the game of soccer is not always with the ball, since the ball is at the
feet of the average player for a maximum of two minutes during the game.
When
the ball is introduced, this is not technique training, as with running
technique training, but conditioning training incorporating the ball. If we were
doing purely technique training, the bands would not be involved since certain
techniques can't be properly trained. But it allows technique training and
conditioning in a time efficient manner. Athletes
at a younger level need to have good ball skills in order gain the benefits of
with ball training. (See OverSpeed Training Programs)
Goal
Keeper Application
We take two approaches to
our goal keeping training. Jen Renola our keeper coach teaches and trains
technique with match and game related situations. This is separate from
WWBRAEBT. With the bands, we are trying to develop certain physical qualities so
that when they take their power step they can be more explosive. We work their
footwork so they can be faster. We also do overspeed diving. Everything they
have learned from Jen technically, we try to take to the next level physically.
We try to introduce enough tension to create a training effect without slowing
the reaction to the point where technique starts to break down. This is
something the coach should watch carefully. As they become stronger they are
able to take on higher loads of tension which improves quick first step and
speed of response to the ball.
The
Economies and Motivational Aspects of WWBRAEBT
What
makes this type of training so effective is that the entire team is able to use
this program at the same time. While
one person is working, the other is resting and they switch immediately. You can
have groups of players working in tandem. You can introduce more complex
arrangements with three and up to six players working together at the same time.
An additional benefit is that communication and interaction of the players
working together is increased, which is a great team building opportunity.
The
team also has a lot of fun with this. They do things that can't possibly do on
their own. There is a "built in response" to this training since if an
athlete is being pulled at 105 percent of their speed, they have no choice but
to respond. If they don't give it their best, they'll fall flat on their face.
It allows the coach to get more work out of the athletes on days they may not
feel like training hard. This helps to obtain consistency in training, something
every coach and athlete tries to achieve.
This equipment is also
very portable. Our team went to Europe for preseason, and we were concerned that
after being there 10 days we would lose our strength. Especially since we didn't
know what type of facilities we would have access to over there. We brought the
bands with us, packing 13 of them into one duffel bag with some cones. In Europe
we were able to do three, 45-minute training sessions and didn't lose any
strength, speed or power going into the season. In fact, we believe we gained a
little.
Resistive
Running and Running Technique
If
resistance is applied to the athlete while running, depending on the amount of
resistance, the technique of running will begin to deteriorate. This is the case
while performing the resistive aspect of WWBRAEBT. In studying world class
sprinters, you can see variations in the technique of the sprinters from athlete
to athlete. In this regard, there are many variations to the "perfect
technique" as it is specific to the athlete. They are specific to the limb
lengths of the body and the proposition of muscular strength within each muscle.
An
example of a great sprinter with less than textbook perfect technique is Bob
Hayes, a world class sprinter and a receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, who still
achieved gold medal results. Therefore, unification of perfect technique is
impossible. But there are some
commonalties to technique that are common to all great sprinters, simultaneous
triple extension of the ankle, knee and hips, as an example. This is why
improvement of the technique to improve speed has limited success. This is not
to say technique is not important, as it should be one of the first issues
addressed in any speed improvement program for the young soccer player.
In
the game of soccer there is almost never an occasion where perfect running
technique can be realized. The player is constantly fighting some external
force. He or she is trying to reach a ball, kick a ball, fight an opponent for
position, get to a ball, go after and perform a head ball, quick change of
direction, do a slide tackle or get up and return to play. These examples, as
well as countless other game related situations, negate the opportunity to
perform perfect running technique.
Running
in soccer often is done in resistive situations due to the opposition’s
grabbing of the jersey, pushing and other contact related situations that try to
create space and win possession of the ball. This keeps the player off balance.
In addition, field conditions can contribute to this resistance such as wet,
slippery surfaces. This is why the soccer players should perform with and
without the ball resistance training and why it’s so soccer-specific. It
provides the player opportunities to overcome external forces not in a perfect
running technique situation but in a functional running situation based on the
realities of the game of soccer. It is even to the advantage of the player to be
a little reckless with the running style to gain territory and space.
Avoiding
the Braking Phenomenon of Assistive Training
Studies
have shown that if enough assistance is placed on "towing" the
athlete, the body, sensing danger, will naturally respond by telling the muscle
to brake. This response negates the effect of assistive overspeed training.
To
avoid this phenomenon, the coach must pay attention to the organization of the
exercise. Here are the considerations:
·
Athletes
training in tandem must be of similar body mass and strength qualities.
·
Athletes
training in tandem should have similar speed abilities.
·
The
assistive aspect should be in the environment that the athlete can handle.
Creating an extreme assistive, overspeed situation would be
counter-productive. The assistance
has to provide no more than 8-13% faster movement than the fastest possible
without equipment in order to avoid “towing” the athlete and “breaking”
the muscles.
WWBRAEBT
Equipment Considerations
There
are many products on the market that provide either assistive or resistive
opportunities. The qualities that we look for in our program are a device that
allows for the quick transfer from assistive to resistive qualities, and visa
versa. The length of tubing we prefer is 15 feet when the elastic is not
stretched. It should be able to be stretched at least twice in length and 3.5
times is optimal. A belt should be
secured around each of the athlete’s waist when the exercise is done in
tandem. The elastic should be secured by D rings that are able to swivel 360
degrees, allowing for ease of movement of the elastic when the athlete changes
direction, which is important to our soccer-specific program. The belt itself
needs to be comfortable. For obvious safety reasons it should be secured, as to
prevent the belt from coming loose during activity.
WWBRAEBT
Program Considerations
WWBRAEBT
is done mainly in the off-season at the University of Texas, being performed two
times a week. This allows for maximum intensity in doing the program.
One day a week we do multi-directional exercises with the ball and the
other day is done working on straight-ahead speed. In the summer, where in the
college setting we have no control of the athlete’s exercise regimens, we
discontinue this form of training. Coming back into the pre-season we start out
again doing it two to three times a week. At
this time we incorporate more of the ball. During the season we cut this back to
once per week to try and maintain. As the season progresses, we may cut it back
even more so the loading that this form of training present becomes less of a
factor.
For
the club and high school level, WWBRAEBT can be done as time permits. We
recommend three times a week during the heaviest developmental period of
training. But based on schedule,
two days a week will still provide positive results. WWBRAEBT is best done prior to practice. This allows for the
maximum amount of effect and work out for the athletes. In the pre-season we do
it as part of warm-up. We start without the ball, progressing to using the ball,
which gets us ready for practice.
It
can also be done at the end of a training session, depending on the intensity of
the session. If it’s a relatively easy session, then good benefits can be
achieved, but if the athletes are fatigued from practice the benefits will
suffer. If there is a heavy
technical emphasis on a certain day then it will not be optimal to fatigue the
athletes prior to the session. It’s
a coaching decision of what works best based on the team’s own situation.
WWBRAEBT
is appropriate for any level of play as long as the athletes can be effectively
coached. Kids of eight, nine and ten are doing many jumping and running
activities at this age. Because this form of training uses only body weight, no
external loading is necessary. Its important however to present the proper
process for the young athlete.
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