Why are your youth soccer
players running laps?

This is a question that all
coaches, at all levels, should ask themselves and reflect on their soccer
training sessions. For many years soccer coaches have used laps to "warm up"
soccer players or increase their endurance. We should all reexamine this
thinking.

Last month a friend of mine,
Coach Mike, called me and he sounded a little upset. He knew my philosophy on
soccer players running laps and we had a long discussion about it earlier in the
year. Coach Mike is successful high school coach that holds a USSF "C" license
and in years past has coached many youth academy teams. He is well respected and
liked by players, parents and the soccer community. While developing both

www.BlastTheBall.com   and our new

www.SoccerU.com  series I would often sit in the bleachers watching his
players practice and play.