It's a controversial topic isn't it -- fitness training for juniors and youths
. After all... the formative years should be about skill and technical development right? No time for fitness. They can worry about that when they're older.
And then there's the scare stories... like "strength training in juniors can stunt their growth" or "too much running will cause stress-related injuries in growing bones".
Soccer, at any age is a physical game. It involves running. It involves twisting and turning. It involves jumping and kicking and tackling. And as young players mature, the stresses and strains of the competitive environment become greater and greater.
Not only can conditioning for juniors and youths be perfectly safe, done correctly it's the best way to prevent injury and set up a long, successful career.
In fact, what I hope to show you is that if you fail to take the same structured approach to a youngster's athletic development, as you do to their technical development, they may be plagued by nagging, recurrent injuries and become disillusioned with sport.
Of course, you probably already know how to address the unique needs of young players when it comes to learning skill and technique. There are guidelines and advice aplenty in the many hundreds of soccer coaching books and resources. You have to know these "coaching rules" inside out if you want to get formally qualified.
It's little wonder that most coaches avoid planning a conditioning program for their junior players!