Soccer Training Aids

Soccer Training Aids

While scoring goals is the ultimate objective in soccer, the game consists of much more, including passing, dribbling, and defensive blocking. Soccer training equipment is essential for both recreational and professional teams to improve ball skills. Teams must also use strength and conditioning soccer equipment to become faster and stronger over time.

Cones are an essential part of soccer training equipment, because they are used for many different drills and training exercises as well as marking out sidelines and goal lines when practicing in a park. Traditionally, coaches used parking-style cones that have a square base and are anywhere from about 9 inches to a few feet tall and come to a point at the top. Disc cones are a different style that are much lower to the ground, usually around 2 inches tall, and do not come to a point.

Learning and practicing ball skills like shooting, passing, and dribbling are essential training activities for every soccer player. Solo soccer training equipment allows athletes to practice footwork drills and kicking alone and in confined spaces. This equipment consists of a net or strap that holds the ball, which is attached to a cord that is either wrapped around the player's wrist or their waist.

Ball skills are important in soccer training, but equally important is the development of speed, agility, and strength. The most competitive players spend extra time improving their physical fitness doing speed drills like ladders and sprints, as well as weight training and agility training. Some equipment used when training for soccer includes the following:

• Ladder drills help players increase both their speed and coordination. Soccer ladder equipment is basically a ladder-shaped plastic and rope device that is laid on the ground. Players run over it, placing a foot in each box. A coach may time these exercises to measure speed improvements. Plus, there are a variety of ladders available with spaces of different sizes.
• Agility poles are tall, narrow poles set up for athletes to work on changing directions by weaving around them. These can be paired with ladders and other speed training devices to create a soccer obstacle course.
• Hurdles are used in both soccer and sports like track to improve leg strength and jumping height when running.
• Resistance parachutes help increase the overall strength of soccer players. These consist of a heavy parachute attached to an athlete's body, which expands and provides resistance as he or she begins running.

Whether a new or veteran coach, everyone involved in soccer coaching can benefit from videos that describe all aspects of soccer, from training to game strategy. Some videos are included with other soccer training equipment, and others can be bought separately. Different styles of coach whistles and stopwatches are available, as well as soccer dry erase clipboards on which coaches can draw plays.