NSCA has a new Sprint Acceleration graphic that is quite useful. It goes along with an article in their journal, but it is behind a paywall if you are not an NSCA member. This is the best free strength training resource on the web. It is written for physical therapists and strength coaches. https://exrx.net/ What do I take away from this graphic for soccer coaches? Look at the chart with the three curves and compare it to the chart immediately below it showing exercises to help each part of sprinting. First, because of the nature of our sport, we are interested in the early acceration stage and not the maximum velocity stage. So we are interesed in the areas of high force and power, not high velocity. Second, the suggested exercises are "jump squat" and "mid thigh pull" for increasing force and power. Third, maximum velocity sprinting does not promote force and power so is of little benefit to us. It seems to me that the strength section of the FIFA 11 plus program should not only be valuable as injury prevention, but also promote sprint acceleration. https://www.fifamedicalnetwork.com/lessons/prevention-fifa-11/ Please remember only the initial part of the program exercises are a warmup. Strength training prior to performance degrades performance. So when and where you schedule it is a factor in performance. https://www.facebook.com/NSCAofficial/photos/a.274012749350476/2808162195935506/?type=3&theater
Damn, we're on the same wavelength again. Recently, I've gone down a rabbit hole of strength and conditioning and SPRINTS are a topic that I'm drawn to. An S&C coach was saying nearly all sports value (sprint) speed but how often do we train speed? Note: it can be as little as 5–10 sprints each practice. We rarely have our players just flat out run as fast as they possibly can. The "hard" part is spacing the sprints out so the athlete is fully recovered and can go max effort again on the next sprint.