Weight Training surely has no place in girls soccer!

[woodeng]

Weight training surely has no place in girls soccer (or high school soccer). The Bigger Faster Stronger motto is nonense, more like Bigger Fatter Slower! Having high school pupils "max-ing out" cannot be good for their growth, it probly explains why so many pupils get injured and require knee operations.

 

Does weight training improve perfromance? Improve speed? Doubtful. I know of some girls who play basketball and have to lift on the same day of a soccer game, this is just crazy! I cant see no benefit for soccer at all, is strength really that important in soccer, id say no, id rather have speed and aerobic endurance any day of the week. You want to improve the power of a shot, work on technqiue, want to improve speed, work on "reading of the game" and anticipation or foot drills.

 

Not baiting anyone, my opinion and im just interested in your opinions?

[BigG]

High reps, low weights...

 

PROPER weight training has a place in all sports (not a necessity, but is something I recommend).

 

It all has to do with their trainer.

[Guest TheChosenOne]

Absolutely it has a place. As an athletic trainer (not a personal trainer) I can tell you that it plays a big role in injury prevention along with performance enhancement. Since my time at my current school, weight training along with other training methods has led to a decrease in injury rates. Now if the girls are being taught in the same manner as the boys, you may have an issue. Just as the previous post mentioned, its about higher reps and less weight. Ideally, you would want a workout that is working out the core muscles, along with the extremities, while incorporating injury prevention techniques and flexibility exercises as well. Techniques have involved tremendously over the past decade or so that have allowed groups as well as individuals to customize their workouts so that they can choose which aspects of strength and conditioning will be most beneficial to them!

[kickgrass]

I agree with the G man. Weight training has a place in every sport, but the workout should be geared toward that sport. Being stronger isn't a bad thing. I agree with what was said about technique being the main factor. Weight training should enhance not substitute.

 

Soccer players are not out to build bulk, but lean muscle mass is good. Weight training for legs, quads and hamstrings helps prevent knee injury by making the muscles that support the knee area stronger. Upper body strength is also a factor in fighting off hands arms and shoulders. If your basketball coach has the players lift for the upper body on soccer game days that shouldn't be a problem (except maybe the keeper), but if they make the girls do leg work on those days shame on them.

[woodeng]

Absolutely it has a place. As an athletic trainer (not a personal trainer) I can tell you that it plays a big role in injury prevention along with performance enhancement. Since my time at my current school, weight training along with other training methods has led to a decrease in injury rates. Now if the girls are being taught in the same manner as the boys, you may have an issue. Just as the previous post mentioned, its about higher reps and less weight. Ideally, you would want a workout that is working out the core muscles, along with the extremities, while incorporating injury prevention techniques and flexibility exercises as well. Techniques have involved tremendously over the past decade or so that have allowed groups as well as individuals to customize their workouts so that they can choose which aspects of strength and conditioning will be most beneficial to them!

 

 

You make a couple of extremley good points, very light weights for injury prevention / recovery, yes. But in general, at a youne age? After the age of 18, I agree, but the demands of soccer and other sport plus with gym work is an extreme amount of stress for a young developing body. As you'll know, muscles adapt as they recover, when do they have the chance to recover?

[Guest TheChosenOne]

Very good point. Lifting during season does have a purpose. If you bust your rear all offseason, you sure do not want to lose it by not doing anything during the season. However, when you do strength training to maintain during a season, it should be scaled back considerably (i.e. 3-4 days a week to maybe two days). If done right, some of the exercises can actually benefit in the recovery process (also called regeneration in some circles).

 

As far as having to weight train for basketball during soccer season, that is another story. While not familiar with your particular situation, I know that at my school, we would not do something like that. If they are doing a hard out of season workout with basketball and playing soccer, then that is too much, but if they are doing an less strenuous in season workout, then it would be beneficial. There is a great book out there that incorporates and talks about the regeneration phase...Core Performance...they also have one that is dedicated to soccer..I believe you can find it on the athletes performance website.

 

I will also mention that it has long been taboo in many circles for younger athletes to do strength training for fear of injuries, stunting growth etc. There is a good bit of evidence that is out there that has really found that this is not true so long as it is done properly.

 

Hope that this helps

[woodeng]

[

 

I will also mention that it has long been taboo in many circles for younger athletes to do strength training for fear of injuries, stunting growth etc. There is a good bit of evidence that is out there that has really found that this is not true so long as it is done properly.

 

 

 

Cheers, i'll have a look

[flashgordon]

High reps, low weights...

 

PROPER weight training has a place in all sports (not a necessity, but is something I recommend).

 

It all has to do with their trainer.

 

Absolutely...and not just sports....life in general!

[Devil_Blue]

Its hard to find someone knowlegeable in weight training. If done right. Only makes them better.

 

But done wrong..... Trouble for their high school career.

 

I've seen the results of bad weight training....Constantly fighting injured muscles.. back aches....

 

In my opinion, "Cardio, Cardio, Cardio...." Will win out every time.

 

I think stamina is the key.

 

You can build muscle strength without weights.

[woodeng]

Its hard to find someone knowlegeable in weight training. If done right. Only makes them better.

 

But done wrong..... Trouble for their high school career.

 

I've seen the results of bad weight training....Constantly fighting injured muscles.. back aches....

 

In my opinion, "Cardio, Cardio, Cardio...." Will win out every time.

 

I think stamina is the key.

 

You can build muscle strength without weights.

 

 

I agree. I think my thread has two points:

 

1. These are teenage girls, and they shouldnt have to have knee operations before 20. Its High School soccer, not life and death.

 

2. Id rather have them on the training pitch, rather than the weight room.

[KeeperFan15]

Interesting article (http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/knee ... en_acl.htm) indicates that ACL injuries are higher in women than men due to women playing in a more erect posture. Author comes to the conclusion that this could be due to muscle fatigue. That makes it sound like high reps low weight would be beneficial. With the right program, it can also greatly reduce problems with patella tracking in young girls. Also sounds like if you are against weights at an early age, training on how to play with more bent knee position would be beneficial. Remember girls typically reach their max height at around age 15. I don't think I would start it at 8, but 12 is probably ok.

 

Reading this article unfortunately confirmed what I thought to be a rumor by some of my European counterparts. The "unofficial" position with some clubs was to start the "elite" girls on birth control as soon as they could. As a dad, I'll take weights over that option any day.

[kickgrass]

I agree. I think my thread has two points:

 

1. These are teenage girls, and they shouldnt have to have knee operations before 20. Its High School soccer, not life and death.

 

2. Id rather have them on the training pitch, rather than the weight room.

 

 

I think your logic is flawed to associate weight training with knee injuries. There is a lot of studies that have been performed on the increased number of knee injuries with girls vs boys. I've seen everything from: that they occur more often during hormonal changes during menustration (probably the birth control pill thing although I haven't seen that one), to poor training practices that result in poor muscular balance due to overbuilding the quadraceps and underbuilding the hamstrings and as was mentioned the erect posture issue. Lot's of ideas but no real answers.

 

PROPER training is the key phrase.

 

Girls are athletes too and they should train as athletes, it really cranks me that people do not give girls the same respect as athletes that they do boys. Girls work just as hard.

 

If weight training is not appropriate for soccer, why does every College program (Men and Women) have mandatory weight training for their soccer players?

 

However, they need to learn how to lift properly and establish a proper program and they should not lift till they learn this. The workout should be balanced. There are many, many people out there qualified to teach proper technigue and establish appropriate programs. There are books, videos, the internet (all the kids surely know how to use that). A lot of weight lifting injuries are caused by people that have no idea what they are doing getting in the gym and trying to lift the machine to impress or get quick results and end up injured. Getting results from weight lifting are a marathon not a sprint.

 

Cardio is very important, agreed more than weights in soccer. But, a well balanced training program for soccer or any sport utilizes a lot of varied types of training to acheive an overall goal of proper fitness. It also helps to prevent overuse injuries.