If you’re trying to start your own soccer team, chances are you’ve been following FIFA teams like the U.S. Women’s National Team for a long time and want to model your team after theirs. This is a great way to approach creating a team, since they already have a successful framework in place for training, coaching, and game play. This article will give you a few ideas for how to model your team after the pros’.
1. Training
To kick your team’s training into high gear, it’s important to maintain a routine and enforce the routine among the members of the team. To become world class players like those on the USWNT, they’ll need to have a training schedule that includes strength and muscular endurance off the field, and rigorous drills during practices. Achieving next-level ball skills might mean hiring a pro, like Beast Mode Soccer’s David Copeland-Smith, to create drills for honing your players’ individual skills.
Workout routines should also be tailored to your players’ individual needs, but should involve some form of muscular strengthening and endurance. Of course, players need to be lean to stay fast on the field, but muscular strength will help them power through long games without fatiguing. You might not be a pro coach, but by setting aside your worries about insurance quotes to help your team succeed will go a long way to making your team one of the best.
Have a plan in place for when a player is injured, and make sure they stick to it to avoid further injury. Make sure each player takes regular rest days to relax and recover. Encourage players to warm up, cool down, and stretch during both practices and individual workouts. Don’t hesitate to hire a physical therapist if the need arises, as they can offer invaluable insights for your players and could help them take their game to the next level.
2. Nutrition
A large part of the success of professional athletes like the women on the USWNT is their adherence to a balanced, nutritious diet. Your players might be accustomed to eating whatever they want to fuel their workouts and practices, but they won’t see the progress they’re hoping for if they don’t get smart about their eating habits.
As the coach, you can help out by making sure to provide healthy, macro-balanced snack options for practices. Some staples of the USWNT include protein-rich options like eggs and Greek yogurt, and nutrient-dense foods like Kale, while providing sugary snacks like candy for mid-game energy boosts. Candy might seem counterintuitive on a healthy diet, but such foods will digest and provide energy more quickly, making them perfect for a long game.
Players should also be mindful of their hydration, consuming plenty before, during, and after practices or games. The USWNT will do urine tests during long tournaments to ensure their players are staying hydrated, so it’s definitely something that should be at the forefront of your priorities as you give suggestions to players for upping their game. Provide water at all times, and encourage players to buy and bring along their reusable water bottles.
3. Mindset
For a rigorous lifestyle like those followed by the women of the USWNT, you can be certain they’re spending a decent amount of time getting their heads right before games and during tournaments. Pros have mastered the art of turning high pressure situations into motivation that helps them instead of hindering them. They also understand the importance of a tight-knit team that can put any differences aside to play their best game and operate as a unit.
As coach, it’s your job to instill the confidence and team spirit needed to consistently win games. Remember that attitude is everything, and try to convey that through your coaching and mentoring of your players. No matter what, stay focused and don’t let small setbacks deter you from having a winner’s mentality. Your team might not be in the FIFA league, but it can still be incredibly successful and inspiring by simply applying some of these tips.
