Fitness is a factor in soccer that very few people really understand. Everyone sees it as the ability to run round and round in circles for miles and miles and miles. Which it isn't.

 Fitness is all about suitability. If something isn't fit for humans to eat it means that it isn't suitable. Agreed? So fitness is specific to the sport and means being suitable to compete in that sport and involves other elements other than just sheer endurance.

 Fitness in soccer simply means being suitably able to play and compete for your team in a match for 90 minutes, or however long the matches YOU play last. It doesn't mean being able to run a marathon. Which is good if you hate running round and round in circles! It's why we talk about a player being 'match-fit' she might be able to keep going for ages, but if she can't sprint and can't control the ball and hasn't the strength to beat the opposition well then it's not much good.

 The 5 Elements of Fitness

Athletes talk about five key factors involved in fitness. These are:

1.      Stamina
Well, this much you know. The ability to keep going after the others have stopped. Great for the last ten to fifteen minutes of a match it can really show, not just in your ability to run, but also in your levels of concentration.

2.      Speed
Just as important football requires a lot of speed. Speed along the wing and speed over a very short distance such as rushing out to block a shot. And don't forget speed IS trainable just as trainable as stamina! So this is an area which we will be looking at in weeks to come.

3.      Strength
Perhaps not so important here as in other sports such as boxing or rugby, but it does have an important role to play. Going up for headers, contesting possession, etc it's always the stronger player who'll win out. We will be showing you circuit training exercises in weeks to come that will help you improve your strength considerably.

4.      Suppleness
Some people are very flexible and can easily touch their toes. Others get down to their knees and find this agony. Don't panic! But do understand that the more you can work on this, the more that you will avoid injury and the more agile you will be. This can be a key factor in avoiding little hamstring pulls and other complaints that can waste parts of your season and should be worked on just as much as the other elements of fitness.

5.      Skill
Yes! Don't forget this one. Skill is just as much an aspect of fitness as anything else! And obviously an area that can be improved considerably. Think about it which is better to have on your team? An unskilled player or a skilled player. Exactly! The skilled player is more suitable, is more fit to play for you.

The sambasoccer.com Fitness Package.

Summer can be a great time to work on your fitness. You have time off school to work on your stamina and endurance doing some running, cycling, swimming, and other sports that involve continuous activity. It's warm, so you can stretch and so mobility exercises in a little more comfort. The beach can be a great place to work on your speed and strength. And in the break from playing competitive fixtures you have time to work on a concerted effort to improve your skills.