Game Fit

Game Fit

There are only 67 days until the beginning of the spring high school soccer season. That means there are 67 days to get in shape, gain confidence, build team chemistry, and overall prepare for the season. Coach always says it is our responsibility to be game ready before season, whether it is preparing yourself mentally or physically everyone is expected to be “game fit.”

Getting physically fit means many things for a soccer player; it could be killers, lunges, Liverpool’s, pushups, squat hops, pull ups, crunches, and many other strenuous activities. I don’t think non-soccer players really understand how much work the sport is. I know a lot of people don’t comprehend why we need upper body strength. Soccer is a very physical sport; we need our upper body to be able to hold another person’s body weight off of us. We need our upper body to run correctly. We need our upper body to be a soccer player. Our lower body is also used in tremendous ways; it also holds other players off, strikes a perfect ball, and gives you the strength do go on a 30 yard sprint. Your whole body is used while playing soccer, you may not realize it, but it’s true.

One of the most important aspects of the game of soccer is to be mentally in the game. Whether that’s keeping your head when there was a bad call, focusing on every single pass you make, or giving every ounce of your being to stay in the game no matter how tired you are. These mental challenges come about in the preseason workouts.  You have to want to get in shape. You have to want to be sore the next morning. You have to give everything you got just to know you will be the slightest better player the next day.

I think it’s all sports that have these physical and mental challenges but how many sports do you know that you sprint for 90 min while getting clobbered on but the athlete still has to keep their cool… Not many. I’m not trying to bash on other sports as much as I am trying to highlight the pain soccer players go through. Each sport is difficult in their own way, and we all have to get Game Fit.

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