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Posted by
Richard Bucciarelli,
September 22, 2011
Email Richard Bucciarelli
Richard Bucciarelli, BKINE, CSEP-CEP, CSCS, CK, is a soccer fitness coach and President of Soccer Fitness Inc., a soccer-specific strength and conditioning company in Toronto. Richard has an extensive background and experience in both training and coaching soccer players of all ages and levels of ability. A certified Kinesiologist, Richard also holds certifications with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP-CEP), National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS), and the American Council on Exercise (CPT, CLWM). He also holds the distinction of being the only trainer in Canada to attend and present research at both the 6th World Congress on Science and Football (Antalya, Turkey, January 2007), the First World Conference on Science and Soccer (Liverpool, England, May 2008), and the 7th World Congress on Science and Football (Nagoya, Japan, May, 2011).
In addition to his many qualifications in soccer fitness training, Richard is also an avid soccer coach. A graduate of York University's Coaching Certification Program, he also currently holds an Ontario Provincial "B" License, as well as United States National "B" and "Y" Licenses, in coaching.
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The Soccer Fitness Soccer-Specific Fitness Assessment Protocol - Part 1
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At Manchester United, coming into training camp 5lbs overweight can cost you $5000. In fact, in most professional first and even second division teams, players are fined between $100 - $1000 per pound of extra weight gained in the off-season. Elite players also stand to lose something even more valuable than money – playing time – if they show decreased performance on endurance testing measures when training camp begins. When taken together, these facts serve to highlight the importance of physical and physiological testing for elite level soccer players.
While testing for weight and body fat is important for elite level professionals, amateur youth players in Canada require a different focus for their testing protocol. Anyone who has ever played a game of soccer knows that the sport places great demands on the physical capacity of the players. At the highest levels of amateur competition, soccer players require extremely high levels of all aspects of physical fitness, including strength, endurance, agility, speed, and power. Furthermore, the intermittent nature of physical activities in soccer means that players must be able to apply the various aspects of their fitness – speed, for example – into a constantly changing game environment.
Through collaboration with Robert Rupf, Exercise Physiologist with the Canadian Sport Centre, and Paolo Pacione, Fitness Coach for the Ontario Soccer Association and some Canadian National Teams, we at Soccer Fitness have developed the Soccer Fitness Soccer-Specific Fitness Assessment Protocol. Each test component chosen for this Protocol had to meet three main standards for inclusion:
- Is the test VALID? (Does it accurately measure what it is supposed to measure?)
- Is the test REPRODUCIBLE? (Can it be done at repeated dates and times with the same control of external variables such as weather, running surface, temperature, etc..?)
- Is the test a PREDICTOR OF PERFORMANCE in soccer? (Does it measure a physical ability that is positively correlated with improved performance on the field?)
In order to ensure that the tests chosen were accurate and valid, we have invested in the most technologically advanced systems available for measurement of physical abilities. Some of these include: Brower Electronic Timing System (for measurement of speed and repeated sprint ability); Optojump Next Electronic Timing System (for measurement of leg muscle power and elasticity). The use of infra-red lasers, with accuracies of up to 1 1000th of a second, in these systems has eliminated the errors associated with traditional methods of assessment such as stop watches, and hand-based vertical jump assessments.
To ensure reproducibility of the tests, we have rented an indoor, 4th Generation, Field Turf field to be used for every Assessment day. The consistent time of day, field surface, and indoor temperature means that the testing environment will be as similar as possible to all previous tests conducted. Furthermore, the Field Turf surface provides a specific surface to the outdoor turf and natural grass surfaces used in game play.
Finally, tests selected must be valid predictors of performance in soccer. In order to meet this criterion, there must be a proven correlation between an increased / more successful performance in the test, and improved performance in actual game play. Using advanced match analysis systems, including hear rate monitors, as well as global and local positioning satellite (GPS and LPS), detailed individual analysis of players’ physical performance is possible. When looking at players’ results and scores in specific tests for individual physical fitness characteristics, including speed, power, agility, repeated sprint ability, and endurance/recovery, fitness coaches can then analyze which tests were positively correlated with performance in match analysis. Thus, players who score highly on certain tests, and who can also perform more high intensity runs/sprints, cover more distance during games, and show better heart rate and recovery responses during games, will give fitness coaches clues as to which tests are the best predictors of performance in soccer.
Based on an exhaustive analysis of the research and literature relating to soccer match analysis and fitness assessments, Mr. Rupf, Mr. Pacione, and myself have come up with the Soccer Fitness Soccer-Specific Fitness Assessment Protocol. The attached document contains a detailed description of each test component in the Protocol. In the next issue of The Training Edge, we will follow up with a detailed analysis of the tests themselves, including pictures and videos.
For a sneak peek at some of the revolutionary new testing equipment and protocols described in this article, including the Optojump Next Electronic Timing System, visit the Soccer Fitness Training Centre at one of our Open Houses: Saturday, September 24th (12-3pm) or Monday, September 26th (6-9pm). For more information visit www.soccerfitness.ca.
Richard Bucciarelli, BKINE, CSEP-CEP, CSCS, CK, is a soccer-specific strength and conditioning coach and President of Soccer Fitness Inc., a soccer-specific fitness company located in Toronto. For more information about Soccer Fitness Inc., visit www.soccerfitness.ca
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