Sand training is great for joints and muscle strength. I personally found that it prevents and heals knee pain. Sand training [barefoot] provides muscular conditioning as an overall, collaborative improvement, with cardiovascular training preceding the muscular conditioning. Sand soccer training is not just for the beach competitor. Beach soccer is great for any soccer player who wants to improve their overall skill and control, as well as build leg and core strength.
5 benefits training in the sand
- Gain Speed
- Improve Vertical
- Make Your Knee Stronger
- Heal Joint Pain in the Ankle & Knee
- Gain Skill through dealing with balls in the air
When training in sand you want to take advantage of the low impact…
Therefore, running different directions, jumping, turning are all good.
Small lateral movements are a must ⇓
Improve your speed, strength & skills in SAND
Sand training is is a great way to improve several elements of the game all at once.
– Speed, agility, & core training
– Injury prevention and strengthening (especially for girls)
– Volley drills using 1 touch and 2+ touches
– Improve feet, thigh, chest & head
Beach / sand soccer training
Sand soccer or beach soccer is fun!
When I lived in the Bay Area, CA I’d do train on Saturdays with the US Beach National Team.
This was during my off-season, so it was perfect because I got to train with other good players and get great fitness with the view of the beach.
We don’t all have the luxury of getting sand soccer training at the beach, so you might have to find a sand volleyball court.
“Sand soccer is great for having fun and building leg strength.”
About ACL / Core training
ACL / Core training provides athletes with exercises specific to isolation and strengthening of the muscles, especially to and around the knee and core.
When the core is strong, pressure is removed from the back, knee, hamstrings, and the body as a whole.
This program is particularly helpful for maintaining strength and speed in what is often less active winter months.
Focus for older athletes [ages 11+] is primarily strength, stability, & core, running mechanics and form, and knee strength.
Sand training is not for younger athletes [ages 8-10] instead they should focus on coordination, body weight balancing & agility.
This training is an excellent addition to any athlete’s routine, especially those athletes whose sport requires much abrupt stops, sharp turns, and rotation of the lower limbs in play.
Female athletes in particular are more prone to get an injury or tear their ACL.
GFT in the sand is especially designed for girls, ages 13+ because female soccer players ages 14+ are more susceptible to knee injury for the following reasons:
- Hip Tilt
- Weaker Hamstrings – Here’s a good exercise to strengthen the hamstrings because of the back pedaling.
- Extra Spacing in the Joint
- Turf Games (especially during H.S. season)
- Game Frequency and Volume
- Injury
- Variation in League Participation
- Club, H.S., Tournaments, & Leagues
- Poor Preventative Maintenance
- Poor Training Technique
Complete soccer training must include core
Good training places focus on the core so that the legs don’t take all of the pounding / stress.
Training should also strengthen the hamstring and the muscles surrounding the knee.
When the core is stronger it helps protect so many joints and muscles.
The best thing about it is you don’t have to do a ton of core, just 3-4 mins per week would help.
*Note: This is an intense level of training. If an individual has just had surgery or is fresh off of a rehabilitation program, please let us know. An additional release from the treating M.D. will be required before training is allowed.
Great sand pit workout plan [Circuit training]
Whether the group is small or large or if you are training solo, circuit training is a great plan.
This way you get small breaks between all the hard work. You also organize it so that you work out your legs, arms, core and skills.
If you have a large group of 16 players make 8 different stations and try to end them in 30 – 45 seconds. This way everyone is working hard and knows how long they have in each drill.
As a player I used to love when coach told us how much we were going to run.
Players will tell you that if they don’t know how much running they are about to do they will not go 100%.
The reason is because they want to last and not put out 100% and end up having to do way more than they thought.
Same as a long distance runner… He or she won’t sprint from the very start, instead they will pace themselves so they don’t burn out early.
You ARE good enough to play college soccer!
If you are working out in a sand pit, you probably have high determination to keep improving your overall game.
It might be that you are wanting to make the high school soccer team or even make the college or pro squad.
Make sure you check out the rest of the blog and take advantage of my free training library and online courses.
Sand training is not for everyone
If you’re coming off an injury consult with a physician first. Sand training is more for older athletes, but serious kids ages 10 can benefit.
Make sure you have been working out on hard ground [grass, turf or court] before coming out and doing new movements in sand.
The workout is great for cardio and building muscle, but make sure you know that it’s not just all fun and games.
Get a good warm-up before you start your workout in the sand. Walk for a few minutes first and then take a light jog before stretching.
Have fun and get it done!
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