Resisted Soccer Games | RSC Touch Pass
There are several skills that will make athletes more successful while playing soccer. Skills used during soccer games include balance, agility, footwork, and control. All of these soccer games skills help to improve a soccer players’ athletic output by aiding another skill set in some way. For example, a soccer player who possesses great balance will use this soccer games skill to also increase their agility, footwork, and body control. Since all of these soccer games skills affect each other it is important to practice dynamic passing drills that can be performed in team and individual settings.
Dynamic Passing Drills That Will Benefit Soccer Players
After a soccer warm up consisting of both static and dynamic stretches, athletes will need to grab a Reactive Stretch Cord, two Speed and Agility Cones, a soccer ball, and an anchoring partner to complete the Kbands RSC Touch Pass Exercise. Athletes will place one of the Speed and Agility Cones 6-10 feet away from a wall or flat, stationery object that a soccer ball can be kicked against. The other Speed and Agility Cone will be placed 8-12 feet behind and directly in line with the first Speed and Agility Cone. Athletes will attach the Reactive Stretch Cord Adjustable Belt around their waist so the 360 D-Ring is attached at the soccer players back. Athletes will place the soccer ball at the Speed and Agility Cone closest to the wall and the athletes’ anchor will secure their hand in the Safety Strap and stand behind the athlete. Athletes will line up for the soccer games skill drill at the Speed and Agility Cone farthest from the wall.
The anchor plays a significant role in this soccer games skill drill and need to make sure they are in the right place and exerting the proper amount of resistance as the athlete completes the Kbands RSC Touch Pass Drill. Anchors need to keep in mind that the Reactive Stretch Cord will only stretch 20 feet. Since the athlete is already close or beyond that distance from the wall when they begin the soccer games skill drill anchors will need to move forward and backward with the athlete to keep proper tension in the Reactive Stretch Cord.
Once athletes have set up the passing drills soccer players will begin the RSC Touch Pass Drill by sprinting forward, kicking the soccer ball off the wall in front of them, backpedaling to the starting Speed and Agility Cone, then repeating the entire process 6-8 times alternating which foot is used to kick the soccer ball off the wall. A major component of the RSC Touch Pass is the athletes’ ability to control both their body and the speed and direction the soccer ball is kicked. When completing these passing drills soccer players should aim to kick the soccer ball in a way so it returns to the starting spot next to the Speed and Agility Cone.
Athletes should complete 3-5 resisted sets of the soccer games skill drill before moving into more soccer specific drills. Athletes should take 45-90 seconds of rest between sets.
Play Soccer Games With Balance
As athletes work through the RSC Touch Pass drill it is important they use good body positioning and do not allow the Reactive Stretch Cord to pull them off balance during the backward running portion of the soccer games skill drill. Instead athletes should run with their chest down when running forward and backward. Running with a forward lean in the chest will allow athletes to maintain better balance. Increased balance will result in a quicker, smoother forward to backward transition after the soccer ball is kicked. This body stability will also allow the athlete to maintain better control over where the soccer ball goes after it is kicked.
When athletes stand tall they extend their bodies and it takes longer to redirect all that surface area in one quick movement. With their chest down during the passing drills soccer players are able to compact their bodies and increase the use of important muscles in their core and thighs. Performing soccer games skill drills with resistance forces even more activation in the stabilizing muscles that aid in balance, agility, and change of direction.
More Soccer Games Skill Drills
Along with the Kbands RSC Touch Pass Drill athletes will want to include a good mixture of other exercises including: total body and isolated strengthening, core exercises, sports specific drills, speed and quickness drills, conditioning, and footwork drills. Soccer players will also want to review the Recovery Section to learn stretching techniques with the Recovery Foam Roller. These stretching techniques can be used before or after soccer games or training and will help relieve muscle tightness and discomfort and speed recovery.
The Dynamic Strength XP is a great strengthening exercise routine that incorporates the KB Duo and can be used in the same training session as the Kbands RSC Touch Pass. Some great soccer games speed and quickness drills, which can also improve soccer conditioning, include the Fast Feet Speed Taps and the Top 4 Agility Drills Of All Time. These speed and quickness drills, used with sports specific soccer drills like the Best Agility Training With Soccer Exercises Combo or the Soccer Circuit For Conditioning, will help athletes translate overall speed and agility into functional soccer games speed, agility, and conditioning.
Although athletes will gain strength in their abs when performing strength training it is important soccer players use targeted core strengthening drills in their soccer games training. Core strengthening exercises like the Core Exercises to Increase Running Speed, Kbands Scissors, or the Kbands Wide Knee Up all incorporate core strengthening exercises which force the abs and hip flexors to work as one to move the thigh and torso. This mimics what happens during soccer games when an athlete redirects their body to make a quick pass or shot on the goal.