In Season Training

What can you do during the season? Too often the role of the althletic development coach working with team sports is designated towards the pre season with the idea of get them as strong, fast and fit by the season start and lets try to hand onto for the rest of the season. In data I have collected it appears in soccer players that there is a significant drop in performance from the start to the end of the season. Why should this happen when games are being played and training is being completed - my theory is that the intensity drops off too much and our job is to become the professional warm up person rather than completing our job to its full potential. Of cause the volume has to drop off but having that extra time at the completion of the warm up to work on certain aspects such s speed, agility and power will decrease the detriments in performance commonly seen. If you can also encourage the head coach to up the intensity during the week in small sided games again advantages will be seen. You must stick to a plan that balances work and rest but I believe there is much we can do so that the performance of the players we work with does not decline.