Conditioning is a very important aspect for anyone who is an athlete. Each sport is different, with its own unique conditioning routine.
The average soccer player usually plays for an extended period of time, with a series of fast movements plus changes in speed. The average yards of the field is 100 to 130 yards long and 50 to 100 yards wide. This means the players need a huge amount of stamina and endurance to be able to go through even 45 minutes. This may depend on the positions and roles too, so we’ll see what the players do to prepare for the sport. The average professional soccer player covers 11 kilometers (7 Miles) per game, with the most tiring position being a debate on a midfielder and a wing-back, with some of the best examples being Frankie de Jong who may play box-to-box midfielder, and Achraf Hakimi, who usually plays as a right back, but attacks too. Although fullbacks and wingers are usually the fastest players on the team, they also need stamina to continuously run up and down the field making runs and overlapping.
The team usually does shuttle runs, stop-and-go soccer drills, hill sprints, mile runs, and many other things to maintain or improve their endurance. Nutrition is also a key to being in form, having proper nutrition will help prevent any incidents, like throwing up in the field. A big example of this is Lionel Messi who had poor nutrition, his first ever lost lunch was during the 2011 Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid, although his performance was not affected by it as he managed to get himself on the scoring sheet later on in the match. It is said that he used to disobey the now Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, who told the players not to drink soda three hours before a match, but Lionel Messi got up and left. He returned with a can of soda shortly after and drank it right in front of his coach and teammates.
Although, he doesn’t do it anymore, but this is a big example. Resistance training is important to prevent injuries or other stuff due to the continuous fast movements, which may affect the joints or ligaments as they move around. Overall, stamina and endurance is key to performing consistently throughout the whole match, although it may be useful, for some players to try to conserve their stamina, while others can consistently run. Every player needs to work harder on their endurance and stamina, as it is helpful in the end.
