My name is Paul Cacolice and thanks to the good people at Soccer Learning Systems, I’ll be blogging my soccer fitness opinions in this space.

Roby Stahl posted how he has been involved with SLS, let me tell my story:

In 1996, I took a trip to Milton Keynes in England to present at an AFCAT coaches’ course. My roommate? Andrew from SLS ~ one of the few Americans there. He gives me a LA Galaxy hat that I have (and occasionally wear) to this day. I’ve stayed in touch with the SLS crew since then even if I haven’t fully supported the Galaxy .

OK, first, full disclosure:

All opinions are biased in some way, shape or form, so let me show you mine up front: I’m a certified athletic trainer (ATC) since 1986; a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) since 1991; and to a much lesser extent youth and teen coach since 1999 (ice hockey and soccer). My playing experience never got farther than as a U-19 travel team goalkeeper in Western Pennsylvania in the 1970’s and early 80’s. That is really saying even less than it seems. We were awful and never really developed technically or tactically. Basically, we played kick-around in matching jerseys. So, as far as being a high level soccer player? I can’t relate to that. At the time of this blog entry at 44 years of age, I am still a mid-distance trail racer here in the northeast US – so I do still train and compete at a pretty high level in 7-10 half-marathons and longer races over mountain ranges and in dense woods 8 months out of every year. There are some that would still classify this as an athlete.

Most times, my opinions arrive in that order ~ ATC, CSCS, Coach and Athlete. Sometimes, they do not. Rather than discordance, I look for areas of overlap and agreement within those viewpoints both in my own fitness practice (NoMagicBean.com) and in my work with Tony DiCicco’s SoccerPlus Camps.

The thoughts that are posted on this blog will typically follow these areas of overlap and how they benefit all athletes, coaches, sports medicine providers and fitness people.

The first point of discussion:

Every soccer player must take time off each training cycle ~ I won’t accept any answer outside of that and if you have argument with that, go read the significant body or research on overtraining, restoration and periodization. You’re already decades behind the current knowledge base.

For most of the players (hopefully), there are two training cycles in each calendar year. For a few, it is one. For the most misfortunate souls, they receive less than 4 weeks off from sport competition each year.

So, for discussion’s sake, let us hypothesize that your mid teen (14-17 year old) male or female is approaching their off-season of 4 weeks’ duration.

What would provide the greatest benefit to this young person’s overall long-term development as an athlete and a person: 4 weeks of an injury prevention program such as an ACL Prevention training; 4 weeks of speed, strength & fitness training; 4 weeks of soccer-specific technical training or 4 weeks of no training (i.e.: being a teen).

Or something else?

There may or may not be one answer for that.

I’ll blog on that shortly.