You're standing on the soccer field, watching your players. Youth training is ongoing, it's really fun to watch your boys and girls. An actor is particularly pressing on you. “Thomas is really an exceptional talent, a real top kicker, he can really make a difference. If only it were a bit more robust,” it pops into your head.
Another scenario: “Martina is really good at it, but in every duel, no matter how harmless, she injures herself. How unlucky can you actually be? If she just took the kicks away more easily, she could really become something,” you feel as an observer.
When it comes to youth training in soccer, there are many things you need to consider. Discipline, tactical understanding, the mood in the team, the whims of your protégés, and so on. It is quite a challenge to introduce tomorrow's top stars to the men's/women's or professional sector.
One thing that often falls by the wayside is targeted and, above all, proper strength training. Once the young stars reach B-Youth or A-Junior level, this point becomes enormously important. The optimal soccer training program for B and A youth requires experience. The approach is often different.
However, they all agree on one thing:
The transition from youth soccer to the professional sector of women or men usually fails due to physical physique. It is therefore extremely important to prepare your protégés for the upcoming challenges in the area of strength training and muscle building.
(By the way: We have also already written an article on the topic of soccer in old age)
In an interview with B42, international player Joshua Kimmich looks back together with brand ambassador and women's national player Lina Magull: “I particularly remember my time at VfB Stuttgart in youth. That's when I got feedback from the coaches that I was too small and slender for a professional career,” says the Bayern Munich star. According to tradition, world star Lionel Messi has already received similar certificates.
The result is well known.
There are plenty of examples. You could continue the list endlessly. FC Bayern recently sent junior kicker Tiago Dantas back to Benfica Lisbon, as he was not trusted to make the leap from the A-juniors to the professional team due to his lack of physical assertiveness.
Another exceptional soccer player in the ranks of the record champion who lacked physicality for a long time is Jamal Musiala. His luck: He has found something like a mentor. Teammate Leon Goretzka took care of him. This is how the German midfield engine explained in Interview with the Munich “Abendzeitung” in March 2021: “What I have taken on as a task and challenge is Jamal Musiala. We all know how much potential he has with the ball. But on top of that, it is pushed away a bit too easily here and there, which is a thorn in my side. ”
The result:
Musiala was recently nominated by national coach Joachim Löw for the 2021 European Championships. The young FC Bayern star is considered one of the most promising talents in German soccer. Kimmich also stands for improved performance through greater robustness. Based on the assessment of his former youth trainer, he “regularly goes to the weight room to work on me,” he continues at B42.
The myth that soccer players become immobile and slow with more muscle mass has long been outdated. If you don't overdo it and aim for a bodybuilding career. Rather, more muscles in soccer can result in a decisive centimeter advantage in a sprint duel or the decisive physical strength in a duel.
And by the way, you can also minimize the risk of injury, as your entire musculoskeletal system is virtually covered with a kind of protective mantle. Goretzka is something of a model for the fact that controlled strength training can once again lead to an increase in performance even among professionals.
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Other stories also underline that physical benefits can be essential, especially in the area of A and B youth. Like the one from the Belgian Romelu Lukaku storm tank. At the age of 15, the top attacker was on the verge of signing his first professional contract. All he had to do was wait until he was finally allowed to.
Born in Antwerp, he made his debut in the first Belgian division at the age of 16 and was top scorer, champion and international player until his 17th birthday. At the age of 18, Lukaku moved to the Premier League. In the past season, he finished second in the list of goalscorers in the Italian Serie A with 24 goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo (29 goals) and led Inter Milan to their first championship title in eleven years.
Youssoufa Moukoko from Borussia Dortmund is a similar example in Germany. Like Lukaku, the young star had to wait until he was old enough to be allowed to play with the professionals. Because of his physical superiority in the youth sector, it was repeatedly assumed that Moukoko was actually older.
Born in Cameroon, he is now the youngest Bundesliga player of 16 years and one day and, at 16 years and 18 days, the youngest Champions League player of all time. At 16 years and 28 days old, he is also the youngest Bundesliga goalscorer in history.
The foundation for targeted muscle development in soccer is laid in preparation for the season. And that through intensive strength training. Even during the winter break, it's a good time to work on your physical stamina. But be careful! It's important not to just go wild with the weights. Strength training without professional expertise has some dangers. You can make or break a lot of things in the process. That is why we recommend a professionally developed training plan. B42 is happy to help you here!
So don't hesitate to find out more on your own and get back into training full of muscles. Weightlifting may not be as fun as kicking on the pitch. But it's worth it! And not just visually. Get started and become the best soccer player you can be in the adult sector!
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