Question of the Week: How Do I Increase My Agility as a Soccer Player?

Soccer is not a unidirectional sport. The game requires you to change direction multiple times and quickly.

Soccer also requires a lot of running and fast sprinting 🏃‍♀️throughout each game. You need to be able to sprint from one end of the field to the other at a moment’s notice. Most of these sprints are shorter distances of 10 or 20 yards. You need to have highly explosive movements to chase down the ball.⚽

This week, Blayze coach Sarah Woldmoe will help you find ways to improve your agility to become a more dynamic player.

One of the best ways to improve your agility is through cone drills. There are lots of different cone drills you can use, with or without the ball, to increase your agility.

Do these drills at top speed, aka game speed, to see signs of improvement. These drills can be done at practice or on your own.

Many times you can incorporate these drills in your warm-up!💪

1 – Acceleration and Deceleration Shuttles
Because a soccer game is full of short bursts, you need to have excellent acceleration and deceleration skills. Start by getting 6 training cones (or items). Place two cones two feet apart from each other. Then take 5 steps in a straight line and place a single cone. Take another 5 steps and set up another cone. Take 5 more steps and use two cones directly across from the first set of two.

Stand at the first set of cones. 🏃‍♀️Sprint rapidly toward the first cone. Once to the first cone, decelerate and backpedal around it from left to right. After you go around the first cone, sprint to the second cone and go around it left to right, and sprint to the final set of cones. Turn around and repeat the same steps going back toward the first set of cones. Change the direction of your backpedal to right to left to work on balancing both of your feet. Repeat this 3 times. ⌚

2 – Lateral Speed Training
Lateral speed training is one of the best ways to improve speed. You will use a speed ladder for this one. Start by spreading the ladder out on a flat surface.

Line up parallel to the ladder.🪜 Bend at your knees to stay low. Lift your inside foot and put it inside the first rung of the ladder. Quickly lift your outside foot to put it into the same box. Repeat this to move through all rungs of the ladder. Make sure you are landing on the balls of your feet. Move through the ladder and back again and alternate from left to right to right to left. Repeat 3 times.

These are only two drills that can help you improve your agility quickly. There are a ton of other drills you can use. Contact one of our Blayze soccer coaches to learn of other great agility drills and which ones are best for you to focus on first.