The difference between being ready for the opening game of the college soccer season and being unfit is like the difference between night and day. One of the most important aspects of any college soccer training program is preseason. If a trainer prepares thoroughly for the opening game then that could be the difference between being able to last 90 minutes, and wilting before the end of the game.

The training schedule needs to be planned with precision, in order to maximize the impact of each session. In an ideal world this will start 5 or 6 weeks prior to the season opening game. Normally you'll start off each sessions with a light warm-up, one that includes stretching and a little light jogging to get the muscles warm. It's important not to strain them during these sessions, that's why the emphasis is on warming up thoroughly.

As soccer players use their legs most of the time these muscle groups need to be thoroughly worked out by doing moving and static exercises. The moving exercises usually involve standing on the spot and moving the legs and arms in circular patterns. This stretches the legs and arms, loosening the muscles. Static exercise is usually less intense and involves a great deal of stretching.

A lot of the emphasis is on match fitness. Running is therefore very important because it allows you to build up stamina. Cardio and aerobic exercises are usually increased gradually, the players running longer distances as they build up more stamina. Cross country runs are fairly popular, as these not only make players fitter, they build up camaraderie.

As the season draws near, most trainers will focus on the getting players ready for actual games. This means more working with the ball and more sprinting, as this is a key component of soccer. By this time players are usually separated into teams, with one team working on their fitness by closing down the other team with the ball. The opposing team, in the meantime are actually working on their close quarter ball control, trying to pass around their opponents.

It does not matter if you're a defender or a midfielder, every player should practice shooting. Normally this takes place when the session is nearly over, plus it gives goalkeepers the opportunity to practice stopping shots. After this comes a gentle warm down. This is a time to take things easy, so as not to strain the muscles the players have worked.

When starting out in preseason it is best to start on light work, because the players that return will probably not be very fit. It takes a while to build up stamina and this is done partly by a injecting a sense of fun into the sessions. Players can become bored very easily, therefore they often need motivating during fitness work.

Preseason college soccer training is about keeping players motivated enough to be fit for the start of the season. Working slowly at first, so that players build up fitness gradually, makes the most sense. At all times the accent should be on conditioning and in improving their basic touch and all-round play. It should be remembered that players cannot really get match fit until they have played a few preseason games and a few competitive matches also.