Technical & Fitness Testing for Soccer Players

In the right setting, coaches can develop a culture that will force players to push each other within a naturally competitive atmosphere. Here's your chance to see how it's done by Hall of Fame Coach Anson Dorrance, who lets you into the Tar Heels' pre-season training camp and shows you how his coaching staff evaluates top-performing team each and every year.

Coach Dorrance begins by explaining the purpose and rationale for evaluating players' skills and abilities. Once all of the tests and exercises are demonstrated, he uses the closing segment to summarize the overall value of employing an evaluation system, which include:

• Guiding players to stay at a high physical and technical level during the off-season
• Establishing a set group of tests for physical abilities and technical skills
• Instilling core values and expectations meant to maximize team performance

Learn how to using a scoring and ranking system to assess your players. Discover a way to share performance data with players that can help them improve their game and enhance the strength of the team overall.

Warm-Ups
You'll get a variety of warm-up exercises that will prepare your players to perform at their highest level when going through the testing and evaluation exercises. These warm-up drills are also great additions to your normal warm-up routines before every practice and game.

Fitness Evaluations
Get a firsthand look at how a top-notch college soccer program runs their fitness testing. In the weight room segment, you'll see the team go through vertical jump and speed testing with short distance sprint timing. In ad outside segment, you'll see an endurance testing exercise that can be fine-tuned to each player's abilities.

Technical Evaluations
The technical portion of this DVD looks at shooting activity and improving the shot speed of players. The power of each player's foot helps Coach Dorrance know which of his players has the ability to take long-range shots outside of the 18-yard box. This information helps players work on their shooting techniques and also helps coaches identify long-distance shooters.

Another part to the technical evaluations are cross-field aerial passes that are based on the distance and accuracy of the kicker, as well as the receiver's ability to settle the ball with their first touch. This will help players improve their techniques and help coaches know what aspects players need to work on in the future.

Understand your player' strengths with these testing and evaluation drills from world-class soccer coach Anson Dorrance! Athletes and coaches alike will be able to learn the areas they need to address at practice.

55 minutes. 2014.