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Flexibility Essential for Soccer Players

Soccer is a very physically demanding sport. Along with the running up and down the field, a soccer player must also be able to maneuver the ball quickly with his or her feet and keep the ball away from the opposing team. Such maneuvers often require great flexibility from the soccer player.

There are three main types of flexibility. Dynamic flexibility, such a twisting from side to side motion, shows how well you can perform a full range of motion. There are two types of static flexibility, which are passive and active. Passive static flexibility shows how well you can hold a stretching position using external force. An example of this would be stretching your leg out and resting it on a railing or bar. Active static flexibility shows how well you can hold a stretching position using only your own muscle tension. An example of this would be stretching your leg out and holding it there without outside support of any kind, such as the railing or bar in the passive static flexibility example.

Flexibility is very important in physical sports such as soccer. Not only will being more flexible improve your performance in the soccer game, but it will have other benefits as well. The most important benefit of good flexibility is safety. The more flexible your body is, the less likely you are to become injured while playing soccer. Groin strains, which are one of the most common soccer injuries, can be avoided by improving your flexibility.

Some factors that affect your flexibility cannot be changed. These factors include your age, gender, prior injury you have suffered, and hereditary factors. Other factors such as your activity level are well within your control. However, it is possible to improve your flexibility through the use of flexibility training, or exercises specifically designed to improve flexibility.

There are two types of stretching exercises that you can do to improve your flexibility and performance, and reduce your likelihood of injury. These stretching exercises are known as static stretching and ballistic stretching. Static stretching, which is a slow, steady stretching of the muscles, is generally preferred over ballistic stretching, however. This is because ballistic stretching involves a bouncing motion, and can cause injury by itself.

There is another type of stretching that is particularly well-suited to increase flexibility in the soccer player. This stretching is known as dynamic stretching. There are two dynamic stretching exercises that work well for soccer players. Twisting the torso from side to side is one, and it can improve flexibility to increase the speed with which the soccer player can change direction. Kicking a soccer ball back and forth between the feet is another dynamic stretching exercise that will increase flexibility and performance during the game. If no soccer ball is available, you can still do this exercise-just pretend to kick a soccer ball between your feet.

Soccer players should consult their doctors or team trainers, who can recommend a stretching exercise regimen to increase the players flexibility. However, the importance of stretching prior to a soccer game must also be remembered. This pre-game stretching or "warming up" will increase the internal body temperature around the muscles, and can greatly increase the soccer player's performance during the game. Failure to warm up sufficiently can not only decrease the soccer player's performance, but it will also increase the likelihood that the player will become injured. Such injuries are not only painful to the player, but could potentially end his or her soccer career. Flexibility is very important, even essential for the soccer player, and should never be dismissed.

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