The Faster the Better

           Hi everyone, what's one of the most important skill sets to have as a soccer player on a pitch? Of course, it is perfecting the art which is your own speed! There are many things that you can do to increase your speed as a player so you can become the best version of yourself and stick out among the rest of the players on the pitch. 

• Good running technique- Perfect your most comfortable form. Having good form means that you are balanced and ready to go so perfecting your form is the first step of improving your speed. You are going to have to practice a good running technique that allows you to run at maximum capacity (so avoid any awkward forms of running). A straight and parallel technique is a good start to establishing your form. 
• Run uphill- Running uphill is one of the best training drills that you can do to increase speed. When you run uphill, you are making your legs work harder at an incline so when you go to run on flat ground, you will be exerting that energy you spent running uphill to a flat ground which will result in an increase in pace! A good tip that I have for you is finding a steep hill that you can repeatedly run up and down until you have reached a fatigue stage. Re-doing this exercise will surely increase your speed!
• Stretch- Something that is often overlooked and not taken seriously is stretching. Stretching is super important because when you do it before performing a physically demanding task, you are relaxing the muscles in your body and preventing any stiffness. A lot of injuries that athletes face is due to not stretching so if you want to increase your speed you need to stretch because you cannot run if you are injured due to lack of stretching. 
• Diet- Not everything that you can do to increase your speed has to do with physical drills. Your diet is a big indicator of how you will perform. If you eat healthier and skip the junk food, you will see noticeable increases in not just your speed, but your overall health. A good diet will allow you to train more efficiently and ultimately help you get faster and become that player you strive to be. 

    There are many more drills that you can do to increase your speed, but these are some of the ones that I found to be very important in my personal experiences. If you can set a good foundation for yourself, nothing can stand in the way of you and your goals.