# Speed, strength and agility training



## Desert619 (Oct 24, 2017)

Out of curiosity, how many of you have your kids in speed, strength and agility training? I would like to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons and also please tell me how it has helped your kid with soccer? Have you seen any Benefits?


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## SoccerMom05 (Oct 24, 2017)

Desert619 said:


> Out of curiosity, how many of you have your kids in speed, strength and agility training? I would like to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons and also please tell me how it has helped your kid with soccer? Have you seen any Benefits?


I have my daughters with a trainer. I have noticed a difference indeed. They running form and strength has gotten a lot better. One of my daughters loves doing headers and even that has gotten better. It's been all around great. If need be I can recommend the guy we use. Only con is more driving and days for me


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## JJP (Oct 24, 2017)

Unless your kid has naturally perfect form and balanced strength in their different muscle groups, it will definitely help.


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## JackZ (Oct 25, 2017)

Definitely helps with many things. Injury prevention is number one, if the program includes a good amount of core strength training that is very good as well. Of course, like many things, depends on trainer/sessions and if you child puts in the effort. Give a go for at least six months. Then re-evaluate.


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## Red Devil Fan (Oct 25, 2017)

What age do you think they should start? I see a lot of kids at the 04 and younger with bad running form.


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## SoccerMom05 (Oct 25, 2017)

Red Devil Fan said:


> What age do you think they should start? I see a lot of kids at the 04 and younger with bad running form.


They started at 12 yrs old, U13. We have two 07's training as well.


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## sandshark (Oct 25, 2017)

If your kid is playing almost every weekend and training 3-4 days per week with their club and then you adding some outside "Speed and agility trainer" they are being way way over trained! These are little growing bodies and can only handle so much.


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## chargerfan (Oct 25, 2017)

sandshark said:


> If your kid is playing almost every weekend and training 3-4 days per week with their club and then you adding some outside "Speed and agility trainer" they are being way way over trained! These are little growing bodies and can only handle so much.


I can't believe I am agreeing with sand shark, but speed and agility training can lead to overuse injuries. Also most of these "trainers" have no idea what they are doing.  If you are worried about core strength, there are exercises they can do at home. YouTube is your friend.


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## sandshark (Oct 25, 2017)

chargerfan said:


> I can't believe I am agreeing with sand shark, but speed and agility training can lead to overuse injuries. Also most of these "trainers" have no idea what they are doing.  If you are worried about core strength, there are exercises they can do at home. YouTube is your friend.


 OHHHHHHHHH MAN or WOMAN whatever you are I feel like I won the Lotto today! Crazy agreed with me.


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## John (Oct 25, 2017)

Seems to make a big difference.  I will say that this is something that my children have to keep up with or else they regress.  They are able to learn the exercise routines and stay physically in shape.  The challenge is the improvements to the form.  My son and daughter have seen huge improvements, but within a couple of months off from training we can start to see a noticeable difference. 

I will also agree that some of the trainers can overtrain, but if you have experienced trainers they can notice the pain points and modify the training to lighten up.  My daughter in particular can have some issues with joints, and in those cases her trainer tends to work around certain exercises and drills.


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## ChrisD (Oct 25, 2017)

We do 2 practices a week, game(s) on weekend and added S-A training 1-2 days so 4 days training total, very happy with results 
-9 yr old boy- We dont do more than that , its just right, kid loves it , and it shows big time in his playing.  
Last year we added Santa Ana League with no S-A- training and that worked well too.


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## JJP (Oct 25, 2017)

I asked my kid what he did in speed training and why it worked for him. I normally have to drive him far for practices so I stay to watch, but his speed coach is just a few blocks from my house so my kid bikes there.  His trainer has an impeccable reputation and my kid really liked working with him and it was working, so I just paid the dude and let him handle it.

First, the trainer does an assessment for imbalances.  Right footed player is normally stronger in his left foot, but has better control on his right foot, for example.  He determined that as my son grew, he had not strengthened enough his lower leg muscles to support his weight on the balls of his feet, and he was over striding and not pushing off, shortening his follow through.

The trainer made him do a bunch of exercises to balance him and strengthen the muscles he needed to get on the balls of his feet, and fix his stride mechanics.  I have no idea what those exercises were.  All I know is, I spent all of last season yelling at my kid "Get on the balls of your feet and run knees high!"  It was a waste of breath.  I could see the problem but I had no idea how to fix it.

My advice is, soccer is the beautiful game.  Good players should move beautifully when they are playing.  If your kid is serious about getting better, and there's something that looks off, you should get the coaching to fix it.  Even if your kid is moving ugly and playing well, to me, it just means the kid is too physically mature or talented for the level of competition.  Against higher level competition inefficient movement will not cut it.

My son was doing fine in flight 1 but when he went academy he really struggled because he was not moving right. It took nearly a season to fix his mechanics but by the end of the season he was blowing by quality academy level defenders.


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## ForumParent (Oct 26, 2017)

JJP said:


> I asked my kid what he did in speed training and why it worked for him. I normally have to drive him far for practices so I stay to watch, but his speed coach is just a few blocks from my house so my kid bikes there.  His trainer has an impeccable reputation and my kid really liked working with him and it was working, so I just paid the dude and let him handle it.


JJP, can you message me where your trainer was located and if he/she has a website?  Edit--wait, I can't tell if there's a way to do messages on here.... :-/   Is there a way to give the details of your speed coach without revealing which neighborhood you live in?    My kid has an, uh interesting running form.


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## Striker17 (Oct 26, 2017)

Be very careful with who you use. In SoCal we have a lot of pretenders who make a lot of money off of ulittle parents with their “programs”.
One of the best programs I have seen is in Laguna and run by an actual PT who focuses on injury prevention. 
Another great program is a guy who is a kinesthiologist and also does mechanics. The sessions seem “boring” as they are mainly band work, stretching, and mechanics. 
The people who pound your kids knees in a parking lot are questionable. Avoid. 
I encourage you to look at their instagrams and social media, google them to get a feel for “who they are” before you sign up. You can tell a lot about these guys by their social media.


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## ChrisD (Oct 26, 2017)

Striker17 said:


> Be very careful with who you use. In SoCal we have a lot of pretenders who make a lot of money off of ulittle parents with their “programs”.
> One of the best programs I have seen is in Laguna and run by an actual PT who focuses on injury prevention.
> Another great program is a guy who is a kinesthiologist and also does mechanics. The sessions seem “boring” as they are mainly band work, stretching, and mechanics.
> The people who pound your kids knees in a parking lot are questionable. Avoid.
> I encourage you to look at their instagrams and social media, google them to get a feel for “who they are” before you sign up. You can tell a lot about these guys by their social media.


Couldnt agree more.....we looked for months, then was pointed in the right direction by someone that has mentor'd my kid for almost 5 years 100% responsible for making him the player he is today....I searched high and low, talked , even met with several different candidates but in the end , I asked for help and someone I trust got us the ideal candidate.  He works on exactly what MY kid needs.
Prior to finding him I felt like the prior candidates just wanted to fill in spaces, maybe they were better , maybe worst , all Im saying is take your time , its like hiring , you have to go thru a few to find that one that works.


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## Striker17 (Oct 26, 2017)

If they do not do a baseline assessment of your child then it’s not he right place. That gets about 50 percent out right off the bat.


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## marioz (Oct 26, 2017)

ChrisD said:


> Couldnt agree more.....we looked for months, then was pointed in the right direction by someone that has mentor'd my kid for almost 5 years 100% responsible for making him the player he is today....I searched high and low, talked , even met with several different candidates but in the end , I asked for help and someone I trust got us the ideal candidate.  He works on exactly what MY kid needs.
> Prior to finding him I felt like the prior candidates just wanted to fill in spaces, maybe they were better , maybe worst , all Im saying is take your time , its like hiring , you have to go thru a few to find that one that works.


Chris D would you mind sharing the person who you used?


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## ChrisD (Oct 26, 2017)

Marioz, I just PM you details , not sure if I'll get crap for posting it on the board.


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## Tank (Oct 30, 2017)

I just recently visited champions quest in Los Alamitos (OC). Seems expensive but legit. Any thoughts on them?


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## Chalklines (Oct 30, 2017)

sandshark said:


> If your kid is playing almost every weekend and training 3-4 days per week with their club and then you adding some outside "Speed and agility trainer" they are being way way over trained! These are little growing bodies and can only handle so much.


Have any of you actually researched or studied over training? Or are we just repeating somthing you thought sounded hip & intelligent? 

If emphasis is placed on nutrition/sleep in between work outs, over training turns into a myth. 

Remember the days of old? Grabbing a ball in the morning and playing all day till it got dark, every day, all summer? Throw in some swimming days and foot races with your friends... Etc.... Etc.....

Was that over training? It's a lot more then some of these kids are doing now inside and out of their clubs. 

Organized sports have become the new "play" because kids don't go outside to play with their friends.


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## Fact (Oct 30, 2017)

Chalklines said:


> Have any of you actually researched or studied over training? Or are we just repeating somthing you thought sounded hip & intelligent?
> 
> If emphasis is placed on nutrition/sleep in between work outs, over training turns into a myth.
> 
> ...


Don't forget proper stretching before and after practice and games.  Speaking with PT specialists, a large percentage of kids they see are due to tight muscles that have a domino effect throughout the body.  The rollers that some clubs are giving their teams are great, but one or two quick rolls on the legs is not enough.


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## watfly (Oct 30, 2017)

Chalklines said:


> Have any of you actually researched or studied over training? Or are we just repeating somthing you thought sounded hip & intelligent?
> 
> If emphasis is placed on nutrition/sleep in between work outs, over training turns into a myth.
> 
> ...


I'm with you.  I would add that I think some people mis-identify speed and strength training with massive repetitions.  A qualified trainer will focus much more on proper technique than reps.  I will venture a guess that more injuries are caused by improper technique than over training, and that many "over training" injuries are the result of bad technique. 

A typical club soccer player is only getting 4.5 hours of training/play a week.  Adding in another hour or so of speed/agility should be beneficial and not a problem.  All kids are different physically and mentally, but 6 hours of training a week should be nothing for a competitive youth athlete.   As I've mentioned before my daughter trains 12-20+ hours a week for dance which is more physically demanding than soccer, other than the contact.  In 7 years at this pace she has not had an injury ('knock on wood"), and overtraining injuries are uncommon at her studio.  We don't push her and always ask if she wants to scale back.  She never complains, she loves it.

Now I'm not going to pretend that any kid can train at that level, very few can.   And there are probably some kids that can't handle even 4.5 hours of training a week.  The point being is that we can't generalize what is too much or too little training for kids, each child is different.


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## Not_that_Serious (Oct 30, 2017)

Group training my son goes to is plyo, speed and agility training - along with footwork. Been the best thing he has done for balance the last 3 years - as well as improving touch on the ball. Now as he is growing, not big on stretching - which i try to hammer into him. Stubborn almost teen. Groin usually bugs him which has cause imbalance. Tried to find a no BS yoga program he can go to in our area and nothing around - all adults or for tots. A lot of coaches are working in plyo, agility work for younger kids now but 10-15 mins of work as well at least one 60 min training session a week.  Doing strength/agility training 2-3x a week,is over doing it - especially on those who havent hit puberty. Plenty of plyo studies online and most involve 2 or 3 x a week - but they involve teens or adults. Another overlooked aspect is mobility - kids need to learn how to massage their muscles - heat & manual manipulation, foam rollers, balls, etc. If you powerlift youll know how important it is to be both flexible & ease of which your muscles can move through a movement (mobility). My kid is as stiff as cardboard. so working on that.


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## Not_that_Serious (Oct 30, 2017)

JJP said:


> I asked my kid what he did in speed training and why it worked for him. I normally have to drive him far for practices so I stay to watch, but his speed coach is just a few blocks from my house so my kid bikes there.  His trainer has an impeccable reputation and my kid really liked working with him and it was working, so I just paid the dude and let him handle it.
> 
> First, the trainer does an assessment for imbalances.  Right footed player is normally stronger in his left foot, but has better control on his right foot, for example.  He determined that as my son grew, he had not strengthened enough his lower leg muscles to support his weight on the balls of his feet, and he was over striding and not pushing off, shortening his follow through.
> 
> ...


is this in a public area or in a group? guess his age would be important as well. wouldnt be comfortable my kid being alone with a trainer or  medical provider.


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## LASTMAN14 (Oct 30, 2017)

Fact said:


> Don't forget proper stretching before and after practice and games.  Speaking with PT specialists, a large percentage of kids they see are due to tight muscles that have a domino effect throughout the body.  The rollers that some clubs are giving their teams are great, but one or two quick rolls on the legs is not enough.


Our coaches have our girls using the FIFA 11 stretching/warm-up regime. I like it because it accounts for both sexes in the stretches being used. Someone a few months ago posted a video on it and it broke down why it was created.


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## Not_that_Serious (Oct 30, 2017)

Fact said:


> Don't forget proper stretching before and after practice and games.  Speaking with PT specialists, a large percentage of kids they see are due to tight muscles that have a domino effect throughout the body.  The rollers that some clubs are giving their teams are great, but one or two quick rolls on the legs is not enough.


Im big on stretching as well but ton of studies show stretching isnt that important at earlier ages - or we would see kids blowing out hammies, groins, quads at school at recess when they go into full sprints cold. As they get older, muscles grow/denser, more important. genetics big factor. my kid not naturally flexible.


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## LASTMAN14 (Oct 30, 2017)

Last spring just before club break and into the summer we enrolled our kids in to speed and agility class. They thoroughly enjoyed it. We did take into account that there was not much soccer happening at that time. And made sure our kids wanted to do it.  It also focused on core strength and was grouped by age. Class sizes were between 3-4 kids. The instructor has a PTC and a former Olympian. She made the class fun and incorporated games into each session. Cost was great if you accessed weekly.


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## Fact (Oct 30, 2017)

Not_that_Serious said:


> Im big on stretching as well but ton of studies show stretching isnt that important at earlier ages - or we would see kids blowing out hammies, groins, quads at school at recess when they go into full sprints cold. As they get older, muscles grow/denser, more important. genetics big factor. my kid not naturally flexible.


In my experience I've seen pulled muscles and other related injuries(due to tightness during growth spurts) starting around 12 for girls and a little later for boys.  No one is naturally tight.  It is all a matter of stretching.  A family member was a punter in high school where he was average.  He is now in the pros and attributes it to the yoga he does religiously.  The height of his kicks are now amazing since he is more agile.


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## Not_that_Serious (Oct 30, 2017)

Fact said:


> In my experience I've seen pulled muscles and other related injuries(due to tightness during growth spurts) starting around 12 for girls and a little later for boys.  No one is naturally tight.  It is all a matter of stretching.  A family member was a punter in high school where he was average.  He is now in the pros and attributes it to the yoga he does religiously.  The height of his kicks are now amazing since he is more agile.


yes due to the growth spurts. flexibility has a lot to do with genetics - physical attributes such as bone size and structure often determine how flexible someone is. a rail thin kid isnt going to be the same as a thick kid - my kid isnt tiny and even while in martial arts starting at 6, has always had a problem with flexibility. sucks that all the yoga near here is for really tots or for adults - think someone would do well if they offered yoga for kids/adults in sports here in south OC.

i will add, yogis will say it isnt genetic. id say those who do learn to be flexible become flexible at different rates and with different ROM. so genetics are a factor. would take me a lot longer to be flexible given the genetics my mom handed me down (bone issues) than someone free of such conditions


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## JJP (Oct 30, 2017)

Not_that_Serious said:


> is this in a public area or in a group? guess his age would be important as well. wouldnt be comfortable my kid being alone with a trainer or  medical provider.


You can watch the kids train. I saw a session or two, it looked good and then I left.  At this point, my boy is a teenager and my feeling is he needs to make his own decisions if he wants to train and how hard he wants to train, and I'd rather he do that without me hovering over him.


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## Not_that_Serious (Oct 30, 2017)

JJP said:


> You can watch the kids train. I saw a session or two, it looked good and then I left.  At this point, my boy is a teenager and my feeling is he needs to make his own decisions if he wants to train and how hard he wants to train, and I'd rather he do that without me hovering over him.


you mean teens dont love you hovering over them? hah. i hear you. my kid is in middle school, getting there


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## Desert619 (Nov 11, 2017)

There are programs that do saq training and than  there are track coaches. I'm stuck in between those two options. Trying to figure out what is best. My little one loves to run and I'm taking her to the track coach. However it's mostly running.


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## Josep (Nov 12, 2017)

I would recommend finding a trainer that focus on both injury prevention - knee exercises - and core training.   The core really helps keep hips, thighs and quads in proper shape.


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## Desert619 (Nov 18, 2017)

Josep said:


> I would recommend finding a trainer that focus on both injury prevention - knee exercises - and core training.   The core really helps keep hips, thighs and quads in proper shape.



I agree! I would like to try another location close to me that specialized in youth sports saq training....I guess I'm trying to get a feel for other peoples experience to see what's best. my older kid did saq training and I felt it made her stronger and she had speed and quickness when it came to running. But she started at an older age at maybe 12-13. My little one is 9 and I'm not sure saq training is good for her at such a young age. Even though the program starts them at 7 years old. That seems so young to me.


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## Josep (Nov 18, 2017)

A lot more teams are doing CrossFit as well.  Not sure that’s the answer.  But there’s no question the core training is beneficial. My second kid started at u10.


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## behindthescene (Nov 18, 2017)

Josep said:


> A lot more teams are doing CrossFit as well.  Not sure that’s the answer.  But there’s no question the core training is beneficial. My second kid started at u10.


Crossfit is the absolute worst training for athletes.  Athletes bodies aren't built for muscle burnout each and every workout.


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## ChrisD (Nov 19, 2017)

behindthescene said:


> Crossfit is the absolute worst training for athletes.  Athletes bodies aren't built for muscle burnout each and every workout.


Im with you I don't think Crossfit is right for what we are doing.

 Core exercise is very good , repetition is even better.  Real drills that mimic actual play is perfect.  Stamina is key.

Similar to Martial Arts they teach Technique Strength and Stamina, Soccer is very similar .
*
Technique* equals touch , A good player needs Touch first IMO. If you kid is constantly losing the ball when its past to him/her, work on touch, period.  If you child cannot trap a ball, be able to pass on awkward angles, complete good pass thru pass, then you need to work on touch, nobody likes kickball and we see it a lot , even in Flight One unfortunately....

*Strength* to be able to body on the ball , break thru defenders, can come from core exercise and lots of practice and training, they are working their muscles intensely ,(As a parent are you training 3-4 X's a week?)  no need to lift weight just yet, Im not against it but still their building muscles daily on the pitch. When the kids are shoulder to shoulder , the stronger more aggressive one will win especially if he/she has the touch or Technique to control the ball at higher speeds...Leverage , Body Control, Strength all that is important.

* Stamina* , obviously come from a lot of practice, playing time , training, etc...... Our coach runs the hell out of our kids and they rock, they are definitely a first and second half team, their rarely ever tired and in the second half when teams are gassed , their just running circles around them 
*
You want your kid to stand out make sure they never Run out of Gas, have a Good Touch, and has Decent Strength to battle thru on the field.....it will come , they just need the dedication to be better, if your kid wants extra training, do it!  Or better yet go out on the field yourself, with them and have fun, work hard as hell, but have fun.

*
just my 2cents....


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## Lambchop (Nov 19, 2017)

Chalklines said:


> Have any of you actually researched or studied over training? Or are we just repeating somthing you thought sounded hip & intelligent?
> 
> If emphasis is placed on nutrition/sleep in between work outs, over training turns into a myth.
> 
> ...


Interesting, I remember the "good old days" of playing outside all day, oh ya, we stopped when we wanted, ran inside for "refreshments", went out side and chatted and did what ever then played something again.  It was never at the same intensity as training, games,and more training.  Oh yes, the good old days of walking to school 8 miles in the snow and in 110 degree heat!


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## Desert619 (Jul 4, 2018)

sandshark said:


> If your kid is playing almost every weekend and training 3-4 days per week with their club and then you adding some outside "Speed and agility trainer" they are being way way over trained! These are little growing bodies and can only handle so much.



Actually my 10 years old trains 2 times a week with her team, 1 private on her own and she does 2 saq trainings a week. Maybe 6-7.5 hours a week divided by 5 days. 

She used to do gymnastics and those girls train 15-20 hrs a week. I thought this was way less when you calculate the hours per week.


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## Desert619 (Jul 4, 2018)

JJP said:


> I asked my kid what he did in speed training and why it worked for him. I normally have to drive him far for practices so I stay to watch, but his speed coach is just a few blocks from my house so my kid bikes there.  His trainer has an impeccable reputation and my kid really liked working with him and it was working, so I just paid the dude and let him handle it.
> 
> First, the trainer does an assessment for imbalances.  Right footed player is normally stronger in his left foot, but has better control on his right foot, for example.  He determined that as my son grew, he had not strengthened enough his lower leg muscles to support his weight on the balls of his feet, and he was over striding and not pushing off, shortening his follow through.
> 
> ...


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## Hired Gun (Mar 10, 2019)

Great information regarding stretching, getting an assessment at beginning, not a trainer that just pounds the pavement... Any recommendations for speed/agility/technique trainers in OC area?  You can PM me is you do not want to post.   Thanks


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## ChrisD (Mar 10, 2019)

I'll post all day long about our trainer his name is Chris Rameriez and he owns Touch n Go Soccer located in Tustin.  Half out team trains with him now and he's the real deal.  Nice Indoor facility , small class sizes and 75 minutes of 1v1 training , strength and agility and ball mastery.  Im very happy with what he's doing to my son, my kid is a center mid and he owns that position now.  Confidence and crazy drive .  Call Chris you will not be disappointed!


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## marioz (Mar 11, 2019)

Have to agree with everything ChrisD says about Chris Ramirez and Touch N Go Soccer.  Although my kid (2010) has not participated in any private (1:1 ratio) training, he's been going to the group training for about 18 months. He motivates them, pushes them, teaches them, and encourages them.  He certainly builds them up.  The more motivated your kid is, the bigger the growth of course.  Good luck!


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## EM3 (Mar 11, 2019)

Does anybody know a trainer in the riverside area?


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## Hired Gun (Mar 11, 2019)

marioz said:


> Have to agree with everything ChrisD says about Chris Ramirez and Touch N Go Soccer.  Although my kid (2010) has not participated in any private (1:1 ratio) training, he's been going to the group training for about 18 months. He motivates them, pushes them, teaches them, and encourages them.  He certainly builds them up.  The more motivated your kid is, the bigger the growth of course.  Good luck!


Chris is great but looking for S


marioz said:


> Have to agree with everything ChrisD says about Chris Ramirez and Touch N Go Soccer.  Although my kid (2010) has not participated in any private (1:1 ratio) training, he's been going to the group training for about 18 months. He motivates them, pushes them, teaches them, and encourages them.  He certainly builds them up.  The more motivated your kid is, the bigger the growth of course.  Good luck!


Chris is good but looking for a speed trainer - form, technique...


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## LA_2028 (Mar 12, 2019)

Look for Chris of Momentous Sport  http://www.plyocity.com/

He is really good, he will teach your kid the right form, technique


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## dadenska (Mar 12, 2019)

Any recommendations for the LA area?


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