This case study documents a 3-month integrated coaching program for a 16-year old male soccer player playing as a centre defender for Portsmouth FC Youth Team. A needs analysis identified areas for improvement in speed, power, change of direction, and injury risk reduction. The program included strength, power, speed, agility and endurance training over 12 weeks. Testing showed improvements in vertical jump, sprint times, change of direction, and lifting strength. Further recommendations included more conditioning drills, GPS monitoring, and agility development.

1. UKSCA Accreditation Case
Study
Ben Spong
Portsmouth FC

2. Content
 Sport and Subject
 Needs Analysis –Sport and Subject
 Subject Assessment and Goals
 3 Month Integrated Coaching Program
 Review and Reassessment
 Future Recommendations
 References

3. Sport and Subject
 Age: 16 (at start of intervention)
 Playing age: 8
 Training age: 1
 Sport: Football (soccer)
 Position: Centre Defender
 Level: 1st year scholar in Portsmouth FC Youth Team

4. Needs Analysis - Sport
 Low intensity for 70% of match play with 150-250 brief intense
actions, including changes of direction and repeated sprint efforts
(Bangsbo, Mohr & Krustrup, 2006)
 Central Defenders spend the majority (34%) of game time between
Aerobic and Anaerobic Threshold, in HR Zone 3 (Bujnovsky et al.,
2015)
 TD = 10,336m ± 471m, with 186m ± 82m of Sprint TD (1.78%)
(Andrzejewski et al., 2015)
 Multi directional movements: lateral, forward, backwards, turning,
jumping, kicking, sprinting (Bangsbo, Mohr & Krustrup, 2006)
 Potential to play 60+ games, with 3-4 hours training 4 days per
week. Change in volume from schoolboy to apprentice level playing.

5. Needs Analysis – Sport Injury Risk
 Lower extremity non-contact ligament injuries at ankle
and knee most prevalent in soccer with ATFL and MCL
most commonly reported
 Youth players injury risk increased during PHV
 Previous injury highlighted as significant risk factor
across all ages of football (soccer) (Read et al., 2016)
 Proprioception and Eccentric Hamstring exercises
suggested as a positive intervention for reducing injury
risk (Junge & Dvorak, 2004)

6. Needs / Characteristics
Position Height (cm) Weight (kg) Body Fat (%)
Central Defence 175 66 12
CMJ 20m Sprint AR AL
24.4 3.03 8.17 8.22
(Gioldasis et al., 2014 ; Nike Average SPARQ Data Season 14/15)
Player Height (cm) Weight (kg) Body Fat (%)
Player A 186 78.4 6.7
CMJ 20m AR AL YoYo 1RM BP 1Rm Sqt
23.45 3.3 8.7 8.4 31 95 110

7. Screening
 Modified Functional Movement Screen (Cook, 2014)
Dysfunction Daily Intervention
Poor BL Stability SL Stability Exercises (BL)
Poor Ecc Control of LL Propriception exercises, Pistol
Squat, Depth Jumps, SL Landing
Tight Hamstrings Foam Rolling, Dynamic Stretching
Routine
*No significant injury history recorded.

8. Goals and Outcomes
Coach Goals
S+C Coach • Improve RFD
• Improve Eccentric Control
• Improve Proprioception on SL
• Increase Arrowhead Speed
Physio • Remain Injury Free
• Increase SL Stability
Technical Coach • Increase in game Speed
• Increase in game Strength
• In Game body position

9. Program Outline
 3 month, 12 week block (2 x 6 week mesocycles). Feb –
April ’16
Weeks 1-6 7-12
Strength • RFD
• Tech Education
• RFD
• Tech Education
Power • On Pitch Plyo x2
p/w
• Power Based Gym Work
• On Pitch Plyo x2 p/w
Speed • SAQ Drills in Warm
up x5 p/w
• Running Mechs
within
• Plyometrics in Warm Up x5 p/w
• Horizontal force production to increase
forward mechanics
Agility • On Pitch x2 p/w On pitch x2 p/w
Endurance • Daily Red Zone
targets
• Daily Red Zone Targets

10. Macrocycle – 1 season

11. Macrocyle Overview
 Season long program, with 6 week mesocycles.
Encompassing Pre Competiton, Competiton, Transition
and Recovery phases (Bompa, 1999)
 Wave loaded Volume and Intensity (Rosenblatt, 2014)
 Performance peaking December and March, based on
fixture schedule and scholarship structure.

12. Mesocycle Conditioning
Programme

13. Mesocycle Outputs
Week 1-6
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
WEEKLY TARGET
Actual Scores
Week 7-12
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
WEEKLY TARGET
Actual Scores

14. Mesocycle Strength Programme

15. Strength Outcomes

16. Mesocycle Overview
 Wave loaded weeks, with deload every 5th week to allow
for supercompensation and general adaptation
(Rosenblatt, 2014; Bompa, 1999)
 Monitored using a Training Impulse (RPE Session Duration
= SRPE) (Gabbett, 2016)
 Chronic workload gained from SRPE, and maintained
throughout season
 HR used to monitor time spent in Red Zones, although
unreliable and not used for program design at this stage

17. Microcycle Plan
Mon Tues Weds Thurs Fri Sat Sun
Warm Up • Light Jog
• Dynamic
Mobility
• Straight
Line
Sprint
• Plyometic
• Power
Work,
Jumps,
Bounds
REST • Agility
• COD
• Light
• Dynamic
Mobility
• Straight
Line Sprint
GAME REST
Tech • Light
Session,
Phase of
Play
• Hard
Session
• SSGs
• Phase of
Play
• Running
Block
REST • Hard
Session
• SSG
• Light
Session
• Set Piece
• Game Prep
GAME REST
Gym • UL Strength • LL Strength REST • WB Power
• UL Strength
OFF GAME REST
Other • Prehab
• Hydration
Test
• Prehab
• Hydration
Test
• Prehab
• Hydration
Test
• Prehab
• Hydration
Test
• Prehab
• Hydration
Test
Prehab REST

18. Microcycle Outcomes
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

19. Microcyle Overview
 Wave loaded, with peak on Saturday game day
 2 Rest Days (Weds, Sun)
 2 day recovery method (Sun, Mon (Active))
 SRPE measured, acute workload matching chronic
workload 1:1 – 1.5 (Gabbett, 2016)

20. Pre & Post Training
Player Height (cm) Weight (kg) Body Fat (%)
Player A 186 78.4 6.7
CMJ 20m AR AL YoYo 1RM BP 1Rm Sqt
23.45 3.3 8.7 8.4 31 95 110
Player Height (cm) Weight (kg) Body Fat (%)
Player A 186 80.2 6.3
CMJ 20m AR AL YoYo 1RM BP 1Rm Sqt
24.60 3.14 8.3 8.5 24 97.5 115

21. Recommendations
 More focus on in-session conditioning drills to maintain
high endurance capacities
 Purchase of GPS monitors to assist in load monitoring
 HR Monitors used more frequently to ensure physical
loading is closely monitored
 Development of Agility based movements to supplement
those completed on-field, and reduce Arrowhead time
in testing
 Begin to ‘feel’ successful lifting in the gym.

22. References
Andrzejewski, M., Chmura, J., Pluta, B., & Konarski, J. M. (2015). Sprinting Activities And Distance Covered By Top Level Europa League Soccer Players.
International Journal Of Sports Science & Coaching, 10(1), 39–50.
Bangsbo, J., Mohr, M., & Krustrup, P. (2006). Physical And Metabolic Demands Of Training And Match-play In The Elite Football Player. Journal Of Sports
Sciences, 24(7), 665–674. Http://Doi.Org/10.1080/02640410500482529
Bompa, T. (1999). Periodization: Theory And Methodology Of Training (4th Ed.). Leeds: Human Kinetics.
Bujnovsky, D., Maly, T., Zahalka, F., & Mala, L. (2015). Analysis Of Physical Load Among Professional Soccer Players During Matches With Respect To Field
Position. Journal Of Physical Education & Sport, 15(3), 569–575.
Cook, G., Burton, L., Hoogenboom, B. J., & Voight, M. (2014). Functional Movement Screening: The Use Of Fundamental Movements As An Assessment Of
Function - Part 1. International Journal Of Sports Physical Therapy, 9(3), 396–409.
Gabbett, T. J. (2016). The Training-injury Prevention Paradox: Should Athletes Be Training Smarter And Harder? British Journal Of Sports Medicine.
Http://Doi.Org/10.1136/Bjsports-2015-095788
Gioldasis Aristotelis, Bekris Evangelos, & Gissis Ioannis. (2014). Playing Position: Anthropometric And Fitness Demands In Youth Soccer. Sport Science Review,
23(3-4), 151. Http://Doi.Org/10.2478/Ssr-2014-0009
Junge, A., & Dvorak, J. (2004). Soccer Injuries. Sports Medicine, 34(13), 929–938. Http://Doi.Org/10.2165/00007256-200434130-00004
Read, P. J., Oliver, J. L., De Ste Croix, M. B. A., Myer, G. D., & Lloyd, R. S. (2016). Assessment Of Injury Risk Factors In Male Youth Soccer Players. Strength &
Conditioning Journal (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins), 38(1), 12–21.
Rosenblatt, B., Joyce, D., & Lewingdon, D. (2014). Planning A Performance Program. In High Performance Training For Sports (Vol. 1, Pp. 247–259). Leeds:
Human Kinetics.
Verkhoshansky, Y., & Siff, M. (2009). Supertraining (6th Ed., Vol. 1). Rome: Verkhoshansky SSTM.