In 1988 Laszlo Jambor had first contact with the coaching staff at Ajax. At first a number of the Ajax players questioned the value of Jambor’s work. It was not surprising, because what they mainly wanted was to improve tactically and technically.
However, they soon found that a better running technique and better physical coordination brought improvements in their technical performance. From that time on, the turning and slalom movements and jumping exercises with sticks and gates have become as much a part of training sessions as positional games or finishing drills.
Under Louis van Gaal, and the express request of the Youth Development Director Co Adriaanse, Jambor is also involved with the young players every day.
In Jambor’s approach players of all ages always appear to be faster and more mobile than their opponents.
At Ajax, physical training is approached at three levels. All of the teams do physical coordination and speed training. Then, from the under 16 teams upwards, soccer aerobics, muscle strengthening exercises and explosive strength training are added. Finally even the youngest groups receive running training.
Coordination Training
Why does the Ajax youth development program pay so much attention to footwork and the associated coordination training?
“The nervous system is such that the hands develop before the feet,” says Laszlo Jambor. “This is why, when you start to work with young players, it is important not just to practice soccer drills but also to focus on the associated footwork.
The nervous system is ready for this. It is a question of practicing coordination between the nervous system and footwork.
Good footwork is crucial for any soccer player. You need to constantly adapt your manner of running to the situation. If there is plenty of room the ball is a long way off, you will normally accelerate and take longer strides. In a small area, with the ball close by, you need to be sure that you receive the ball at any moment. You therefore need to take smaller steps without losing speed. Ajax frequently uses obstacles in training sessions devoted to this aspect.”
Speed Training
What are the principles of speed training? First of all you have to understand why Ajax emphasises starting and acceleration during training sessions. A soccer player runs in a very complex way during a game. You need to react consonantly to the situation of play, and that involves continuous changes of speed and direction. The distance you cover lies between 8 and 13 kilometres. The distance you sprint in a game of soccer is between 3 and 20 yards, i.e. between 1 and 4 seconds. Occasionally you may need to sprint for longer, but sprinting at full speed for more than 5 seconds at a time is unusual.
Starting and acceleration capacity are a question of muscle power multiplied by the speed with which muscles contract. Scientific research has shown that acceleration is mostly determined by the pushing-off power of the first stride.
My advice is not to carry out sprint training over the whole length of the sprint, but rather to practice an explosive start and, in particular, the first push-off.
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