Table of Contents

Foreword by Tim Howard
Introduction by Bob Bradley

Part I. Principles of Sport-Specific Resistance Training

Chapter 1. Importance of Resistance Training
Garga Caserta and William E. Amonette

Chapter 2. Analysis of the Sport and Sport Positions
Scott Piri

Chapter 3. Testing Protocols and Athlete Assessment
Ernie Rimer and Jo Clubb

Chapter 4. Sport-Specific Program Design Guidelines
Megan Young, Garga Caserta, and Matt Howley

Part II. Exercise Technique

Chapter 5. Total Body Exercise Technique
Scott Caulfield and Bryan Mann

Chapter 6. Lower Body Exercise Technique
Scott Caulfield and Bryan Mann

Chapter 7. Upper Body Exercise Technique
Ian Jeffreys

Chapter 8. Anatomical Core Exercise Technique
Cat Wade and Kevin Cronin

Part III. Program Design Guidelines and Sample Programs

Chapter 9. Off-Season Programming
Julia Eyre and Ivi Casagrande

Chapter 10. Preseason Programming
Daniel Guzman and Joey Harty

Chapter 11. In-Season Programming
Melissa Terry and Matt Howley

Chapter 12. Postseason Programming
Ryan Alexander

About the Author

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is the world’s leading organization in the field of sport conditioning. Drawing on the resources and expertise of the most recognized professionals in strength training and conditioning, sport science, performance research, education, and sports medicine, the NSCA is the world’s trusted source of knowledge and training guidelines for coaches and athletes. The NSCA provides the crucial link between the lab and the field.

Daniel Guzman, MS, CSCS, is one of the most respected strength and conditioning coaches in American soccer. He started as the youngest head strength and conditioning coach in Major League Soccer with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2014; they went on to win the MLS Cup. In 2017 Daniel joined the United States men's national soccer team on the journey to the 2018 FIFA World Cup 2018 in Russia. He served that team as they won the Concacaf Gold Cup in the summer of 2017. Lastly, he served the Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) from 2018 to 2021 as the head performance coach. LAFC won the Supporters’ Shield trophy in 2019 and set a record for most points in a single season. In 2022, Daniel decided to leave the team side of professional sports and start his own business, Guzman Performance, which strives to train and educate soccer athletes and coaches using the top strength and conditioning strategies for the sport. Daniel wants to leave a legacy as a servant leader in the field of strength and conditioning who lived to lift others up. He lives in Orange County, California, with his wife and three kids. He enjoys spending time at the beach and playing sports.

Megan Young, MSEd, CSCS, SCCC, FRC, USAW SPC, is a lifelong learner of human performance optimization, health and well-being, strategic integration of sport science, human optimization technology, data systems, and cross-functional management to support winning organizations. She is in the process of obtaining her doctoral degree from Auburn University. With over 15 years of high-performance experience, she has applied these areas of expertise in various roles, including strength coach and high-performance director in collegiate athletics and women’s and men’s professional soccer. Coach Young ensures her coaching leverages data-influenced decision making, contextual compassion, and tactical empathy. She has been fortunate to train elite U.S. and international athletes, Olympians, and World Cup champions. She is often sought after as a thought leader, speaker, and expert in the evolution of the global coaching paradigm. Outside of her professional commitments, she elevates and educates others in awareness of leukemia, a cancer she survived in 2015. She also invests time in any activity in an ocean or lake, hiking, pickleball, and reading articles that challenge her current perspective. She resides in Seattle with her dear pup, Kilo, and her fiancé.

Reviews

“In Strength Training for Soccer, leaders in the field lay out a revolutionary holistic blueprint for mastering soccer-specific strength training year-round. Strength Training for Soccer is a must-have tool for every soccer strength coach’s toolbox!”
—Kelly Dormandy, MEd, CSCS, USAW1, PN1, Director of Sports Performance for University of Georgia Women’s Soccer

“Strength Training for Soccer provides scientific evidence and practical ways to test, develop, and improve strength—a fundamental aspect of athletic performance—to meet the demands of the sport."
—Carwyn Sharp, PhD, CSCS, Head of Human Performance for AS Roma in Italy

“Strength Training for Soccer helps to reveal fundamental and key concepts that any strength coach, performance coach, or sport scientist should have a deep understanding of at all times. Gaining practical insight from professionals who are working with players and teams at the highest level is invaluable to all those working in our profession.”
—Adam C. Parr, MS, CSCS, Performance Specialist for Charlotte FC and Sport Scientist for U.S. Soccer