First of all, the difference between Change of Direction (CoD) and Agility (adsjillittie) is the following:
- Change of direction
- A rapid movement of the entire body with a pre-planned change in speed and/or direction.
- Agility
- A rapid movement of the entire body with a NOT pre-planned change in speed and/or direction.
Why?
Training CoD/Agility is based on (un)controlled movements of the body while practicing a sport.
Football is regarded by several knowledgeable people (me…) as the sport that demands the most from the body.
Almost all movements in all planes occur (in combination), at full speed, with relatively high force and almost maximum resistance.
And that almost continuously.
The optimal cooperation between the brain and the muscles (neuromuscular), between muscles (intermuscular) and within the muscle (intramuscular) in combination with a well-functioning joint (stable or mobile) should therefore give an advantage over a player who does not have this.
This can of course be trained in a relatively stable and/or linear manner by, for example, planking, sprinting, squatting or doing a Nordic Curl, but this in no way simulates the intensity of a competition with the resistance that the body is experiencing at that moment. are experiencing.
CoD
Plotting a CoD course is not very difficult. This can be done with different aids, hurdles, hats, cones, sticks, flat markers, balls and lines.
The trick here is to create such a fun course that it is and remains challenging for the footballer.
In addition, it is quite essential that a course is plotted that somewhat resembles the movements made during a football match. Since there are few or no straight lines sprinting in a football match, a CoD course that adheres to the naming will quickly meet that requirement.
If you search for ‘cod’ on the soosjals, you will find. Unfortunately, there are also some really boring exercises here. This one is somewhat suitable for the upper grades/seniors, but really not for the middle and lower grades.
Fortunately, there is also a wide variety of fun, playful and original exercises.
If you really want to make it fun, add a ball to the CoD exercise. For example, one of my favorite CoD exercises is performing a sprint in a wave movement – put out in two colors of hats – resulting in finishing on a goal with a goalkeeper.
The complete cooperation of the body that is involved when a player switches from one side to the other through a corner at full speed, keeping himself in balance on an often slippery surface is quite fascinating.
If this is done repetitively, it will have a major positive impact on the player’s balancing ability.
Agility
Completing a wave movement in full sprint is one thing, having to do this when it is not yet known in advance which way and at what time is another.
Just like in a competition, performance training should have aspects of unpredictability, mentally and physically.
Going in an (opposite) direction as quickly as possible at full speed, or from a standstill, is very competitive.
Agility exercises are not difficult to make very fun. The unpredictability of the exercise quickly makes it exciting and very funny.
One of my favorites is pitting two players against each other where one has to pass the other without being tagged. They are separated by a row of hats that are interrupted at specific places. The player may of course only “cross” between interruptions.
This can also be made much easier by having a player hang a vest like a tail from his pants and have another player pull the tails out: guaranteed success, especially in the lower grades.
It is also fun to have players respond to a command, ‘left!’, ‘right!’, ‘backwards!’, ‘yellow pawn!’ etc.. Add a competitive element by working with dropouts for those who do not execute the command properly.
Even funnier: point forward and give the command ‘backwards!’.
You already read it: there is a lot of laughter during my training sessions…
For whom?
These types of exercises are for everyone. Lower, middle and upper grades, but certainly also seniors. For upper grades and seniors, agility exercises can be combined with coordination exercises and strength exercises.
Fit-test
It is wise not to do agility exercises with a recovering player or players with minor complaints.
For players who have minor complaints (groin, hamstring, calf, etc.) or have just returned from an injury, it is wise to first do an extensive warm-up and then work very slowly towards non-linear exercises. to calmly complete a CoD process and intensify it step by step.
Only when a CoD course can be completed at full speed without reaction can one start thinking about agility.
This is often the last test to declare a player ‘fit’.
Being able to perform agility exercises without limitation and without (delayed) reaction generally means that the player can participate in competitions.
