Elite Soccer Players

The sport of soccer has evolved immensely since its beginning around 2,000 years ago and is now considered the most popular sport in the world. The research related to the physical, psychological, and tactical aspects of the game has risen in conjunction with its fame. Elite Soccer Players: Maximizing Performance and Safety seeks to inform the reader with the most current research connected to optimizing physical performance and reducing the risk of injury of the elite soccer athlete for a variety of ages. After providing an initial brief overview of applying physical and psychological scientific concepts in soccer ("Part I: Laying the Foundation"), this book then takes the reader through a series of important yet novel parts including: "Athlete Monitoring and Data Analysis," "Optimizing Physical Performance," "Injury Epidemiology and Risk Reduction," "Achieving Peak Performance and Safety in Various Environmental Conditions," and "Unique Aspects of the Game." The goal of Elite Soccer Players: Maximizing Performance and Safety is to conceptualize and expand upon the current research associated with these topics and provide an applicable point of view to the coaches, sport scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, and sports medicine professionals who work with these athletes every day.

Ryan M. Curtis, PhD, is a sport scientist and data analyst serving in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was formerly the Director of Athlete Performance and Safety at the Korey Stringer Institute, University of Connecticut, USA. He has served all levels of sport and the military as a sports scientist and practitioner leading large-scale soccer research initiatives and integrating best practices in health and performance optimization. Courteney L. Benjamin, who will be completing her PhD in May 2020, is the Director of Communication and Director of Athlete Performance and Safety at the Korey Stringer Institute, University of Connecticut, USA. She has won NCAA soccer national championships as a player at University of West Florida ('12 - Division II) while earning her bachelor's degree in exercise science and as a strength and conditioning coach at Florida State University ('14 - Division I) while earning a master's degree in sports science. Robert A. Huggins, PhD, is the President of Research and President of Athlete Performance and Safety at the Korey Stringer Institute, University of Connecticut, USA. He is experienced in the optimization of human and sports performance through scientific insights in both team and individual athletes at the collegiate, amateur, and professional levels. Douglas J. Casa, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut, USA. He has been connected as a researcher and consultant with youth through the most elite levels of international soccer, including but not limited to assisting the NCAA, US Soccer heat policies, US Soccer national teams, IMG, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, the Portugal National Team, UCONN, WAM United, Northeast United (NEU), MLS, Pro European teams, and many others.

Part 1: Laying the Foundation 1. Applying Science and Monitoring Systems in Soccer 2. Psychological Demands of Soccer: A Decision-Making Perspective Part 2: Athlete Monitoring and Data Analysis 3. Technology in Soccer 4. Workload Monitoring 5. Fatigue Monitoring 6. Data Analytics Part 3: Optimizing Physical Performance 7. Physical Performance Testing in Soccer 8. Conditioning in Soccer 9. Strength, Power, Speed, and Agility in Soccer 10. Nutrition for High-Level Soccer 11. Recovery Part 3: Injury Epidemiology and Risk Reduction 12. The Epidemiology of Injuries in Elite Soccer Players 13. Injury Risk Reduction Strategies 14. Soccer Rehabilitation and Return to Play Part 5: Achieving Peak Performance and Safety in Various Environmental Conditions 15. Hydration and Heat Strategies in Soccer 16. Other Environmental Considerations for Soccer Athletes Part 6: Unique Aspects of the Game 17. Game Management: Considerations for the Goalkeeper, Substitutes, and Extra-Time 18. Considerations for Variations in Soccer Around the World