There is a wealth of information floating around about whether strength training is beneficial or harmful to soccer players.

I have heard it all from players and coaches over the years – ‘It will make us bulky and muscle-bound’; ‘it will make us slower’; ‘it will make us too tired for training and matches’; ‘it will make us sore and more likely to get injured’; ‘it will make us less flexible and mobile’; ‘we do not have time in the schedule for it’; ‘no-one understands the demands of soccer well enough’.

Some of these things could be true if you do not have a qualified strength and conditioning (S&C) professional working with your team – but it is generally quite the opposite if you have a well-rounded and collaborative approach.

The use of S&C with US college athletes really started with Boyd Epley at the University of Nebraska, whose American Football team was looking for a winning formula after a few mediocre seasons.

They employed Epley, who made their men bigger, faster, stronger, more agile and able to last longer, and the program completely turned around.

For those who believe muscle equates to being slower, look no further than the many American Football players who add 15-50lbs of weight during their freshman year of college and get faster.

Research indicates that increased muscle cross-sectional area equates to greater strength, and greater strength lays the groundwork for increased power.

"My main goal is to reduce risk of injury; my second is to improve athleticism..."

Additional benefits include increased range of motion and flexibility, being less prone to injury and quicker recovery.

Contrary to some belief, going through full range of motion movements in the weight room reinforces mobility and flexibility. More muscle around joints helps to stabilize them, which decreases the chance of injury.

Lastly, research supports the idea that increased strength helps with the body’s ability to recover quicker, which can be quite important in a sport like soccer.

When I am writing S&C programs for my teams, my main goal is to reduce injury risk. My secondary goal is to improve athleticism.

It is often the case that these go hand-in-hand, but it is always important to prioritize your goals.

The most common injuries in soccer occur in the knee, ankle, hamstrings, groins and head. While every athlete is unique, female players face a few different issues with injuries than males – women are more likely to suffer anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, for example.

Let’s use the knee joint as an example of special considerations we should take into account while assessing injuries.

Women tend to have greater joint laxity than men. In the knee, this often comes in the form of hyperextension; a knee that hyperextends is more likely to be injured if the surrounding muscles are not strong enough to keep the joint from hyperextending during play.