If you think that soccer is just about being skillful with the ball then you are very mistaken.

A good soccer player is the result of many years of hard practice and good conditioning is one of the most important abilities he needs to possess.

Without good conditioning your performance on the field will be pretty bad. Playing soccer without conditioning is like driving a car without wheels.

Of course you can sit in the car and pretend that you are actually driving it but you will not go very far 🙂

The main question when talking about conditioning is; how long should you run?

Well, this is impossible for me to decide for you because this depends on the level you are playing at (e.g. amateur or semi-professional), how old you are, your soccer fitness abilities etc.

My Experience

When I was 15 I used to run 3 km per day but never during the practice or game days. My advice to you is to involve a ball in almost every conditioning exercise.

Of course, it can be hard to have the ball at your feet and perform hill runs, but it can be done :-).

My point is that you need to keep in mind that your conditioning is worthless without good ball handling.

Real World Example

To give you an example, let’s take a look at Crisitano Ronaldo or Kaka. They are pretty different in their way of playing but one thing they have in common is that they have great speed with the ball.

Also, both of them are pretty fast without the ball, but there are many fast players with same condition as them. However, their speed with the ball is what separates them from the rest.

They are masters at combining their speed with their soccer skills which makes them almost impossible to stop.

It is also much more fun and easier to run with a ball at your feet because running is really a boring part of soccer.

Make Your Coach Understand the Value of Speed

You will also need to get your coach to understand this. Of course you need to listen to your coach, but it doesn’t mean that you should not discuss soccer related questions with him.

Tell him that the best way of increasing a players condition and ball skills is to involve both of these items together.

If he wants you to perform 60-70 yard runs then fine, but make sure to have a ball at your feet.

Summary

Don’t give up just because your coach doesn’t listen to your suggestions at the time. Keep telling him how important it is to involve a ball in your conditioning training.

I can ensure you that soon or later he will listen to your advice and work it into the training schedule.