For teams like Manchester United and other top European teams they are well into their extensive and demanding pre-season schedule. For local youth teams and college teams pre-season is almost upon us, probably not devoting as much time and effort into pre-season as they are not at the professional level yet but still can be a demanding process.

If you have been working hard all summer pre-season will be somewhat easier. If you have had a summer of laziness pre-season will be pretty tough. Players don't often look forward to it. Even wily veteran Paul Scholes, who has endured one or two pre-seasons in his time thinks pre-season is tough. Talking to MUTV Scholsey says "The older you get, the more difficult training becomes. And coming to places like this [America,] where it's 90 or 95 degrees ,doesn't help!" 

Pre-season has changed over the years. Back in the old days it was full of long distance running and killing yourself to complete exhaustion. A ball would not even be involved. 

United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson recently gave his view to manutd.com on the changes of pre-season over the years. "... players used to regularly run 1200m shuttles during pre-season; now, he says, the furthest sprint may stretch to just 200m. The changes are down to advancements made in sports science in recent years... and a hefty dose of logic: football's played in short, sharp bursts, after all."

Of course Sir Alex doesn't take the fitness sessions anymore, he has a couple of fitness coaches helping to get his players in shape for a grueling premiership season. With the demands of the modern game increasing dramatically over the past few years training intensity needs to be even higher. In this video Manchester United fitness coach describes how he is gearing his intense fitness training to yield higher intensity output in games. The training is running based but with a soccer specific theme. Watch the video here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXR01T70OE8&feature=channel

Next week I am running a pre-season SAQ camp in Mount Pleasant, SC. It will be more for youth players so we will be focussing on a whole host of movement and strength patterns so that these players are not only ready for the season but ready for life. It may be a lot more fun than the Pro's pre-season but the intensity will be there for players to become top class athletes and soccer players.

If you are in the area come check it out.