Erica M.

I have about 9 years of experience either training or coaching athletes. I have coached mainly at the younger age, but I've worked with all ages, ranging from 5 to 18. I've coached mainly camps over the summer, but have trained kids all times of the year. I would love to work with younger athletes (8-13), but I could also work with older adolescents as well. I have a Master's in Exercise Science, with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning. I am currently studying for my CSCS, and I will have my E license soon, as it was difficult to find a weekend to go to practicals to earn my E license while in school.

I've played soccer since I was in 8th grade, and I eventually played collegiate soccer at Lees-McRae College in North Carolina. I play recreationally now. I train for overall fitness, since I no longer play competitively to keep me in shape.

I would start with ankle mobility and stability exercises before warming up. I would then instruct a dynamic warm-up to prepare the athlete for training. I would then tailor the workout to what the athletes needs/training goals are. I would provide them a workout that will improve cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance to fuel them through their games or practices. If they want to improve speed I would increase their strength through various exercises, such as dead lifts (very light weight for younger athletes), squats or lunges. There is no other way to improve speed without increasing strength. Again, I would tailor the training session to that specific athlete. With that being said, I would pre test their training goals with various agility/strength/speed tests, and then test them again at a later date to see improvements, if any, and then adjust the program according to their results. That way the athlete will improve to be the best athlete they can be.