Take an inside look at the world’s most popular sport. Soccer Anatomy will show you how to elevate your game by increasing strength, speed, and agility for more accurate passes and powerful shots.
Soccer Anatomy includes 79 exercises, each with step-by-step descriptions and full-color anatomical illustrations highlighting muscles in action.
Soccer Anatomy goes beyond exercises by placing you on the pitch and in the game. Illustrations of the active muscles involved in kicking, heading, tackling, and diving show you how each exercise is fundamentally linked to soccer performance.
From attacking to defending to goalkeeping, Soccer Anatomy will improve every aspect of your game. You’ll learn how to modify exercises to target specific areas based on your style of play, personal needs, and goals. And you can prepare for competition by minimizing injuries using a system developed by FIFA’s medical research program.
Combining authoritative advice, expert instruction, and stunning four-color illustrations, Soccer Anatomy is truly an inside look at this one-of-a-kind sport. Whether you’re a player, coach, or fan, if you’re serious about soccer, this is one book you need to own.
Chapter 1. The Soccer Player in Motion
Chapter 2. The FIFA Warm-Up
Chapter 3. Arms
Chapter 4. Shoulders and Neck
Chapter 5. Chest
Chapter 6. Back and Hips
Chapter 7. Abdomen
Chapter 8. Legs: Muscle Isolation
Chapter 9. Legs: Complete Power
Chapter 10. Whole-Body Training for Soccer
Donald T. Kirkendall is uniquely positioned to author Soccer
Anatomy. He earned a PhD in exercise physiology from The Ohio State
University and went on to teach human anatomy, physiology, and exercise
physiology as a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin at
Lacrosse and Illinois State University. In 1995 he was recruited to join
the sports medicine program at Duke University Medical Center and then
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research
interests focus on sports medicine and physical performance with an
emphasis on team sports—especially soccer. Since 1997 he has written a
sport science column for the monthly magazine Southern Soccer Scene.
Dr. Kirkendall began competing in soccer during middle school and
continued to play during high school and junior college and at Ohio
University, where he competed in the NCAA tournament. He continues to
play today in adult recreational leagues. He has coached soccer at
various levels from U10 youth leagues to assistant coach at Ball State
University in Indiana and earned the USSF B coaching license.
Dr. Kirkendall is a member of FIFA's Medical Assessment and Research
Centre (F-MARC) based in Zurich, Switzerland. The Fédération
Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the international
governing body for soccer. F-MARC conducts and collaborates on medical
studies to reduce soccer injuries and promote soccer as a healthful
activity. Dr. Kirkendall is also a member of U.S. Soccer’s Medical
Advisory Committee. Because of these affiliations and his expertise in
applying sport science concepts to soccer, he is in demand around the
world as a speaker on soccer-related sport science topics. He frequently
lectures at coaching clinics and to local and national coaching
organizations, and he has lectured to audiences in all six of FIFA’s
confederations.
“Dr. Kirkendall’s experience as a player, coach, and sport scientist
of the highest caliber is unbeatable. Anyone involved in the game will
gain invaluable insights from Soccer Anatomy.”-- Sam
Snow, Coaching Director, US Youth Soccer
"Soccer Anatomy will show you how to run faster, resist
fatigue, and survive the collisions in our contact sport. It's a
must-have resource for every coach and player." -- Anson
Dorrance, Head Coach of UNC Women's Soccer, 21-Time National
Champions
"Soccer Anatomy is essential for anyone wishing to learn
the real science behind the power, endurance, and coordination required
for playing soccer." -- Dev Mishra, MD, President,
Sideline Sports Doc, Orthopaedic Surgeon and Member of USSF Team
Physician Staff