ERIC FRIEDLANDER

I have played soccer since the age of four. Up until about 16-17, I played for many premier teams in my area that competed in the Regional League before academy soccer started.

When I was 17, I made the trip to Faribault, Minnesota to play for Shattuck St. Mary’s USSDA, which is a development academy as well as a boarding school, known for its hockey and soccer. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I lived on campus, trained once or twice a day, and studied at the school. It is a real serious place, with some serious players, who are looking to get to the next level. The school is also very good, and it teaches you how to study, and have discipline in soccer and your studies, which I am sure later translates into discipline in whatever career you go into, whether it’s in soccer or the business world. I honestly wish I had gone there all throughout high school.

While at Shattuck I was recruited to play at the University at Buffalo. The summer before pre-season, I came across a program that offered one month to play and prepare for the college season in Germany. I jumped on it, and I absolutely loved it. In Germany, they live and breathe soccer. I was asked by a couple of semi-pro teams to stay and sign, but I couldn’t do it because I was already committed to college.

Therefore, I went & played at the University at Buffalo. We played some attractive soccer, I made some great friends (who I still keep in touch with), and enjoyed the experience of being in college. It was one of the best years’ of my life, but it was too much “fun,” if there is such a thing. I wasn’t as focused on my training, as I had once been, as I was going out too much, not getting enough rest, and not eating too well. The summer after my first year, I decided to go back to Germany to train, and possibly test my chances of signing over there once again. It ended up that a couple of clubs’ were interested in signing me. I signed for a semi-pro club, and spent two years in Germany. After that, I made a move to Sweden.

A couple of months ago, I just finished up my first season in Sweden, and I am currently on the look for a new team for the 2018 season.

In the US, the game seems to be more one-dimensional. It is definitely changing, but you can tell that the players in Sweden & Germany have football in their blood. They know how to play the game, and they really just understand the game! It’s incredible, as you can go to a park and play a little bit of pick-up, and some guys’ are so out of shape, but they “outsmart” foreigners, and play better football, because they just know the game. As I talk to people over here, and many friends, they have the stereotype that American players are always very good physically, but they are missing the tactical part and technical part. Europeans see American players as “workhorses,” and they think that many players aren’t too good on the ball, and don’t understand the game, like the Europeans.

In Sweden & Germany, they are very focused on the team, and developing the team as a whole. They focus a lot on the tactics of the team, and how the team works together. There are many separate sessions for tactics only (usually on a rest day). Many coaches try to really change the culture of the team and the club. Also, when you get to the higher level, it is all about the three points on the weekend.

The job of the coach is to get wins, and they are not as focused on developing individual players. Coaches’ out here really want to make a name for themselves by embedding their philosophies’ and their culture within the club. It is also stressed that you should play forward as much as possible, and “break lines,” because that is essentially who you break teams down, and get more scoring opportunities, which leads to more goals, and more wins.

In terms of fitness training, American soccer players’ are unfortunately placed with fitness coaches’ who are used to training American football, and hockey players. Therefore, soccer players’ are caught up doing exercises that aren’t specific to soccer. We are more focused on the stopwatch and the barbell, rather than the soccer specific movements and the functional movement that is needed to advance physically in the game. Each sport has to specifically tailored to the demands and needs of the game, as every sport is very different. 

I provide coaching to anybody, but I am trying to focus mainly on niching out to soccer players. I am a soccer player, and I have been on this journey for quite a while, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon. 

Though in the meantime, I want to provide players with as much knowledge as possible, and have the ability to train from anywhere, without the use of much equipment, and the ability to train any time of day. 

As long as the player is willing to put in the work, have patience, persistence and is willing to dedicate their time to the development of themselves, I am willing to work with them, and will give them my everything to get them to the next level. I want to educate them as much as possible, where they will not need me anymore. The greatest thing in the world is freedom, and the ability to be autonomous (create for yourself). That being said, I think it’s essential to be dependent on no one, and do things all on your own. Ultimately, I want to teach my clients’ how to actually TRAIN LIKE A SOCCER PLAYER. 

I make sure to get specific background information for every player that I work with. I want to make every one of my programs’ as individual as possible, because that’s how it should be. Everyone has a different physiology and psychology, so not everyone should be doing the same thing.

The first step I take is to look into their current habits (training, eating, sleeping, recovering) and I craft a plan SPECIFICALLY for them that I think is necessary for them to get to the next level. 

I send them a program online month-by-month. The plan usually consists of 3 total-body workouts, and 1-2 cardio-based workouts a week. Therefore, they can be training from anywhere between 3-5 times per week. We discuss their training schedule in depth, and I help them format their extra training for the week. 

One of the most important things that I have learned in Europe is the importance for periodization and the correct periodization. I studied online under Raymond Verheijen, who is a periodization expert, who has worked with top clubs throughout Europe (Barcelona, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Zenit St. Petersburg) as a fitness coach. He explains the concept of “freshness over fitness,” and how fatigue is the number one enemy of any soccer player.

In America, we are constantly taught that the harder you work, the better you will become. I learned the hard way, through fatigue, and a lot of pain, that the most important thing is to be FRESH. 

The most important thing is to be as fresh as possible for every team training that you participate in. The main reason appears to be obvious, but many players don’t take it into account that the fresher you are and the better you perform during the week, the better you will perform on the weekend. Being able to perform on the weekend is what will determine if you will get to the next level.

Therefore, I make sure to communicate often with my players about their training schedule, and managing their training load. I want to make sure my players are getting right amount of work in, and they don’t do TOO MUCH. Unfortunately, there is a fine line and a “happy medium,” which is sometimes hard to find. 

My program focuses foremost on the core, and the mobility of every joint and muscle, and being able to fire the right muscles at the right time. 

My aim is to improve the quality of movement of the player. When the quality of movement improves, they can become faster, quicker, stronger, and more agile.

When their movement begins to improve, I will start increasing the load, and use the common technique of “Progressive Overload.”

I also make sure to tune in and dial in their nutrition, so their food is “fueling” them, and helping them recover properly. 

As for the recovery aspect, I help them with specific techniques to help them recover as quickly as possible, and be as I said before, to make sure they are as fit and fresh as possible for every training and every match. 

Many players do not know what to eat, and what foods they should be taking in to fuel their performance, and have them playing at their best.

I describe their physique as a Ferrari. We wouldn’t want to put regular gasoline into a Ferrari. We want to put PREMIUM fuel into the Ferrari, so it is operating at its’ best! Without the proper & right amount of fuel, our Ferrari can perform at its best.

I constantly see players who eat too little or too much. Most of them are not getting the right amount of nutrients in that they need to have them firing on all cylinders. Many players’ take in calories from the wrong sources, and take in a lot of unnecessary calories that don’t give back. I want to help my players find what works for them, and what they can sustain throughout their career. I am not a believer at all of any type of fad diet. The most important is getting a balance of the proper macro and micronutrients to fuel them.

Many players do not know how to build a meal or snack, and they end up with low energy and low quality performance. 

My job is to help them focus on the right things to put in their body, as well as the proper time to eat. 

Yes, of course I do! 

I really enjoy coaching players on the technical aspect of their game, as it is very essential! 

When I go home for break, I actually coach many players’ individually on the technical aspect of the game. I try to incorporate the techniques I have learned throughout my career, and the past 3 years in Europe. I want to make my players as good and as comfortable on the ball as Europeans. So, when they go on trial at big clubs in Europe, the European coaches won’t even know they’re American. 

Eventually, I will coach technique online, as I don’t know how long I will be in Europe. I am currently in the process of recording videos of ball work, and what to focus on when training the technical aspect of the game.

I want to help as many players as possible in every aspect of the game! I love this game. It has given so much to me, and I want to give back to all of the players who have the desire to play at the next level!