At 14 years old, I moved away from my home in Edmonton, Canada without my family to pursue my dream of becoming a professional soccer player to play in a full-time professional academy.
I signed an academy contract to play and compete with the Vancouver Whitecaps in Western Canada, who are part of the MLS (Major League Soccer) which includes teams throughout Canada and the USA.
This article will go in-depth as to what a typical week with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC academy looked like between the years 2011 and 2015.
Our weeks comprised several on- and off-field training sessions, sport psychology and nutritional meetings, game analysis and individual player-coach meetings, and matches on the weekend in a North American-wide high-performance academy league (USSDA).
The week addressed will include:
- 5x on-field soccer training sessions
- 2x morning strength and conditioning sessions
- 2x mid-day mobility and activation sessions
- 2x matches on the weekend in California.
Monday (Training Day)
Mondays typically included a mid-day mobility session, a formal team meeting to address the week coming up (training and matches), team and position-specific training, and arriving home in the evening.
7:00 AM – Wake Up
8:00 AM – Team bus pick up (for out-of-town players)
8:30 AM – School (2 blocks)
11:30 AM – Mobility, foam rolling, mid-day activation routines
11:55AM – Lunch & School (3rd block)
1:45 PM – Walk to the training facility
2:00 PM – Pre-habilitation and personalized warm-up/activation routines
2:30 PM – Team meeting (address our preparation for the week ahead, matches at weekend, what to expect)
3:00 PM – On-Field Training
4:30 PM – Small group position-specific training
5:00 PM – Post-training rehabilitation, recovery (stretch, food, drinks)
6:15 PM – Arrive home via team bus (for out-of-town players)
6:30 PM – Dinner, homework, chill
9:30 PM – Lights out
Tuesday (Training Day)
Tuesdays would be an earlier start, with a team strength session at 7 AM before heading to school, then included pre-training game analysis and review, followed by team training.
5:45 AM – Wake Up
6:30 AM – Team bus pick up (for out-of-town players)
7:00 AM – Strength & Conditioning session
8:30 AM – School (2 blocks)
11:55 AM – Lunch & School
1:45 PM – Walk to the training facility
2:00 PM – Pre-habilitation and personalized warm-up/activation routines
2:30 PM – Game analysis and film review
3:00 PM – On-field Training
5:00 PM – Post-training rehabilitation, recovery (stretch, food, drinks)
6:15 PM – Arrive home via team bus (for out-of-town players)
6:30 PM – Dinner, homework, chill
9:30 PM – Lights out
Wednesday (Training Day)
Wednesday was similar to Monday but typically would include post (or pre) training conditioning and fitness on the field.
7:00 AM – Wake Up
8:00 AM – Team bus pick up (for out-of-town players)
8:30 AM – School (2 blocks)
11:30 AM – Mobility, foam rolling, mid-day activation routines
11:55AM – Lunch & School (3rd block)
1:45 PM – Walk to the training facility
2:00 PM – Pre-habilitation and personalized warm-up/activation routines
3:00 PM – On-Field Training
4:30 PM – Conditioning and on-field fitness
5:00 PM – Post-training rehabilitation, recovery (stretch, food, drinks)
6:15 PM – Arrive home via team bus (for out-of-town players)
6:30 PM – Dinner, homework, chill
9:30 PM – Lights out
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Thursday (Training Day)
Thursday saw another preschool team strength session, followed by a day at school, more game analysis before training, and then final team preparations on the field before the weekend matches.
5:45 AM – Wake Up
6:30 AM – Team bus pick up (for out-of-town players)
7:00 AM – Strength & Conditioning session
8:30 AM – School (2 blocks)
11:55 AM – Lunch & School
1:45 PM – Walk to the training facility
2:00 PM – Pre-habilitation and personalized warm-up/activation routines
2:30 PM – Game analysis and film review
3:00 PM – On-field Training
5:00 PM – Post-training rehabilitation, recovery (stretch, food, drinks)
6:15 PM – Arrive home via team bus (for out-of-town players)
6:30 PM – Dinner, homework, chill
9:30 PM – Lights out
Friday (Travel Day)
Throughout the season we would have regular weekend matches in the likes of Seattle, California, Florida, or Indianapolis, where we would compete against other MLS professional academies or high-profile USA youth clubs. Fridays were travel days, so we could arrive that evening in preparation for matches Saturday and Sunday.
5:30 AM – Wake up
6:30 AM – Team bus pick up (for out-of-town players) and airport arrival
9:30 AM – Flight to California
12:30 PM – Team bus to the hotel
2:00 PM – Team walk, meeting and lunch
5:00 PM – Team swim, dinner, and homework
9:00 PM – Relax, lights out
Friday (Travel Day)
Throughout the season we would have regular weekend matches in the likes of Seattle, California, Florida, or Indianapolis, where we would compete against other MLS professional academies or high-profile USA youth clubs. Fridays were travel days, so we could arrive that evening in preparation for matches Saturday and Sunday.
5:30 AM – Wake up
6:30 AM – Team bus pick up (for out-of-town players) and airport arrival
9:30 AM – Flight to California
12:30 PM – Team bus to the hotel
2:00 PM – Team walk, meeting and lunch
5:00 PM – Team swim, dinner, and homework
9:00 PM – Relax, lights out
Saturday (Match Day 1)
Match day. After team breakfast, walk, and pre-game meeting, we would see physios for treatment and perform our personalized activation warm-up routines, before departing for the match. After the match, we would meet for a recovery stretch and swim, have team dinner, and reset for the match the next day.
8:00 AM – Wake Up and team breakfast
9:00 AM – Team walk, pre-game meeting
10:00 AM – Treatment with physios, pre-habilitation and personalized warm-up/activation routines
12:00 PM – Kick-off
2:30 PM – Post-match stretch, shower, and return to the hotel
3:30 PM – Team lunch, team swim for recovery and stretch
6:30 PM – Team dinner, homework
9:30 PM – Relax, lights out
Sunday (Match Day 2)
The second match day of the weekend would include a similar feat to Saturday, with pre-game meetings, treatment and warm-ups, before departing and playing our match. After the match, we would return to the hotel and prepare for our departure back to Vancouver, and arrive back home late Sunday night before starting up the next week in preparation for the next set of matches.
8:00 AM – Wake Up and team breakfast
9:00 AM – Team walk, pre-game meeting
10:00 AM – Treatment with physios, pre-habilitation and personalized warm-up/activation routines
Noon – Kick off
2:30 PM – Post-match stretch, shower, and return to the hotel
4:00 PM – Depart the hotel, arrive at the airport
7:00 PM – Flight back to Vancouver
10:00 PM – Team bus pick up and drop off (for out-of-town players)
11:00 PM – Lights out