Feanor~
You sound like you know what you can do with her, but are fighting the stigma. I think one of the best things you could do is to tape a soccer match and have her watch the people, not the ball. It is a series of fartleks, windsprints, intervals, whatever.
In HS, the cooper test is still very common, but frankly is only a benefit to your niece since she is a distance person… but has very little to do with soccer or the preparation necessary. I love playing against “distance” types. As a former mid 10s 100m guy, there is really no need for s step-over, scissor, or anything against 95% of soccer players, just push the ball past them and go… have no ability to keep up. Yet, they are all fast kids… “for soccer players”. I hate that last part.
This is where the USSF and I differ in our thinking. It has been communicated that speed training should be done with ball at feet. I will tell Carl Lewis he was selling himself short by merely sprinting.
The issue comes to true speed vs. skill speed. Skill speed is necessary for 5% of the game (2-4 minutes on the ball per player), while true speed accounts for everything else: runs, showing for the ball, defense (imagine caring about the ability to play defense), etc.
So while the USsoccer site has video right now of the women’s national team doing speed training sessions without the ball, there has somehow been a miscommunication downward that all speed training must be done with the ball…hmmm.
The entire game is short bursts of speed, and yet I cannot name a single club in the state of Florida that can say they have the fastest athlete in the county…all sports… sad really.
But, that is why I have turned to training soccer players almost exclusively. To bring up the sport I love so dearly. Train for pure speed AND skill speed. The pure speed will potentiate your speed with the ball.
I will give you a common session I do with our group training sessions:
Dynamic Warm-UP (I use 12 different)
Footwork Progression (Ladder, Dots, Hex, etc.)
Lather Stage (Tag competition, etc.)
So now the athletes are fully warm.
Linear or Lateral Speed Drills (including the use of contrast bands depending on appropriateness).
Breakaway Competitions to cement movement patterns.
Progressive Reactive and Specific Strength Training (Plyos, sleds, vests, etc.)
General Strength / Core
Cool-Down
There you have it. During the pre-season and when requested we also do energy system work to get the kids fit. This generally isn’t hard though, because I handle 12-16 kids at a time, and always keep the drill moving along, and the work rest ratio at 3:1 max… with the tag games, and break-away belt games, the kids are always working hard. Plus, my dynamic Warm-Up take some time to get accomodated to…
Anyway, hope this helps.
J