KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The biggest concern when Major League Soccer resumes will not be the game itself, but making sure players are in shape and game ready, according to Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes.
Vermes spoke with reporters on Wednesday to address the MLS 2020 season, which remains on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“An athlete’s profession is different because one of the biggest assets that they have to have is that they have to [be] physically prepared [for] their profession,” Vermes said.
While the club remains at home, the SportingKC training staff continues to deliver exercise programs and training options to the players. There are two types of weeks – “loading” weeks for more intense fitness and exercise, versus “unloading” weeks focused more around maintaining.
“They are very creative and very innovative,” Vermes said, “and I think there are a lot of different things today that we didn’t have 20 years ago. They have done a really good job, and our staff has done a really good job in keeping them connected.”
Usually trainers interact with players at least twice a week via Zoom, with one yoga session per week. Together, they train online with about six to eight players. Vermes said the goal is to keep his players in a “good level of basic fitness”.
“I feel very assured that we have taken all the precautions necessary to make sure that our guys are in a good place,” he said.
Sporting Kansas City currently leads the Western Conference after opening the season with back-to-back victories – A 3-1 road win at Vancouver on Feb. 29 followed by 4-0 result against Houston in the club’s home opener on March 7th.
