Question: I coach girls soccer and I find it hard to get the girls to commit to weight training. They are afraid of getting too bulky, not fitting into their clothes and they say they won't be able to move with extra muscle mass. Any suggestions?

        Answer: It is important for your girls to understand that in a sport such as soccer, being fast, explosive, quick, agile, flexible and strong is a definite requirement, and the only way to improve and maintain those things is by hitting the weights.

        I used to train women college soccer players in the weight room and they were all afraid of not looking good in regular clothes and looking masculine. One player told me she wanted to be super strong, but remain a size 0. Needless to say, she got worked just as hard as the other girls.

        It is genetically impossible for women to go on a strength training program and come out of it looking like a man — unless they are using substances they shouldn't be using or they looked like a man before they started lifting weights. This is not to say that women won't gain some muscularity, but after all, the goal of strength training with regard to soccer (and many other sports) is to increase the size and strength of muscles to produce explosiveness, quickness and power.

        Strength, conditioning and skill decide who wins or loses, and if your girls want to win, they need to make the decision between looking cute in Capri pants or winning some soccer games. As long as their nutrition is dialed in, they work hard and stay focused, they will create a lean, well-defined, well-conditioned body that is just as strong at the end of the game as it was in the beginning. And, they will stand far less risk for injury, especially the high rates of knee injuries that so frequently plague women athletes.

        Many girls fear getting “bulky” because society makes them believe that beauty is paper thin with no muscle tone. Ask your girls to look at Mia Hamm who is a star on the U.S. Women's World Cup team as well as a pro soccer player who makes big bucks from her team as well as endorsements. She is very pretty, hits the weights hard and gets out of soccer exactly what she puts into it and that is everything!

        Your kids are no different, so don't back down. Make it mandatory that they lift and improve in the weight room or not play. Let there be no misunderstanding that the weights are the same as practice and must be attended to in order to see playing time.

       Contact certified personal trainer Dave Patania at davpatania@aol.com.

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