Full Armor Soccer

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Raleigh, NC  ·  Faith-Centered  ·  Soccer Training

Forged strong. Anchored in faith.

Ephesians 6:11 — Put on the full armor of God

Work hard. Honor God. Let the game be played with joy that lasts.

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Meet the Creator

Full Armor Soccer was born out of my own story — the mistakes I made, the lessons I learned too late, and a desire to give players something I never had.

I didn't come to faith until 2015, at 29 years old. My playing career was already behind me. Looking back, I can see clearly how much that absence shaped everything.

I grew up with one vision: play professionally for a top club and represent the United States in a World Cup. And for a moment, it looked like it might actually happen. By 14 I was the starting center back for the top club team in the country — one of a handful of defenders being tracked by regional and national team scouts. The path was there.

But I made a decision that changed everything. I watched forwards score goals, receive glory, and command attention — and I wanted that. So I walked away from a position I was genuinely elite at and chased something I wasn't built for. Not because I lacked ability, but because my identity was wrapped up in the wrong thing. I wanted to be seen.

I worked hard enough to earn looks from top Collegiate Division I programs. Coaches always found their way back to putting me at center back. Teams won. But I was selfish — I resisted the role consistently, moved into attacking positions, and performed adequately when I could have been exceptional somewhere else.

After college I played in the USL, attended a combine in Florida, and caught the attention of a coach from Real Salt Lake who invited me to training camp. From there a group traveled to Turkey for pre-season camp alongside some of Europe's top clubs. I was asked to play in a defensive role. I stayed briefly — and then simply stopped.

I remember walking along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea thinking I want nothing to do with soccer anymore.

I had trained without a single day off since I was six years old. I was 24. I was emotionally hollow — worn down by difficult teammates, demanding coaches, multiple concussions I hadn't properly recovered from, and a spiritual battle I didn't yet have the tools to fight. I believe God was pulling me out of the game for that season of my life. I just didn't know it yet.

What I thought was failure, I now understand was preparation.

I spent the next fifteen years in fitness, strength and conditioning, and soccer coaching — working at high level clubs and colleges, developing players, and slowly falling back in love with a game I had once wanted nothing to do with. I've only recently started to enjoy soccer the way it was meant to be enjoyed — freely, without my identity riding on it.

That's what Full Armor Soccer is for.

I want to build an environment where players don't make the choices I made. Where soccer is a gift held loosely, not an identity gripped tightly. Where players are developed completely — physically, technically, tactically, and spiritually — and sent out not just as great players but as people grounded in God, ready to honor Him and carry the gospel wherever the game takes them.

Instead of becoming the world class center back I may have been, God used every wrong turn to shape me into something more useful — a coach who understands the pitfalls from the inside, and who genuinely wants something better for the players in his care.

Full Armor Soccer

The Method

Ephesians 6:11 ‍ ‍

  • We pray with our teams before we play. Not to win — but to remember why we’re here, who gave us these bodies, and what it means to compete with integrity.

  • Dynamic movement prep, body temperature, joint mobility, nervous system activation and technical readiness.

  • Soccer is essentially a year-round sport, which means physical development must be approached strategically and consistently throughout the season. Because of this, we structure training through weekly microcycles that balance both GPP (General Physical Preparedness) and SPP (Specific Physical Preparedness). Athletes need both at the appropriate times to perform at their highest level while staying healthy over the long term.

    Soccer places demands on nearly every aspect of athletic performance, including endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. The importance of each quality also varies depending on the player’s position, style of play, and individual physical profile.

    For training to be truly effective, the individual athlete must be taken into account. Genetics, strengths, weaknesses, and physical tendencies all influence how a player should train. For example, an athlete with naturally high endurance may benefit from a greater emphasis on strength and power development, while a naturally explosive and fast athlete may need additional focus on aerobic capacity and overall conditioning.

    There is no one-size-fits-all approach to developing an elite soccer athlete. The objective is to provide the correct training stimulus at the right time so adaptation can occur effectively. Equally important is proper recovery, including intelligently timed rest days, sleep quality, nutrition, hydration, and stress management, all of which play a major role in physical performance and long-term development.

    At Full Armor Soccer, physical training is designed not only to enhance performance, but also to reduce injury risk, correct imbalances, and improve overall athleticism. Our goal is to develop athletes across all major physical domains, energy systems, and movement patterns so they can perform confidently, powerfully, and consistently on the field.

  • Short and intentional. Weekly challenges. Technique under fatigue

  • Strength in end range when body is warm. Lasting gains made here.

  • We finish together. Gratitude, perspective, and the question of the week sent home with every player.

  • Example:

    “What’s the difference between idolizing soccer and playing for God?”

    “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

    - Colossians 3:23

  • Play small sided: Play small sided at least once a week, 1v1’s, 2v2’s, 3v3’s, etc.

    Work on Growth Areas: Practice a skill or match scenario that needs attention at least once a week.

    One Aerobic effort: Once a week complete a long easy to moderate effort, ideally around 40 minutes. Bike, run, row, ski, etc.

    Watch part of a match: Watch part of a match once a week and observe different aspects of the game. Look at players playing your position, observe speed of play, movement off the ball, communication, etc.

  • Day after a match — recover. Unless another match is scheduled, keep the session light and aerobic. No heavy strength or power work. Spend extra time with mobility.

    Two days out from a match — lighter session. More aerobic endurance focused. This is the easy training slot to recover and keep a good base of endurance.

    One full rest day per week — mandatory. The body adapts during recovery, not during training.

    Match eve (one day out) — Light power, speed, agility and/or upper body strength. Low volume.

    Players under 33% match minutes — complete a post-match fitness or technical session to maintain load.

The Training Program

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    • Physical training across all domains

    • Technical testing and analysis

    • Periodized programming

    • GPP+SPP development

    • Individual specific growth area guidance

    • Nutritional guidance

    • Understanding how to peak for matches

    • Injury prevention and recovery protocols

    • Development in soccer and as an overall healthy athlete

    • Faith-centered environment

    • Club, collegiate and professional soccer guidance and how to approach each

    • Lifelong tools on how to navigate the soccer world

    • Guidance in leaning into how God created you and your purpose in soccer

  • Single Session

    • 1 player: $110

    • 2 players: $85/ea

    • 3 players: $75/ea

    • 4 players: $65/ea

    • 5 players: $60/ea

    • 6 players: $55/ea

    10 - Session Pack

    10% off single rate

    • 1 player: $99

    • 2 players: $85/ea

    • 3 players: $75/ea

    • 4 players: $65/ea

    • 5 players: $60/ea

    • 6 players: $55/ea

    20 - Session Pack

    20% off single rate

    • 1 player: $88

    • 2 players: $68/ea

    • 3 players: $60/ea

    • 4 players: $52/ea

    • 5 players: $48/ea

    • 6 players: $44/ea

    Can be broken up into two installments of 10 sessions

    Full Armor Soccer Community Sessions:

    • 1x/week $50/month (every Saturday at 10am, up to 20 players)

    *Groups have set days/times and can send a friend if they cannot make their session. Sessions don’t carry over to the following week due to small class sizes.

    *When a new player joins mid-pack they pay the remaining sessions at the new group rate and everyone renews together at the beginning of the next pack at the updated group pricing.

  • Times:

    • Mondays: 3:30pm, 4:30pm

    • Tuesdays (available November 1st-June 1st): 3:30pm, 4:30pm

    • Wednesdays: 3:30pm, 4:30pm

    • Fridays: 3:30pm, 4:30pm

    • Saturdays: 7am, 8am, 10am (Full Armor Community Session)

    Ages:

    • From elementary school - professional players

    Group Placement

    • Players will be added to a group based on age.

    Locations:

    • CrossFit Full Armor

    • Raleigh, Cary and Apex: Fields, tracks, parks, etc.

    We work with each group weekly to find the best location for what we have planned — whether that's the gym, a field, or wherever the training calls for.

  • Every Full Armor Soccer session opens and closes with prayer and follows a structured sequence of warm up, daily training periodized around your match week, technical skill and mobility so you arrive at every game physically sharp, technically prepared, and spiritually grounded. Play hard, enjoy the game, honor God.

    • Memorial Day

    • 4th of July

    • Labor Day

    • Halloween

    • Thanksgiving Wednesday and Thursday

    • Christmas/New Years: December 24th - January 1st

  • Most soccer programs train the game. Full Armor Soccer trains the player. While club and school teams focus on tactics, formations, and match preparation, the physical and technical foundation underneath a player's ability to execute those things is almost always left to chance. Full Armor Soccer fills that gap — building strength, power, speed, stamina, and agility through a structured, periodized program designed specifically for the demands of soccer, alongside intentional technical skill development through our weekly challenge system. But the program exists for a reason that goes deeper than performance. Soccer has a way of becoming the thing a player builds their identity around — and when that happens, the game stops being a gift and starts being a burden. Full Armor Soccer is built for players who want to compete hard, develop completely, and go home at peace — because their identity is anchored in something greater than a scoreline. Faith is not an add-on here. It is the foundation everything else is built on.


  • Send us an email: crossfitfullarmor@gmail.com or head over to our contact page and message us there. From there we can answer any questions and get you set up with a free trial class.

Physical Qualities

  • Long-duration aerobic work. Builds the engine that sustains performance across a full match and a full season.

    Lactate Threshold: Long challenging efforts over 11 minutes

    • Example: 20 minute row for max meters

    Aerobic Threshold: Long moderate efforts over 11 minutes

    • Example: 20 minute row at a moderate pace

    Strength Endurance: Build structural durability over time — the ability to maintain proper mechanics and resist fatigue

    • 20 minute AMRAP: 10 pull ups/20 DB walking lunges

    Power Endurance: Sustain explosive capacity across a full session

    • Example: 18 minutes: 12 med ball slams/12 broad jumps

    Agility Endurance: Keep movement mechanics sharp over long durations

    • Example: 15 minute agility ladder (in-in-out-out), rest :30 every 10 efforts

  • High-intensity interval work. Builds the ability to repeat hard efforts and recover between them — the primary energy demand of soccer.

    Glycolysis: Intervals and hard short efforts 15 seconds-2 minutes

    • Example: 4×200m/Rest 8:1

    V02 max: Intervals and hard short efforts 2 minutes-11 minutes

    • Example: 3×800m run/2 minute rest

    Strength Stamina: Build the ability to produce high structural force repeatedly without full recovery

    • 5 rounds 10 thrusters/90 second rest

    Power Stamina: Reproduce explosive efforts without full recovery

    • Example: 4 rounds :30 box jumps/:30 off

    Agility Stamina: Maintain movement quality and joint control through accumulated fatigue

    • Example: 5 minute continuous T-Test

  • Structural and functional load-bearing. The foundation of power, durability, and injury resistance.

    1–5 reps: Max strength (heavy load, neural focus, some myofibrillar growth)

    • Example: 3×3 rep back squat/5 minute rest

    5–8 reps: Strength + myofibrillar hypertrophy

    • Example: 2×8 deadlift/3 minute rest

    8–12 reps: Hypertrophy (mix of myofibrillar + sarcoplasmic)

    • Example: 10 rep max bench press

    12–20+ reps: Hypertrophy with more metabolic stress (often labeled “sarcoplasmic”)

    • Example: 2×15 push press/3 minute rest

  • Explosive output. The ability to produce maximum force in minimum time — sprinting, jumping, striking.

    Short explosive efforts where maximum force can be applied to a quick movement

    • Example: 6×3 med ball slam/rest as needed

  • Maximal velocity over short distances. Efforts under 15 seconds. Pure sprint quality.

    Efforts under :15 that can be completed by repeating a movement pattern as fast as possible

    • Example: 3x:10 bike sprint/3 minute rest

    Speed Strength: Short efforts that can be completed by repeating a strength movement pattern as fast as possible

    • 10×2 back squat/:60 rest

  • Rapid directional change and movement quality. The ability to accelerate, decelerate, and redirect efficiently.

    Short duration efforts that require quick deceleration to acceleration.

    • Example: 5×5yd shuffle down and back to 5yd backpedal

  • Training that intentionally combines two or more physical domains inside a single piece of work — strength, power, stamina, endurance, agility, or speed — to build the capacity to perform across multiple demands without full recovery between them.

    What it is

    A mixed modal session is not a test of one physical quality. It is a deliberate combination of two or more domains sequenced inside a single continuous effort. Where a pure strength session isolates load and rest, and a pure stamina session isolates intervals, mixed modal work removes that isolation — demanding that the body produce different types of force and energy output back to back, round after round.

    This reflects how soccer is actually played. A match does not ask a player to sprint, then rest fully, then jump, then rest fully, then hold off a challenge. It asks all of those things in rapid, unpredictable sequence. Mixed modal training builds the physical and neurological capacity to meet that demand.

    • Example: 3 rounds for time of 10 presses/200m row/30 box jumps

  • The ability of your muscles and joints to move through a full range of motion. It helps improve movement efficiency, reduce injury risk, and perform actions like sprinting, turning, and kicking more effectively.

    Every session closes with mobility work while the body is still warm. The session ends right so the body recovers right. This is non-negotiable regardless of session type.

    Methods: 1-3 minute standing straddle, deep lunge active reaches, foam roll quads

  • Skill work such as juggling, dribbling, shooting, etc., promotes the ability for the brain to develop the appropriate neural pathways to have technical proficiency

Skill Challenges

Skill isn't given — it's forged through repetition, discipline, and the decision to keep going. Mastery is built in private and proven in public. Earn your mark through personal challenges. Compete in showcases where technique goes head to head.

Challenges and Records

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  • For Time:

    • 100 alternating foot juggles

    Records

  • For Time:

    • 50 right foot only juggles

    Records

  • For Time:

    • 50 left foot only juggles

    Records

  • For max reps

    • 10 right footed and 10 left footed attempts to chip a ball from 20yds out into a 5×5yd box

  • For Time

    • Juggle the ball 60yds

    Records

  • For max reps

    • As many head juggles as possible without dropping

    Records

  • For time

    • 25 right foot / 25 left foot / 25 alternating / 25 thigh / complete without a drop. Any drop restarts that section.

    Records

  • For max reps

    • Non-dominant foot only, max juggles without dropping.

    Records

  • For max reps out of 50

    • 5 attempts each foot to strike a stationary ball into the following goal targets from 12 yards.

      • Center

      • Lower left (side netting)

      • Upper left (side netting)

      • Lower right (side netting)

      • Upper right (side netting)

    Records

  • For time

    • Dribble around a 8×8 yard square with the following foot pattern: Dribble, roll, backwards toe taps, roll.

      • 5x clockwise

      • 5x counter clockwise

    Records

Discover your optimal position

As you go through these challenges you will start to see where you might be best suited to play. Physical qualities, tactical awareness and personality also play a role when discovering optimal positions.

The Foundation

"Work hard. Honor God. Let the game be played with joy that lasts."

The mission of Full Armor Soccer

We pray before we play. Not to win even though we always try to — but to remember why we're here, who gave us these bodies, and what it means to compete with integrity. The standings are real. The effort is full. The perspective is anchored in something greater than the scoreline.

Work Hard We train in any condition — rain, cold, heat, snow. We play on any surface — grass, turf, dirt, street, pavement. We do not wait for perfect circumstances to put in the work. Fitness and technical skill are not given. They are built through time, repetition, and the willingness to show up when it would be easier not to. We play hard because that is how we honor the ability we have been given.

Honor God Contrary to much of the soccer world, we do not dive. We do not complain to officials. We do not retaliate when opponents are harsh. We are respectful whether we win or lose, whether the other team reciprocates or not.

We are not soft. We compete physically, we challenge for every ball, we press hard, and we play to win. There is nothing honorable about backing down from a contest or shrinking from competition. The difference is intent — we play hard against our opponents, never at them. We do not go in to hurt. We go in to win. That line is clear and we hold it.

We do not need to repay anyone for anything — God sees all and He is our foundation. We carry on. We give our best. We try to win the right way, every time, because how we play is a reflection of who we serve. The scoreboard is temporary. Character is not.

Enjoy the Game While we work at a high level, we play with genuine joy. Soccer is a gift and we treat it that way. We compete with energy, we express our individual gifts freely, and we build each other up rather than tear each other down. We celebrate our teammates. We embrace the grind because we love the game it produces. The best teams are not just physically sharp — they are connected, and connection starts with enjoying what you do together.


Full Armor Soccer exists for players who want to compete hard and go home at peace — because their identity isn't on the scoreboard.

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Testimonials

  • Daniel Gwyther - Watford

    "I have been fortunate to play with some great players during my career but quite frankly EJ is one of the most disciplined athletes I have ever met. Always at the forefront of fitness whether on the field or in the weight room, EJ was constantly looking for ways to improve be it through nutrition, physiology or psychology. Anyone looking to enhance their athletic prowess through an elite training program should contact EJ as his passion and knowledge will elevate your performance."

  • Martin John - Cardiff City

    "EJ's meticulousness and understanding of both nutrition and and physical conditioning with regards to optimal football performance has been unrivaled during my time as a footballer.

  • Zack Compton - UNC Asheville

    "Eric Johnson's soccer training with our son has changed Zack's life for the better! Zack's overall soccer fitness and skill level has been taken to the next level and then some. When Zack was certain that he wanted to pursue playing college soccer, we contacted Eric to discuss a plan for increasing Zack's soccer fitness level to be competitive at the collegiate level. With Eric's professional guidance, Zack's speed on the field and improvement in his footwork has enabled Zack, a center forward, to get around tough defenders and consistently score goals for his team. Zack's dream of playing collegiate soccer has been realized due to consistent and ongoing personal training with Eric. Eric's positive outlook, focus and commitment to excellence in all aspects of his training truly sets Eric Johnson apart from other trainers. I can highly recommend Eric Johnson to successfully train and mentor any soccer player at any skill level and age to improve his/her game!"

What Is Full Armor Soccer?

Full Armor Soccer is a faith-centered competitive soccer training program based in Raleigh, North Carolina. It exists for players who want to compete hard, work with discipline, and go home at peace — because their identity is anchored in something greater than a scoreline.

The mission is simple: work hard, honor God, and let the game be played with joy that lasts.

Built around delivering the gospel and developing physically and technically dominant players, Full Armor Soccer is not your ordinary training program — it is a complete environment for the faith-centered competitive player. We look to develop the whole athlete: physically prepared, technically sharp, competitively tested, and spiritually grounded.

We pray before we play. Not to win — but to remember why we're here, who gave us these bodies, and what it means to compete with integrity.

Who Full Armor Soccer Is For

Full Armor Soccer is built for the competitive, faith-centered player who wants more than a recreational kickaround — but who has grown tired of the politics, conflict, and noise that often come with larger team formats.

It is for the player who:

  • Wants to compete hard without sacrificing perspective

  • Values faith as the foundation, not just an add-on

  • Wants to grow physically, technically, and as a competitor

  • Prefers a small, high-trust community over a large, complex one

  • Believes that hard work and humility are not opposites

 Faith First

Full Armor Soccer takes its name and identity from Ephesians 6 — the call to put on the full armor of God. That imagery is not decorative. It shapes how this community approaches training, competition, and each other.

The standings are real. The effort is full. The competition is genuine. But the perspective is anchored in something greater than the scoreboard. Players are expected to compete with everything they have — and to remain people of integrity when the final whistle blows.

This is a community for players who want to honor God through their effort, enjoy the game with lasting joy, and build something in themselves that lasts beyond any season.

Start training today.

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Full Armor Soccer I Raleigh, NC  ·  Faith-centered Soccer Training

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