It’s sad to know that people fail to appreciate the importance of warming up in kids soccer drills. Being a coach, I’d let it be known that warming up is not only compulsory but is even critical to begin the day’s play at a brighter and healthier note. Coaches in youth soccer drills do not take this factor into consideration. This has an end result in terms of injuries to players when in the practice sessions.
You will find some great tips on warming up your team before practice sessions. The team should be guided to use such body movements that have the effect of warming up all muscles. This is the most effective way to liven up all muscles in the body. If the movements are intense, body could become stiff or develop cramps.
Tip 1: This requires the players to do an easy 5-7 minutes jog. It is advocated that players begin printing only after a light jogging.
This must increase the pulse rate to at least 120 beats per minute. However, slow progress is the key. Next, make the players sway their legs, front and back, which should take roughly 10 minutes each. Players should then finish by energetically stretching their body greater than 20 yards.
Tip 2: Talking of active stretching over 20 yards, it should be noted that it should be accompanied with some warm up exercises of its own. For instance, the players should practice hopping forward and backward. The players can also be taught cross stepping. Also teach them high-knee carioca. These must be carried out just like sprinting.
In soccer drills for kids, running towards the back is also a very useful warm up exercise. Yet, the correct method of doing it is to rise up the heels to the butt. It’s actually tough to practice it like this but there’s no choice as it’s the single most and right way of doing it.
Tip 3: There are other essential warm up exercises in kids soccer drills that build up the momentum to the actual session. You can make the players skip with loops or swings. These give an added element to the skipping exercises. The players can also be told to do cross-over bounce. Quick Hip Swings is somewhat difficult to practice but it highly useful and a tried and tested technique to warm up the body.
After that, have the players do the long shuffles along with twists halfway. Have the players move back and forth using their legs. It’s a very efficient activity and helps in toning the body. Equally effective are high leg forwards and backwards.
Tip 4: Stretching must be appropriately and effectively performed. The legs benefit the most out of stretch hinge. Ensure that every kid works out hamstring, quadriceps, groin and calf without exceptions. Stretching has the benefit of preventing injury along with increasing the muscle range.
Also ensure that in soccer drills for youth, kids are discouraged from overdoing anything. The kids get carried over in excitement and end up injuring themselves for no reason due to this.
Because all the relevant information on kids soccer drills is shared with you, please see that training sessions are always followed by warm up sessions. There is a wealth of news and articles of similar nature on our youth soccer coaching community. Join today and enjoy the advantages from them.
Andre Botelho is known online as “The Expert Youth Soccer Coach” and his free ebooks and reports have been downloaded more than 100,000 times. Learn how to skyrocket your players’ skills and make practice sessions fun in record time. Download your free ebook at: Youth Soccer Drills.
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