In kids soccer drills, it’s surprising that warm up before playing is considered unimportant. 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 a direct affect on the health of players in form of injuries while practicing.
This article will provide you an insight into warming up techniques for the team. Teach the kids to include all the body movements that allow all muscles in the body to get worked up. This is by far the best way to activate all the body parts. Warming up in haste could cause cramping or stiffness of the body muscles.
Tip 1: Have the players jog for about 5-7 minutes initially. A few minutes of jogging and then moving on to sprinting is the best proposition. In this, the pulse rate should reach 120 beats per minute. Yet, the rate should increase gradually. Next, make the players sway their legs, front and back, which should take roughly 10 minutes each. To conclude, the players should vigorously stretch their body more than 20 yards.
Tip 2: But make sure that this active stretching over 20 yards goes with a few warm up exercises of its own. Like the players can bounce backward and forward. The players can also be taught cross stepping. Also teach them high-knee carioca. You can have these performed similar to sprinting.
Backward run is also a highly effective warm up drill in soccer drills for kids. But the best way to carry it out is to raise the heels up to the butt. It is a little hard to practice this but it is the only correct 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 direct your players to play with circles and hoops. These give an added element to the skipping exercises. Also have your players do the cross-over hopping. It is Quick Hip Swings which is e very efficient and proven method of warming up the body, although it’s a little superior.
Next, make the players do long shuffles with turns in the middle. Tell the players to practice backward and forward leg swings. This activity is considered as extremely useful in body toning. In the same way, high leg forwards and backwards is also very effective.
Tip 4: Stretching must be appropriately and effectively performed. What works best for the legs is stretch hinging. Ensure that every kid works out hamstring, quadriceps, groin and calf without exceptions. It is stretching that helps in increasing the range of muscles together with preventing any injury to the player.
In soccer drills for youth, another important thing to ensure is that kids don’t do too much of anything. They tend to get carried over by enthusiasm and injure themselves unnecessarily.
In kids soccer drills, it’s for you now to make sure that kids do the warm up exercises before practice sessions as you’ve got all the knowledge on this. There is a wealth of news and articles of similar nature on our youth soccer coaching community. Become a member today and benefit from it.
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.
