It’s sad to know that people fail to appreciate the importance of warming up in kids soccer drills. It is obligatory for me as a coach to highlight the fact that warm up sessions before practice is compulsory and helps players begin their day at a brilliant note. This issue is conveniently ignored as unimportant by the coaches in youth soccer drills. This has a direct affect on the health of players in form of injuries while practicing.
In this article, you’ll find some useful tips on warming up the players. Teach the players to warm up by following those body movements that help all muscles to work up. This is the right way to wake up the entire nervous system. Doing things fast can lead to cramps or stiffness in the muscles.
Tip 1: Have the players jog for about 5-7 minutes initially. It is advocated that players begin printing only after a light jogging. In this, the pulse rate should reach 120 beats per minute. Yet, the rate should increase gradually. After this, the players should move their legs back and forth for around 10 minutes each. Finally, over 20 yards, make them stretch actively.
Tip 2: When we talk about this active stretching over 20 yards, a few warm up exercises of its own must go along with it. For example, make the players skip forward and backward. The players can also be taught cross stepping. They must also be taught high-knee carioca. These must be carried out just like sprinting.
Running towards the back also accounts a very efficient warm up drill in soccer drills for kids. Still, in order to perform it, the proper way to do it is to jerk up the heels to the butt. No matter how difficult it may be to practice this but it’s the sole method or performing it accurately.
Tip 3: There are various other warm up drills in kids soccer drills that build up the energy for practice sessions. You can make the players skip with loops or swings. The skipping exercises get an additional length form these. You can also make them cross-over skip. Although a little advanced, Quick Hip Swings is also a very effective and tested method that warms up the body a great deal.
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. Stretch hinging is most beneficial for the legs. Ensure that every kid works out hamstring, quadriceps, groin and calf without exceptions. The players not only avoid injuries but also get to increase their muscle range by stretching.
Also ensure that in soccer drills for youth, kids are discouraged from overdoing anything. The kids may get injured needlessly because of this, as they tend to do so only in over excitement.
In kids soccer drills, you have to guarantee that kids attend the warm up sessions before the drills as you are now equipped with all the necessary information. You can get a variety of information on same topic on our youth soccer coaching community. Become a member today and benefit from it.
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