Its unbelievable how underrated the importance of warming up in kids soccer drills is. 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. In youth soccer drills, coaches fail to take this aspect into consideration. This has an end result in terms of injuries to players when in the practice sessions.
This article gives you some nice tips on how to get the team warmed up. Teach the kids to include all the body movements that allow all muscles in the body to get worked up. This is the correct method of stirring up all the body parts. 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. The pulse rate must get to 120 beats per minute in this. However, slow progress is the key. This should be followed by players moving their legs backward and forward for approximately 10 minutes each. To conclude, the players should vigorously stretch their body more than 20 yards.
Tip 2: Having said that, do remember that even this active stretching over 20 yards comes with some warm up drills of its own. For example, have your players skip back and forth. Also teach your players to do cross stepping. Players must also be trained on high-knee carioca. You can have these performed similar to 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. Have your players bounce with rings and 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.
Next, make the players do long shuffles with turns in the middle. The players should be made to practice moving their legs backward and forward. This is a highly effective and useful body toning activity. High leg forwards and backward is just as efficient in toning the body.
Tip 4: Stretching should be carried out properly and sufficiently. 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, it is also important to understand that kids should not overdo anything. The kids get carried over in excitement and end up injuring themselves for no reason due to this.
Now that you are armed with this information about kids soccer drills, ensure that kids do warm ups before performing the drills. You can get a variety of information on same topic on our youth soccer coaching community. Register now to enjoy the benefits.
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.