It’s both the coaches and players that pay no heed to the fact that stretching and warming up in relation to Soccer practice . It must be understood that a practice must support the development of players as a whole. In soccer training, performing daily drills is not good enough.

Strength, elasticity, and patience are necessary in players to stay active in the game. So start every practice session with warm up followed by stretching. After that, get on to coaching different techniques, games, and drills. Lastly, game tactics can be taught to the kids.

Warming up and stretching achieve two broad objectives. It allows the body to get ready for a taxing exercise regime and stretching results in resting of the muscles. Following are some drills that can be prove to be great stretching and warm up exercises.

1. Running in Formation: Make all team members run in this activity, two shoulder to shoulder and staying synchronized. This activity has the effect of building player’s stamina and instilling team spirit amongst players. Moreover, moving forward in a pre defined arrangement of players; you indicate to the opponents that they are going to have a hard time dealing with you.

2. Follow the leader: This warm up comes from the family of soccer drills that allow the players to learn the art of dribbling with their heads up and tag along other team members. Every player needs to have a ball in this activity. Request a mature player to start dribbling the ball in a lead role and the entire team must follow him. This lead player must make several different moves and everyone must imitate the lead player.

3. Reaching out: In soccer practice, this is a popular and very effective stretching exercise. Ask the players to stretch their legs apart and direct them left, right, and center. Afterwards, ask them to try touching their toes. At first, they may find it hard but will eventually be able to do it.

4. Lift legs up behind: This exercise makes the thighs get stretched. In a standing position, the players must fold their right leg up behind them and hold it for as long as they can. The repeat the exercise with the left leg. It is vital that the kids do not look at the ground otherwise, they may fall down.

Every practice must have a goal. As a coach, make the kids learn only 1 to 2 skills. Design drills and games in a manner that help in developing or improving the player’s abilities as also warm up their bodies and then stretch them after the session.

Fitness is the key. Remember that the team that wears out early is the one that loses. Make sure that your fitness activities are drills that include soccer ball as much as possible. Instruct the kids to run around the field while dribbling a ball.

So go ahead and make your team work out with these fitness mantras for soccer practice. Join our youth soccer coaching community to benefit from our knowledge, tips, and tricks on youth soccer.

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: Y

outh Soccer Drills.