John Murphy’s Youth Soccer Revolution

Topic  – Warm-up Activities

 

It is amazing that no matter what level, coaches deal with similar problems and issues with their team and its performance on game day.  What I have found is that the game of soccer has a remarkable way of punishing you for both the things that you cannot do and the things you are not willing to do.

 

Depending on the level of your team, these things have various impacts on match day performance.  Actual individual limitations most times cannot be helped in the short term, but can be improved with time.  Group or team issues can and must be addressed in your regular training sessions.  Clubs with more resources can use coaching methods such as video use or sports psychologists, but most of us have to do it the old fashion way:  hard work.  Regardless, even the most fundamental shortcomings can improve in a relatively short amount of time if the methods and application are sound and the training environment is conducive to learning and development.

 

However the lack of commitment by individuals or the group can eat away at the final performance, inhibit your chances of getting the most out of the team, and you have to be diligent to address them from the outset.  Numerous little problems can be solved immediately with an organized and structured training and playing environment.  It comes down to the coach, and the standards of performance that he or she sets for their team every time they meet. 

 

You will have to ‘defend’ your standards almost every time you meet with your team, regardless of how motivated and talented your team is.  Remember players are always looking for the easy way out, so don’t give it to them!  They will often do exactly what is expected of them, and if you are vague, or unorganized, the players either will not know, or will not be accountable for their actions.  Keep this in mind as we discuss the team warm-up for training. 

 

OBJECTIVES

The basic body of a training session breaks down like this:

WARM-UP                             15-20 mins

MAIN THEME                     20-25 mins

SMALL-SIDE GAME          20-25 mins

FREE PLAY                           15 mins

COOL DOWN                       10-15 mins

TOTAL TIME                       1.5 HOURS

 

So if you look on the surface, the actual warm-up takes up less than 30% of the training session.  However, the importance cannot be discounted.  The factors that can be addressed in a quality warm-up have a positive impact on the entire session.  Some are obvious, some more intrinsic. 

 

MAIN OBJECTIVES:

·         Physical – To prepare the body for work.  Warming of the muscles, and raising the heart rate through a slow build up of demands depending on the age and level.

·         Mental – A change of mentality to ‘training mode.’  This is needed since our players come from school and social situations where they are in a different frame of mind.  So we need to give them a chance to move from the library to athletic competition and interaction within the team.

·         Technical – To regain ‘touch’ on the ball, giving the player a chance to make numerous contacts with the ball in preparation for the main session.

 

 SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

·         Setting the tone for the session – based on: level of play, last game’s performance, time in the season, overall attitude/spirit of the team, next game.  Your tone can be light and fun, tough and serious or sharp and purposeful.

·         The connection to the training session – You are establishing the theme for the day with a smooth transition from simple to complex.  You start ‘planting’ ideas into the player’s heads about the session

·         Re-establishes your philosophy about the game – Remember, this takes place anyway through design or on it’s own.   You need to reinforce standards for team behavior (promptness, proper attire and good attitude).  You can also examine performance standards depending on your team’s level and ability.  Look at aspects of play like: sharpness, speed of play, speed of thought, competitiveness, team work and sportsmanship.

 

There are a number of ways warm-ups represent your philosophy, both positively and negatively.  If you choose to focus on running laps, your team will understand you belief in fitness.  If you opt for one ball/one player exercises they will focus on technical mastery of the ball.  From a psychological perspective you need to be mindful of their attitude. If they are negative and slow, they are perceiving your session as work.  If they are upbeat and enthusiastic, they are having fun.

 

ORGANIZATION:

 

As they say, good to start well, better to end well.  But for now, let’s focus on the beginning of training and put the proper emphasis on the opening part of your session.  The administrative issues that present itself for every session will often dictate the fluidity of the practice, and most can be addressed before you set foot on the field.

 

Try to determine the size and surface of your training pitch, what equipment you’ll need and how many players you’ll have before you get to the session.  Also, always provide water and a medical kit, keep a cell phone and emergency numbers and try to make a contingency plan for poor weather.

 

You’ll need to ask yourself what your objectives for the session are.  What do we want to accomplish today? What resources do I have at my disposal? How can I use the warm-up to set the tone for the session?

These factors have an impact on how your warm-up takes place.  However, unlike other aspects of training, the warm-up can be very flexible, and can be done almost anywhere.  It can be done in small spaces, with or without balls, with or without teams.

 

STARTING YOUR SESSION:

 

Get to the field as early as you can (15-20 minutes beforehand minimum) to inspect the area and set up your training pitch.  If we are using public fields, remember to take the time to look for and remove unwanted debris from the surface (remember liability issues). Get your equipment organized and mark off areas for the warm-up and the rest of the session.  To fully utilize the space available, you must organize ahead of time. 

 

I try to work from the inside out (see diagram) so that my team gets familiar with the surface and I don’t have to keep running around during breaks in the session.  If space is not a problem, I set up my warm-up area away from the space that I will use for a small-sided or possession game.  Remember the kids respond to colors and structure.  When using disk cones, use one color for sidelines, and another for small gates or goals.  If you have more than one grid set up, create a red coned grid, a yellow coned grid and a blue coned grid, etc…. 

 

Get the balls pumped up and in one area, organize your pinnie colors, and set up any other equipment that  your might need before practice.  This organization follows the thought that all coaches should follow: Don’t assume that the players know what you want.  The better you can make the picture, the more economical you can be with your efforts.

 

Get the session off on the right foot by speaking briefly and getting the group moving immediately.  Some quick thoughts:

·         This is not the time for a long winded speech.  Get them movin’…

·         Don’t wait more than 10 minutes for late players.  As youth coaches, we must understand that the players don’t drive themselves, but you don’t want to indirectly punish the players that come on time.

·         Often times, coaches send their players off for a lap as the first activity.  Once again, what you do in the warm-up tells your players what is important to you. 

·         If you are a supporter of attractive, skillful soccer (of course you are!!), then let’s create an environment where the players feel relaxed, yet motivated. 

 

The ball is the ultimate motivator (and it will be at the heart of this piece) but we can also get the group going with a simple game of tag.  The important thing is to get the group into ‘training mode’ as soon as possible. 

 

PREPARATION PRIORITY:

 

  1. Physical
  2. Psychological
  3. Technical
  4. Tactical

 

I know what you are thinking – WHY??  Doesn’t that contradict the previous priority of technique first?  Let me clarify quickly.  In a perfect world, the players come fully motivated and ready to go.  But as we know, that rarely happens.  So the physical aspect of the warm-up is the one that you must address immediately.  That does not mean it is the most important, just that it is simple to address.  Basic movement with and without the ball gets the blood flowing, gets the players moving in small spaces, and immediately gets the mind switched on.  But you can’t go at full pace from the outset. 

 

So psychologically, the player must be given a chance to assess the situation, and start at a slower pace in a simple environment.  Technically, if you are giving the players a chance to get multiple touches on the ball in a short amount of time; you are providing the player a chance to re-establish their ‘friendship with the ball.’  When the comfort level on the ball is at a point where the player can pick their head up and see what’s going on, now the tactical sense can be addressed and improved. 

 

Do you see where I am coming from now?  Remember, even top class players must be given the chance to warm-up physically, mentally, technically and tactically.  From there, you can build up and increase demands on the players.

 

STRETCHING:

 

Before we go much farther, some thoughts on stretching.  From a physical standpoint, the muscles need to be warm before any stretching takes place, so find an activity that gets them moving before introducing any exercises.  For the purposes of this series, we will just scratch the surface about the subject, and cover basic theories:

·         Younger player do not need to stretch as much as older players.

·         Muscles must be warm before they can be stretched.

·         Focus on main muscle groups.

·         3 series of stretches every 5-10 minutes or so.

·         2-3 different stretches per series.

·         10-12 seconds per stretch.

·         Hold the stretch. Don’t bounce.

·         USE COMMON SENSE.

 

Now that we have some basic administrative and theoretical ideas on the table, let’s delve in a bit deeper and talk about some specific exercises that can help us get our team prepared during warm-up.  Remember, these are just ideas, and you must make the final decision on how to use them with your team.

 

1.    The passing squares

Four groups of four, 10 to 15 yards away (depending on player level and space available).

a.        Two balls passing to opposite lines.

-          Pass and go to end of your line.

-          Pass and go to opposite line.

-          Pass and go to line on left/right.

b.       Same set up except pass to opposite line, follow pass to receive again, lay off ball (short, short, long).

-          Two touch.

-          One touch.

-          All juggling.

c.        Balls start in opposite corners – pass and follow ball.

-          Clockwise.

-          Counter clockwise.

-          All two touch.

-          All one touch.

-          Short, short, long passing pattern at the corners.

d.       Balls start in opposite corners.

-          Pass diagonally to exchange balls – NO COLLISIONS! (understanding of space/extra pressure).

-          Play next ball forward and follow pass.

-          Return ball back to exchange area and follow pass.

-          Continue the drill.

e.        Same game except with goals and keepers 15 yards behind each end of the passing square (the key is the organization of space and balls throughout this exercise).

-          Exchange balls.

-          Play ball forward and follow pass.

-          Now, touch the ball inside to strike on goal.

-          Progression.

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