The Soccer Football Warm-up.
21st February 2011

More often than not the players see few touches of the ball, especially if some players seldom attend training, so this pre-match time has much more relevance, and with the warm-up a ball should be used to encourage the players to touch it.

Getting players to warm-up properly also gives the coach time to develop a positive attitude before the match, and showing enthusiasm at this stage will help with the team's confidence.

At the point the warm-up starts, is exactly the time the players should be in game mode, and be focused on the match ahead.

• Start Slow
  A warm-up should start slow with some very light jogging.
  
  Place a rectangle of four cones about 4 yards apart and ten yards long. Have the players stand beside each cone in two groups and instruct them to lightly jog around the cones.
  
  After a few circuits change the pattern by bringing up the knees, heels or doing side steps.
  
  Complete the warm-up session by speeding up the jogging, though never run at full speed.

• Stretch the Muscles
  Once the jogging is complete, the muscles need to be stretched out. Gentle stretching, including the hamstrings, thighs and calves, as well as the shoulders, back and neck, all helps reducing the risk of a pull in those areas.

• Ball Drills
  Complete the warm-up by doing some ball skills, in particular passing and moving drills. Use a ball as much as possible and make sure every player is involved.
  

The warm-up should not be used exclusively before a game, but also before every training session too. Doing the same warm-up routine before both training and the match makes it a natural element of football which the players quickly become used to making it a familiar part of the pre-match routine.

The warm-up itself should take between 10-12 minutes, though not all at high intensity, with a few minutes extra at the end on ball work.

Mini-Soccer
At this age young children do not need a high intensity warm-up session. Light jogging and some easy work turning their bodies is all that is needed. It is essential to do both a warm-up and a warm-down, to get the players into the habit. It may not be completely necessary though it makes them get used to it in preparation for when they really need it.

Starting 11-a-side
At this age football steps up a level, from small sided games to the real thing. So too should the warm up. Much the same as in mini-soccer, though more so now, the players need to take the warm-up and warm-down much more seriously.

All 11 & 12 year old children's bodies are still growing rapidly and therefore a lengthy warm-up is not necessary, though as the children grow they start to develop stamina and the level of pre-match warm-up should increase.

At this age a light cardiovascular workout, (jogging), can be combined with some very light stretches, and remember that the children are still at primary school age.

Intermediate Football
By the age of 13 and upwards the players are developing very quickly, with some almost fully grown. the players are also developing stamina and their bones and muscles are starting to harden and become more defined. At this stage the warm-up should focus on getting the heart rate up to about 120 bmp. Between the cardio work the players should stretch out their muscles very gently, with absolutely no risk of over doing it.

A warm-up for any age group should be treated as part of the pre-match build up. the players should be encouraged to focus on the warm-up as if they are in the game and prepare themselves for the match ahead. It's a time for discipline and concentration.