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Let’s face it! When it comes to warming up and stretching in Soccer practice , both coaches and players tend to ignore both. You must understand that a practice session should aid the player’s total professional growth. Daily practicing soccer training drills is not sufficient.

Strength, elasticity, and patience are necessary in players to stay active in the game. Warm up and stretching should therefore be the starting points of any practice session. Then it should progress into technique teaching and drills or games. Towards the end, the kids can be made to learn some game tactics.

Doing warm up and stretching exercises has two main 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 is one of those warm up soccer drills that develop the player’s ability to follow orders and to dribble with their heads up, watching other players. In this activity, every player should have a ball. Pick a senior player or an assistant coach to start dribbling the ball and everyone else must follow him/her in a line. This player should make a lot of variations with the ball and the rest of the players should emulate.

3. Reaching out: in soccer practice, this is a well-received stretching exercise. Make the players stand with their legs apart and direct them left, right, and center. Afterwards, ask them to try touching their toes. To begin with, this may seem like a tough exercise but they will adjust to it soon.

4. Lift legs up behind: This is another stretching exercise that works the thighs up. While standing, the kids must fold one of their thighs and hold it for a specific time. Then repeat with the left leg. It is crucial that the kids do not look below at the ground else they will fall.

Every practice must have a purpose. As a coach, make the kids learn only 1 to 2 skills. Engineer drills that work towards developing the skills of the players while at the same time helping them warm up and stretch.

Being physically fit is crucial. It must be noted that the team that gets exhausted loses. Ensure that the kids use a soccer ball for every drill that they do. Do not let the kids run around the field without a ball, ask them to dribble with it.

Make a move and use these tips for soccer practice. Enroll for our youth soccer coaching community to get more tips, tricks, knowledge, and other youth soccer resources.

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