How to Do a Proper Youth Soccer Warm-Up

A proper soccer warm-up helps the mind, as well as the body, perform at its best. It also lessens the risk of injury.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soccer Balls
• Soccer balls

1. Take your time. A proper soccer warm-up takes about 10 minutes for younger children and 10 to 15 minutes for older children.

2. Consider the conditions. A warm-up may be shorter during hot weather or on soccer tournament days, which include numerous games.

3. Incorporate all soccer skills. In addition to stretching, a warm-up should be soccer-specific and should duplicate aspects of the game, such as dribbling, passing and shooting.

4. Make sure goalkeepers have their own warm-up. It should incorporate all the skills of that position.

5. Keep warmed up. Do not let the body go cold after the warm-up. Players should be urged to keep moving (for instance, by stretching in place) during the frequent breaks in play.

6. Wear proper clothing. Players should have layers that they can easily shed or put on.

7. Take it easy. Do not use too much energy during a warm-up, or allow players to compete with one another.

Tips & Warnings

• Educate your child. A proper warm-up is one of the most important aspects of sports and exercise. When stretching, teach the proper names of the muscles, such as hamstrings, quadriceps and so forth.
• Help your coach. If you notice there is an insufficient or improper warm-up, suggest (don't insist or attack) that players take a few minutes to stretch before practice and games.
• Set an example. If your child is not part of an organized team warm-up, do some independent stretching. Others will likely catch on.
• Do it together. Warm up by practicing ball skills with your child. Stretch with your child, or practice "buddy stretching," in which you assist your child in doing the stretches.
• Try a hands-on approach. Touch the areas that need to be stretched to make sure that your child feels the stretch in the proper location.
• Volunteer to warm up your goalkeeper. In this case, an extra pair of hands can be useful to the coach, who may be busy warming up field players.

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[youthsoccer]

on 4/16/2008 A great warm up is posted on the Youth Soccer Coach blog. Take a look if you like.

http://youth-soccer-coach.blogspot.com/2008/04/warm-up-routine-if-you-dont-have-one.html