|
Article 1
Guidelines to Parenthood
Article 2
Parental Support
Article 3
Soccer Etiquette
Article 4
What makes a good soccer player?
Article 5
How can I make the best use of practice time?
Article 6
Soccer gives bigger health kick than jogging
Article 7
Water - Why so Important
(Warming Up, Stretching, & Cooling Down)
Unfortunately, most players under eight years old usually don’t understand the mechanisms of stretching very well. In most instances, the players end up bending over and “counting” instead of really stretching. Furthermore, any drill or warm-up exercise in which young players are forced to stand around and wait while a coach “counts” at them can be counterproductive—any time children of this age are standing still, there is a near-certainty that their minds (and maybe their feet) will start to wander.
A good way to get your players to stretch while staying mentally alert and active is to play games that also incorporate stretching. Ronald Quinn and Tom Fleck, authors of The Baffled Parent’s Guide to Great Soccer Drills, advocate an activity called “ball stretching.” Ball stretching is stretching with the ball. For example, at the beginning of practice, have your players stand with their legs apart with the ball on the ground in between their legs. Have them bend over from the waist and roll their balls with their hands in a figure eight in and out of their legs. (You should demonstrate this for them first). Then, have your players straighten up and place one foot in front of the other so that the space in between the legs forms a triangle. Then, have your players roll the ball around the front foot ten times, and then switch feet. Next, have your players sit down on the ground with their legs extended in front of them, and have them roll the ball beside one leg towards and around their feet and return along the other side of the leg and behind their own backs. Finally, have the players sit with their legs in a V on the ground and have them move the ball in an outline around their bodies, including around their backs.
This activity, “ball stretching,” causes young players to stretch without realizing it; players at this age tend not to even realize what a stretch should “feel” like. Incorporating a game into your stretching regimen with the team ensures that some muscle warm-up is inevitable as the players must bend and move to put the ball in certain positions in relation to their bodies. Activities like this not only warm up players’ muscles, but they keep them occupied—for at least five minutes!
For seven-year olds:
Warm up should be fun - light activities like tag or knockout.
Get a ball to each player as soon as possible.
Stretching is not important at this age and there is no need to introduce it as "something
for the future." Perhaps some "body parts" for balance and coordination, but no formal stretching.
Cooling down is important. This brings kids down from their 'heightened state' and gives everyone a chance to help collect gear, review and talk - parents are more likely to listen now. A good time for a little parent educatiom by the coach. The cooling down period is also time to give homework.
For ten-year olds:
With slightly older kids the warm up sets the tone and pace of training; mental challenges can be
introduced too.
Starting in pairs is a good idea for kids at this age - for balance, teamwork and communication. The players 'start as a team.'
Coaches can bring brief, simple coaching points into warm up; the implicit message is that this is a learning environment, an instructional activity - as well as pure fun.
Playing various forms of keep away in the beginning of practice is a good, consistent way to begin. It puts together the four elements of soccer right away.
Cooling down is short; review, look ahead, praise them, go home.
For thirteen-year olds:
Warm up is very important now to set tone, rhythm and climate at training sessions.
Coaches should pay
close attention to body language, attitude, alertness, posture and getting the heads up.
Fun is still really important, but coaches can adopt an instructional approach from the beginning: easy
tactical ideas(like body shape, footwork, changes of direction), isolated technical activities or keep away.
As an example of a way to put together the technical and tactical early on, in the warm up play keep away
with constant reminder:don't stop the ball. This is now physical and mental preparation.
These are adolescents, growing fast with changing bodies, so stretching is important. Rhythmic, integrated
stretching is good - interjected into warm-up activities - individually or in pairs, as opposed to bringing everyone
together or getting into a circle, etc. Stretching is quiet time, no group chants or anything like that.
Cooling down for these players is easy movements and light running, some talk and more stretching.
At the very end it could be lying down, breathing deeply, relaxing - that's also time for a coach, with a
lowered voice, to ask about injuries, talk tactics, give homework and reflect on the training session.
This cooling down period is also time to reinforce habits such as drinking plenty of water. The players
should be encouraged to drink water before, during and after training sessions, so while they are cooling down they should be replenishing water.
|
|
RYSC
