Three Secrets of the Active Dynamic Warm Up For a Soccer Team

A proper Active Dynamic Warm up for a soccer team is critical for them to do to prepare themselves for a soccer game. There are three components to a proper active dynamic warm up; a) Increasing the body core temperature of the player b) stretching the muscles dynamically (active muscle stimulation) versus statically and c) mimic game movements.

Lets take a look at each of these three components:

Soccer Drills

Increasing the body core temperature of a player:

Three Secrets of the Active Dynamic Warm Up For a Soccer Team

The days of having players jog a lap around the field and believe that this has warmed the player up properly should be taken out of your practice planner. This jog has done very little to prepare a soccer player for a game or a practice. Have your players go through a series of quick exercises that incorporate all muscle groups. You could have them do jumping jacks, skips, quick feet, and a whole host or movement exercises like this. Have them go through movements quickly and explosively. This component may take 5-8 minutes to perform. This will raise the core temperature of the soccer player up. If a player's core temperature is raised even one degree, they will have 1-3 percent more power at their disposal for the game. Studies have shown that increasing the core body temperature of a player will also help to minimize injuries on the soccer field. Injury prevention for soccer players should be one of the most important things that a coach is concerned about.

Active muscle stimulation:

Now that the players core temperature is sufficiently raised, you will want to stretch them out through dynamic stretching. The difference between dynamic and static stretching is this...dynamic stretching will stretch the muscle through a wide range of motion through a specific movement stretch. Static stretching is stationary stretching.

As an example, if you wanted to stretch the hamstrings of a soccer player, "Toy Soldiers" dynamic stretch is where a player is standing upright with their arms extended out from them and as the player walks forward they lift their right leg up and try and touch their right hand, then their next step they lift their left leg up and try and touch their left hand and so on. This movement will stretch out the players hamstrings and prepare them well for a game. To stretch the hamstrings statically, a player could bend from the waist and try and touch their toes and hold that position for 10-15 seconds as an example. Static stretching is best used after a game or practice instead of before hand.

Mimic game movements:

Just before a game get started, having players go through a series of quick feet movements, high knee drills, shuffles and quick bursts of 10-15 yards will do several things for the player. First of all, it will reestablish the core temperature of the player and secondly it will prepare the players body for the movements that they will be doing on the field while playing the game.

The active dynamic warm up is extremely important as it will help to prevent injuries, it will help with a players speed and agility, and it will make sure that a soccer team is ready to play when the whistle blows.

Proper active dynamic warm ups for soccer players will make a difference in the success of the players and the team.

Have a great day!

Three Secrets of the Active Dynamic Warm Up For a Soccer Team