Does it sound familiar when I say that stretching forms an integral part of soccer training tips and is widely recommended and practiced by almost all sportspersons? Soccer is a sport which is continuously growing and developing in its intricacy.
In kid’s training for soccer, there are two types of stretching, dynamic and static stretching that are integrated.
Static stretching requires the kids to extend their muscles as far as they can and hold for a given duration of time. Rebounding, rhythmic bouncing, and recurring motions are involved in dynamic stretching. It is generally considered as more dangerous and less effective than static stretching.
In this article, you’ll find some good points of stretching that can help average players become great players.
Stretching reduces injuries: When players do stretching every day and keep doing it for a long time, it promotes their muscle growth that reduces the risk of injury. Stretching also provides an effective way of enhancing the muscle size and strength.
Stretching affects flexibility: Stretching does prevent loss of flexibility. However, the support is more convincing for a long-term stretching line up than for shorter periods of time.
Stretching increases flexibility when it is performed for a few minutes before any soccer activity. One of the most important soccer training tips is to focus on enhancing the player’s range of motion by spreading out the stretching program over a period of months together.
Stretching betters’ performance: When the stretching program is planned after considering the player’s soccer specific needs, their performance improves.
Stretching can be great fun for the kids: If you include a lot of different types of soccer drills in your practice sessions, it can be a lot of fun. Keep changing the warm up activities that are performed before stretching. Try tag games, ball tag, and keep away.
Contemplate on the stretching, sense and know each stretch, along with checking for stiffness in the body.
For almost all players, one single 15-30 minute stretch for each muscle group is sufficient but some may need longer stretches and more repetitions.
The reason is that when the temperature of muscles is higher than normal, tension decreases and extensibility increases. Kids who hope to retain or boost their flexibility can somewhat reach this goal by stretching. It is better, safer, and more productive to do stretching exercises when the body temperature is higher than normal.
This is why some coaches tend to make their kids perform stretching exercises after a workout as well. After practicing soccer skills, if kids are made to do some stretching for 5-7 minutes, it’ll prevent their muscles from tightening too fast.
Usually, players who practice an active warm-up ahead of stretching get a superior range of motion than those kids who just stretch. So if injury prevention is your aim, stop stretching before exercise and increase the warm up time.
I again reiterate that the most important of all soccer training tips is to remember that hurried stretching does not help kids become flexible, gets monotonous and pointless, so let them take their own time to warm up before stretching. Join to our youth soccer coaching community and you can get access to numerous articles, videos, and periodic newsletters.
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make coaching sessions fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Youth Soccer Drills.
Tags: soccer drills, soccer skills, soccer training tips, training for soccer