What if I told you that stretching as a part of soccer training tips is highly recommended by professional soccer coaches and is widely practiced by players in almost every sport? Talking about soccer, it is constantly growing and developing in its difficulty.
When it comes to kid’s training for soccer, two types of stretching i.e. static and dynamic stretching are included in it.
Static stretching requires players to stretch their muscles to a point of resistance and hold for a given duration of time. Recurring motions, rebounding, and rhythmic bouncing are performed by the players while doing dynamic stretching. Generally, static stretching is considered as more effective and involves less risk than dynamic stretching.
This article discusses some benefits of stretching that go a long way in making a good player great.
Stretching reduces injuries: Constant stretching by players during the day and continuing it over a period of time helps the growth of their muscles, thus diminishing the risk of injury. Stretching also provides a way of improving the size and strength of muscles.
Stretching influences flexibility: Stretching puts off the loss of flexibility. However, the support is more convincing for a long-term stretching line up than for shorter periods of time.
Stretching a few minutes prior to any event is likely to increase flexibility. But, of all the soccer training tips, the best is where stretching program is extended over a longer period of time that constantly improves the player’s range of motion.
Stretching perks up performance: When stretching program is designed specifically to suit soccer needs of the players, their performance improves.
Stretching can be a lot of fun: For this, you need to add variety in your soccer drills and focus a lot on performing them. Keep changing the type of warm up exercises that you perform 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 a majority of kids, one stretch of15-30 minutes is sufficient for each muscle group but some kids may take longer stretches or more repetitions.
This is because when the temperature of muscles is higher than normal, tightness decreases and extensibility increases. Those players who wish to sustain or increase their flexibility can partially attain 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 the reason why some coaches make kids stretch even after a workout. To prevent muscles for tightening too fast, make your players do some stretching after they’ve practiced soccer skills.
Generally, players who exercise an active warm-up prior to stretching get a better range of motion than those who only stretch. So if injury prevention is your aim, stop stretching before exercise and increase the warm up time.
One of the most important soccer training tips to keep in mind is that stretching, if done hurriedly, does not help kids gain any flexibility, and becomes worthless and repetitive, so give them sufficient time to warm up before stretching. You can subscribe to our youth soccer coaching community and get your way to innumerable 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.
