Let me tell you that stretching is an vital part of soccer training tips and professional coaches highly recommend it along with almost every player in every sport practicing it daily? Talking about soccer, it is constantly growing and developing in its difficulty.
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. Recurring motions, rebounding, and rhythmic bouncing are performed by the players while doing dynamic stretching. In comparison with static stretching, it is more risky and less useful.
This article discusses some benefits of stretching that go a long way in making a good player great.
Stretching reduces injuries: Stretching helps bring down the risks of injury when performed over a period of time by stretching the muscles daily, thus promoting their growth. Stretching also provides an effective way of enhancing the muscle size and strength.
Stretching shapes flexibility: Stretching puts a stop to any loss of flexibility. But, stretching is more beneficial in the long run when performed continuously rather than during the shorter periods of time.
Stretching a few minutes prior to any event is likely to increase flexibility. 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 varying the warm-up activities you do before stretching. Try various activities like tag games, ball tag, and keep away.
Focus mentally on stretching exercises, feel and recognize each stretch, whilst checking for body soreness.
One 15-30-second stretch for each muscle group is sufficient for most players, but some kids require longer stretches and more repetitions as well.
This is because when the temperature of muscles is higher than normal, tightness decreases and extensibility increases. Players who want to maintain or increase their flexibility can partly achieve this goal by stretching. Doing stretching when the body temperature is higher as against normal makes it more productive, safe, and sound.
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.
In general, players who do an active warm-up before stretching get an improved range of motion than kids who only stretch. So if injury prevention is your aim, stop stretching before exercise and increase the warm up time.
Some food for thought; one of the most important soccer training tips is that hurried stretching is meaningless and boring and doesn’t help your players gain flexibility, so allow them some extra time when they are feeling inflexible or stiff. 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.
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