Warm Up Preparation

The warm-up is the most important and sadly the most abused or neglected part of any exercise/training or pre-game plan.

The warm-up has many factors to take in to account, physiological, psychological, team dynamic, and many other individual factors.
Whilst most people understand the importance of the physiological needs for the game, few give the same importance to the psychological aspects.

This psychological preparation is vital to get acclimatised to the varying weather conditions, the state of the playing surface, the time of day, etc.

Possibly from the very first seconds of the game, decisions have to be made, and situations reacted to. So if each player is not fully prepared mentally as well as physically, then the game can be won or lost in those crucial opening minutes.

All warm-ups should be very specific in nature, in preparation for what’s going to happen next whether for a training session or a game. These two preparations are distinctly different. The warm up for a training session must reflect the type of training that is to be undertaken, for example if a shooting drill is going to be done, then to warm up the specific muscles going to be used in that endeavour is crucial.

The pre match warm up should be of a more generic nature, preparing the players for all eventualities that could happen during the course of the game. Obviously every warm up is totally different, depending on the temperature and the weather. In a hot climate the amount of time required to warm up differs greatly than in a cold climate.  Also each player has a unique body structure and unique needs, physically and mentally, and because of this, each player has his own pre match rituals and traditions.

A generic warm up for every player must be undertaken; everyone does a series of movements, exercises and dynamic stretches. This ensures that each player is physically prepared for the game. At the end of this period each player is given time to do his own rituals (physically and mentally). During the last period of the pre match warm up, all the players come together again to undertake a series of drills that require multi decision-making.
This process involves either making a decision, reacting to a decision, making a choice (rightly or wrongly) and again reacting to that choice (physically and mentally).

Other types of warm ups, can include saunas, soft tissue massage, manipulation and various others, all of which should be used in conjunction with a generic warm up as already described. They should never be used in isolation. There is an old saying, “failing to prepare, is preparing to fail” this especially applies to the pre match warm up, or the pre training preparation. Players of all ages, abilities, and levels can never be trusted to undertake either a pre match warm up, or a pre training preparation. The coach or trainer should always supervise this aspect of training. A generic warm up
for everyone is crucial!

Whenever possible, the warm up should take place in the area where the game or the training is to take place (so each player can acclimatise, mentally and physically, to his surroundings). If this is not possible a suitable space can be used. As already stated all warm ups must be soccer specific, and as soccer is played with the ball, and without the ball, then the warm up must reflect both of these situations.

The only player whose warm
up is very different is the goalkeeper, and his warm up should be tailored to the very specific nature of his position (preparing the hands, and much more emphasis on shorter more acrobatic movements).
 

If possible both the goalkeepers (pre match) and all of the goalkeepers (pre training) should warm each other up. See Goalkeeper Warm Up