Here is the fourth of five installments from Coach Pete Calabrese. He brings us two options for a great warm up for the day prior to a match. Duration is short, intensity is light, your players will be buzzing on the ball, and will get them thinking! With a cognitive focus this will be sure to set the tone for training. Prior installments focused on regeneration, agility, and sprint/distance. Add this fourth warm up to your own personal library and try them with your teams next week!

1.

Setup:

20 players, four groups of five, 10X10 or 12X12 yard grids depending on your players ability level. Players are wearing five different colors, three balls per grid.

Instructions:

Start with movement prep, two lines 15 yard distance: side shuffle, 2 and 2 forward shuffle, high knees, carioca, open hips forward, open hips backward. Coach calls a color, receive from that player and find the open man. Two touch, 30 seconds each player. Progression: 4 balls on the outside, call color, play ball in and add pressure. Player who receives the ball beats pressure on the dribble and exchanges places. 1-2 minute bout depending on quality of technique.

Coaching Points:

• Between progressions include dynamic movements.
  1. Kick straight, kick across, knee hug hamstring, quad stretch
  2. Lateral lunge to balance, lunge reach rotate, deep squat side to side
  3. Reverse lunge to hip cradle, on back alternate leg swings, flip over head to heel
  4. Stability bounds lateral, straight leg skip 20 yards

2.

Setup:

21 players, seven groups of three, 10X10 or 12X12 yard grids depending on your players ability level. Three players per grid, set up as shown.

Instructions:

Start with movement prep, two lines 15 yard distance: side shuffle, 2 and 2 forward shuffle, high knees, carioca, open hips forward, open hips backward. Progression 1: Cone color is called, player gets around cone and plays one touch ball back to server, 30 seconds each player. Progression 2: Cone color and channel is called, player gets around the cone and receives ball through proper channel. 1 or 2 touch return, 30 seconds each player.

Coaching Points:

• Between progressions include dynamic movements
  1. Kick straight, kick across, knee hug hamstring, quad stretch
  2. Lateral lunge to balance, lunge reach rotate, deep squat side to side
  3. Reverse lunge to hip cradle, on back alternate leg swings, flip over head to heel
  4. Stability bounds lateral, straight leg skip 20 yards