Is your warm up cutting too much into your overall training time? Are you limited to training only 2-3 days a week? Do you want your players to get more touches with the ball during warm up? Want consistency in your weekly periodization? Here is the fifth and final installment from coach Pete Calabrese, add it to your own personal library and try them with your teams throughout the year! Everything you need for an entire season is right here! This warm up has a communication focus, prior installments focused on regeneration, agility, sprint/distance, and cognition. Here are two options for a great warm up for two days prior to a match. Movements are sharp, players are almost fully recovered, intensity is medium to medium-light. Your players will be buzzing on the ball and will get them communicating with each other!
1.
Setup:
Groups of four, servers on the outside are 15 yards apart. At least two balls per group of four. Three progressions with a fourth as an option based on ability level.
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. Diagram 1- Progression 1: Players in the middle react to the servers touch on the outside and check away (open up) from each other as shown. Both servers say a “turn” command, both balls are played in and out the other side at the same time. 1 minute each pair. Dynamic flexibility. Progression 2: One of the servers says “turn” or “man on”, based on the command the central players either play it back to original server or out the other side. 1 minute each pair. Dynamic flexibility. Diagram 2- Progression 3: One ball, central players separate, combine through the middle and out the other side with proper communication from all four players.
Coaching Points:
Between progressions include dynamic movements. 1- Kick straight, kick across, knee hug to 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 heal. 4- Stability bounds lateral, straight leg skip 20 yards. Fourth progression: central players interchange forcing players to communicate as early as possible, demand the ball etc.
2.
Setup:
Groups of 5-6 players, 16X8 spacing. Two variations 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. Diagram 1- Progression 1: Play an entry ball to central player, server says “turn left/right”, player reacts to command and turns accordingly. Follow your pass. 2 minutes. Dynamic flexibility. Diagram 2- Progression 2: Play an entry ball to central player, server says “man on”, ball is played back to original server who plays it long to either third man who combines with central player as shown, third man dribbles at pace, follow your pass. 2 minutes. Dynamic flexibility.
Coaching Points:
Between progressions include dynamic movements. 1- Kick straight, kick across, knee hug to 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 heal. 4- Stability bounds lateral, straight leg skip 20 yards. Make sure in the second progression players are turning efficiently to the third man receiving the ball.