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Warming Up A warm-up period is the first part of every training session or preparation for competition. The warm-up starts slowly and systematically and gradually involves all muscles and body parts that prepare the athlete for training and competition. In addition to preparing the athlete mentally, warming up also has several physiological benefits.   Football is an active and physically demanding game. The importance of a warm-up prior to exercise cannot be overemphasized. A warm-up raises the body temperature and prepares the muscles, nervous system, tendons, ligaments and the cardiovascular system for upcoming stretches and exercises. The chances of injury are greatly reduced by increasing muscle elasticity. A player must always be ready and capable to produce 100 percent of effort from the kickoff. There are three types of warm-up.   Passive warm-up involves increasing the temperature by external means, such as massages, heating pads, steam baths or hot showers. Athletes with physical limitations may benefit from passive warm-up.   General warm-up increases overall body temperature through movement of major muscle groups that may or may not be associated with the upcoming activity; for example, jogging.   Specific warm-up concentrates on the positions of the body to be used in the upcoming activity and mimics that activity; for example, swinging the leg as if shooting. Raises body temperature Increases metabolic rate Increases heart and respiratory rate Prepares the muscles and nervous system for exercise The warm-up is tailored for the activity to follow. Warm-ups consist of active motion leading up to more vigorous motion to elevate heart, respiratory and metabolic rates. The total warm-up period takes at least 25 minutes and immediately precedes the training or competition. It is also useful to warm up as a team. This strengthens the player's sense of belonging within the team structure. A warm-up period will include the following basic sequence and components.     Activity Purpose Time (Minimum) Slow aerobic run Heat muscles 5 minutes Stretching Increase range of movement 10 minutes Football Drills Coordination preparation for training/competition 10 minutes     Running Running is the first exercise of an athlete's routine. Athletes begin warming the muscles by running slowly for three to five minutes. This circulates the blood through all the muscles, thus providing them greater flexibility for stretching. The run starts out slowly, and then gradually increases in speed to its completion; however, the athletes never reach even 50 percent of their maximum effort by the end of the run. Remember, the sole objective of this phase of the warm-up is to circulate the blood and warm the muscles in preparation for more strenuous activity.   Stretching Stretching is one of the most critical parts of the warm-up and an athlete's performance. A more flexible muscle is a stronger and healthier muscle. A stronger and healthier muscle responds better to exercise and activities and helps prevent athlete injury. Please refer to Stretching information within this section for more in depth information.   Although it is important to warm up all muscles, the most important muscles in football are groin, hamstring, thigh, calf and achilles. Players are encouraged to take their time and ease into stretches. Sharp, sudden movements can cause damage and injury to athletes. It is also important to maintain steady breathing while stretching — breathe in through the nose and exhale through the mouth.   Football Drills Drills are progressions of learning that start at a low ability level, advance to an intermediate level and, finally, reach a high ability level. Encourage each athlete to advance to their highest possible level.   Kinesthetic movements are reinforced through repetitions of a small segment of the skill to be performed. Many times, the actions are exaggerated in order to strengthen the muscles that perform the skill. Each coaching session should take the athlete through the entire progression so that he/she is exposed to the total of all of the skills that make up an event.

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