
We (coaching U14 Competitive Girls team) have been using a new warm-up procedure based on recent learning at a coaching licensing course. I like it because it adds variety and offers a more holistic approach to warming up players. It includes some new terminology and consists of three stages.
1. Body Activation
This warms up the muscles and stretches them getting the cardiovascular and muscle systems from static to operating speeds
2. Neural Preparation
By adding a specific ball control task to rapid and varied body movements the brain gets activated with the physical and mental speeds of soccer. Click Speeds of Soccer to learn more about soccer speeds.
3. Technical Preparation
This exercise focuses on getting ready to play the game. It should include a goal oriented activity modeling the competitive nature of the game.
I suggest to use the same warm-up for games and practices so it becomes an integral part of preparation. An example warm-up session can be downloaded right here:
Feel free to modify it for your team keeping in mind the three concepts of body activation, neural preparation, and technical preparation