Strength and Power
This is an excellent warm-up that practises good ball skills whilst getting players ‘switched on’ in terms of movement, speed and ball control. Players should get a good feel of the pace of the ball when they take the shot at goal – the ‘race’ adds pressure.
SET UP
Arrange the players in pairs and tell them to react to your whistle. You need balls in each part of the warm-up.
HOW TO PLAY IT
- Whistle 1 – the players sprint into the first area where the first one to the ball must keep it and hold the other player off. After 15 seconds the coach whistles again…
- Whistle 2 – the players leave the ball and sprint into the second area, again trying to be first to the ball and hold the other player off. After 15 seconds the coach whistles again.
- Whistle 3 – the players react and sprint to get a first time shot at goal. The players then become servers. The servers now jog back to the starting position. The whistles work on a conveyor-belt effect. On each whistle a new pair is entering an area that the previous pair has just left.
Speed and Agility Ladder
This five minute fitness drill can be used during your training sessions for a quick break to help coaching points sink in, or as an incentive for a drinks break.
Speed ladders are excellent for player speed and fitness but if you haven’t got one you can mark out the rungs of the ladder with cones.
HOW TO DO IT
- Forward hops – 3 in 1 out
- Hop forward on one leg
- One hop in each square
- Every 3 hops step once out of the ladder onto the other leg
- Continue this sequence until ladder is complete
- Ground contact on balls of feet. Repeat 5 times.
- Rest 60 seconds between repetitions.