Introduction
Included below are a number of reference materials which may assist in your role as coach. These include information on how to ensure your players are safe and fit; an online coaching course for Small Whites and an instruction on conducting player profiling.
Coaching and Injury Prevention
Playing the game isn’t enough to develop the fitness required for peak performance and injury prevention. If you’re not already, now is the time to start preparing your players for a safe, successful and enjoyable season. It doesn’t matter how good a player is, if they’re not fit, or they get injured, they won’t perform at their best, if at all. And if one player's performance suffers, the team's performance suffers. Click here for a full summary on coaching smart.
For more helpful tools and information on health, nutrition, equipment and environment (see also Players Toolbox):
Fit for Football - Warming Up, Cooling Down and Stretching
A thorough warm-up and cool-down is crucial to prepare the body for the activity to come, this time and next time. The most important thing is to gradually increase body temperature and then get the body in to the positions it will need to adopt during play. Jogging, side-stepping, skipping, etc, followed by dynamic stretches (leg swings, walking lunges, etc.) is ideal. Ball work and then some higher intensity movement should then follow. Build up to maximal sprinting gradually and don’t let anyone take shots on goal until they're all fully warmed-up.
After play, some light jogging and static stretches will reduce muscle soreness later and start the preparation for the next game or training session. For full details of dynamic and static stretches for. For more explanation click here.
Stretching Guides:
Coaching Small Whites (<13 years) - Online Learning Kit
The Small Whites website has launched a Junior Coaches Toolbox. Explore the interactive and easy-to-follow on-line resource toolbox to learn how to become a more effective junior coach.
You'll learn how to effectively coach young children through learning:
· how players at different ages develop,
· what motivates young players,
· how to introduce new skills, and
· how to manage your coaching programme.
