Rónán Collins ran a workshop on warm-ups in Rossleighan last Saturday and here we have him giving a demonstration. This warm-up is suitable for all age groups.
Points to consider
- Grid-based warm-up developing into small-sided game (SSG) to encourage decision making and to make it game related. The use of the football throughout emphasised this.
- Begins slowly with intensity building up to game pace by end of the warm up.
- Stretches are never held for longer than three seconds – to do so risks damaging muscles. Neither were dynamic movements used early in the warm-up, these were used when the muscles had been already stretched and were warm half way through the warm-up.
- Positivity from the coach is important and voice can be used to increase the sense of intensity as warm-up develops.
- This warm up took ten minutes and all players confessed to being warm by the end!
- With larger numbers more pitches could be set out for the SSG, or 4V4 could be used. With younger age groups numbers above this are not encouraged as they reduce the amount of time players will receive on the ball. 2V2 SSG should only take 30-40 seconds as the small numbers make it naturally intense.
