Warm Up and Cool Down Exercises

Warm Up Exercises

Before every practice starts, players should go through an adequate warm-up. This time is meant to wake up the muscles, focus the athletes, and prepare them mind and body for the activities they will participate in during practice. To help players calm themselves mentally, use these suggestions during the warm-up:

•Ask for silence during the warm-up and stretching period so that players take their focus off the concerns of their regular day and onto practice

•Begin each practice with a deep breathing exercise, where players close their eyes and take three deep breaths, relaxing their minds and forgetting their other worries and stresses

•Walk players through a mental picture of the practice agenda, so they can see themselves performing to their fullest potential

Physically, the warm-up should consist of moves that mimic the activities of practice. For example, a baseball coach should lead players through light throwing exercises, either without a ball or very short distances.

By doing activities similar to what the body will be doing during real practice, athletes train their muscles in how to react as well as prevent injuries. If players start a full practice without an adequate warm-up period, they risk injury from cold and unresponsive muscles.

After the warm-up activities, players should stretch lightly. Coaches should ensure that players do not hold stretches for more than 10 seconds each. This stretch period is not meant to relax the muscles or prevent soreness; it is simply meant to increase flexibility during the practice and prepare the muscles properly. The real stretching will come at the end of practice.

Cool Down Activities

Cool-down activities also have a physical and mental component. Mentally, the cool-down should allow players to reflect on their performance during practice and what they need to work on in the future. It should also help players leave the stress of sports on the field.

To achieve this proper mental cool-down, end the practice with the following moves:

•Bring the team all together and, if indoors, turn out the lights

•Recap the practice so everyone knows what went right and what went wrong

•Leave the team with a positive message

•Lead the team through three deep breaths, encouraging them to leave their sport stress in practice

The physical cool-down compliments the mental cool-down. Once together, players should go through a calm, long stretching period. This stretching routine is meant to relax muscles after a hard workout and help players dissolve some of the stress built up by the physical activity.

During stretching is a good time for coaches to recap the practice, as mentioned above in the mental cool-down suggestions. If any players need medical attention or should be icing a muscle, encourage them to get the assistance they need.

Send all players away with a positive message, leaving them with a good feeling, even if practice was not spectacular.

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