Your Pre-Season Football Training Guide: Week 1

Pre-season is fast approaching, with managers and coaches all over the country beginning to try to figure out how to best get their players off their arses and back scoring wondergoals on the first day of the season.

With amateur leagues generally starting in September, I’m going to be publishing weekly guidelines for your team’s pre-season training over the next 6 weeks, suggesting various drills and exercises which should engage players whilst improving, and eventually refining their fitness for the first league game of the season.

This week is Week 1 – and is specifically designed for players who haven’t kicked a ball nor jogged anywhere further than to the local pie shop.

Week 1 – 1 Hour Training Programme

The main aim of the first week back is to get the players moving again with minimal risk of injury, whilst making sure they enjoy the session – if they don’t there’s every chance they won’t turn up next week…

Hydration

One of the easiest things for players to forget to bring, or to not bother to do whilst playing is drinking, preferably water or replenishing drinks like Powerade . For the first session of the season in particular, it’s important they are constantly drinking before, during and after the session.

When contacting them about the training, through Bluefields.com surely, I’d recommend not only reminding them to bring a BIG 1 or 2 litre bottle of water, but also to advise them to drink a whole litre before they start moving, maybe a quick downing of a pint (of water!) before they leave the house, or drinking whilst getting changed.

During the session it’s a good idea to have several drinks breaks, these will allow players to rehydrate whilst getting a chance to catch up/bully the fat bastard who’s piled on the most pounds since May.

After the session, get the players to drink whilst they’re getting changed, and urge them to drink more water when they get home. With proper hydration, their potential to perform will rise greatly, and there shouldn’t be any annoying headaches that evening.

Warm Up

The warm-up is also particularly important for the first session back, it could be calamitous if the players went straight out on to the pitch without getting their legs and heart ready.

Light Jog – 5 Mins: To get the players moving, start with a light jog no more than 5 minutes long. This should raise the heartbeat slightly, but not be a real challenge.

Standing Dynamic Stretching – 5 Mins: This enables the most unfit players to take a rest, and the others to socialise. Stand in a circle and work all the muscles in your legs and your groin. Check back here soon for a full description of some good standing dynamic stretches you can do.

Light/Medium Jog – 5 Mins: Again, no more than 5 minutes, let the fittest players open their legs a bit, and get the least fit puffing.

Mobile Dynamic Stretching – 5 Mins: Outline an area about the size of half a penalty area (or more for loads of players) and get the players moving about in all different directions performing Mobile Dynamic Stretching. Again, check back here soon for a full description of some good mobile dynamic stretches you can do.

Ball Work

Pairs Exercise – 10 Minutes:

Like school kids, players will unknowingly work harder when it’s fun, and football training is only fun when there’s a ball.

Split players into pairs, and get them to work each other’s first and second touches. With one player throwing the ball and the other using his feet, knees chest and head to control and pass the ball back (10 times for each body part) with 1 or 2 touches (depending on ability). Then get the players to move back to a 5-metre distance to practice 2 touch, then 1 touch short passing. Then get the players to move back to a 20-metre distance to practice long passing.

The Match

2 or 3 Touch Practice Match – 20-25 Minutes:

Most players will be a bit pissed off if you have a training session without a game at any point.

Make the pitch a relatively small size so players don’t over work themselves with long sprints. Use cones or jumpers to make goal posts about 2 metres wide (no goalkeepers) and introduce a game of 2 or 3 touch passing (depending on ability). This will mean more players get involved, so the best few don’t completely dominate. Minimising the number of touches will force the players to improve their touch and awareness.

Make sure you’re players don’t exhaust themselves. During the first session back they’re likely to be over-enthusiastic which may lead to avoidable injuries. Stop the game when they’re wanting more.

Warm Down

Light Jog & Static Stretch – 5 Mins:

Yet again, the Warm down is so very important for the first session back. It will reduce post-training muscle ache and the chance of injury. Have a light jog of about a pitch’s width whilst loosening up. Then perform static stretches on all relevant body parts. Again, check back here soon for a full description of some good static stretches you can do.

Check out Week 2 Here

(Image courtesy of Gordon Marino)

Related Posts:

• Your Pre-Season Football Training Guide: Week 6
• Your Pre-Season Football Training Guide: Week 5
• Your Pre-Season Football Training Guide: Week 4
• Your Pre-Season Football Training Guide: Week 3
• Your Pre-Season Football Training Guide: Week 2