We have all been at the pitch/court/pool or any other sports facility when we start our session and ask the people we coach to start to warm up. You’ve all seen that face, the ‘why do we have to run around and do laps?’ face.
You also probably think: ‘how can I ensure that I’m getting value for money with my teams or players?’ Or: ‘how can I ensure I’m starting off on a positive note and with good intentions?’
The warm-up can be an excellent vehicle for starting your session with some good, focused intentions. It can help physically and mentally prepare your athletes to ensure they’re in a state of readiness for learning (contributing, thinking and solving problems) as well as starting to think about how you might also introduce some tactical elements from the very beginning.