Teaching Football Skills Warming Up Stretching Stretching is one of the most critical parts of the warm-up and an athlete’s performance. A more flexible muscle is a stronger and healthier muscle. A stronger and healthier muscle responds better to exercise and activities and helps prevent athlete injury. Please refer to Stretching information within this section for more in depth information. Although it is important to warm up all muscles, the most important muscles in football are groin, hamstring, thigh, calf and achilles. Players are encouraged to take their time and ease into stretches. Sharp, sudden movements can cause damage and injury to athletes. It is also important to maintain steady breathing while stretching—breath in through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Football Drills Drills are progressions of learning that start at a low ability level, advance to an intermediate level and, finally, reach a high ability level. Encourage each athlete to advance to their highest possible level. Kinesthetic movements are reinforced through repetitions of a small segment of the skill to be performed. Many times, the actions are exaggerated in order to strengthen the muscles that perform the skill. Each coaching session should take the athlete through the entire progression so that they are exposed to the total of all of the skills that make up an event. Sample Warm-Up Routine Easy Aerobic Run Flexibility Stretches Triceps Stretch Side Stretch Groin Stretch Supine Hamstring Stretch Hamstring Stretch Seated Saddle Stretch Hurdler’s Stretch/Reverse Quad Stretch Abdominal Stretch Toe Pointers Mobility Stretches Forward-&-Back Leg Swings Side Swings Lunges Rhythm Drills Easy Skipping High Knees High Skipping Jogging Butt Kicks Skipping Kicks Special Olympics Football Coaching Guide Created: February 2004 31