Dynamic Warm-ups for Youth Football
Face it, warm-ups ARE part of practice. And you should treat it with the same intensity/discipline that you treat your Offensive/Defensive installs.
Pre-pubescent players need their heart rate elevated and the blood flowing before beginning actual practice. They do NOT need to be doing j-splits and cherry pickers.
Our warm-ups fit neatly into our overall approach to the game e.g. organized and Timed.
We dedicate 8 mins of our practice time to a warm-up that gets both the heart rate up and helps develop speed & coordination.
Warm-up Routine
- Phase 1 (1 rep = equals down and back)
- Knee Hugs
- Frankensteins
- Side lunge w/ Shuffle
- High Knees
- Butt Kickers
- Phase 2 (Ladder)(3 times for each drill)
- One Foot Runs
- Two Foot Runs
- Lateral Runs
- Scissors
- Straddle Hops
- Ickey Shuffle
In Phase 1, the players form 5 lines. Each line will yell the Cadence in unison and begin the exercise. This helps to acclimate the players to the rhythm of our cadence and begins the ‘we’ mentality. We should hear 1 voice, not 4 or 5 different voices.
In Phase 2, we lineup two ladders in parallel and place a cone 5 yds away from the end. On the whistle players will enter the ladder promptly followed by the next player. As players reach the end of the ladder, they must explode to the cone, around and to the back of the line. Repeat and rinse. This is an extremely uptempo process.
Img 1: Warm-ups Phase 1
Img 2: Phase 2
As coaches we have to maximize every possible moment. That means that we must prioritize drills and ‘kill two birds’ whenever and wherever possible.
For more on the subject of planning, see the article on Season Planning here: Organizing a Season Plan
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Demiko Suggs
Coaching for Coaches. It's about the Process, NOT the Result.
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