5 Best Ways to Get Back on the Soccer Pitch for the New Season
It’s about that time! Do you feel the anxiety building up within you? In your mind it’s getting warmer outside and those early bird specials for your local football leagues are starting to appear in your email. What does that mean? Time to prepare for the season and get back in shape after an over-zealous holiday season. So how do you do it? Don’t worry we got you covered. Here are the 5 best ways to get ready for the new season.
Be honest with yourself, it’s been a minute. Your body is probably used to doing one thing and one thing only (sleep) and it’s probably feeling like a body pillow, not moving. The first thing you need to do before touching a football is move. Go for a walk to the store, check out a yoga class, move from your bed to the sofa. You have to walk before you run. Get used to movement before going 100% is crucial.
This is a chance to test out your stamina and endurance. Your legs haven’t done much for months, so this is a good chance to warm them up. A good 20 minute jog every day should get your body used to physical strain. Personally we like jogging outdoors is great for various reasons. There’s nothing better than ever-changing terrain and a breath of fresh air after being hauled up indoors for months.
If you aren’t ready for physical activity this a great way to get in the mood for the upcoming season. There’s nothing like the best in the game doing what they do best, playing football. Whether it’s a football clip of Neymar, during his Barca days or Harry Kane, shooting from all angles, you can take what you saw in the memory bank and practice them on the pitch. Youtube is a great source for soccer compilations that you can check out on your leisure.
Doing anything with a friend is always easier than doing it on your own and usually more fun. Grab a friend or two and kick the ball around together. Figuring out what you can and cannot do after a hiatus is essential to understand where your football level is at. If you’re like me, one month off and my first touch goes out the window. Getting a couple of touches in by yourself or with friends is a safe environment to make some improvements as well as some mistakes.
So you say you’re ready for some competition yea? You’ve done all the prep work for the new season but wait, the season hasn’t started yet. Hopefully you live in an area where the tennis courts are filled with footballers or your local rec center has Futsal Fridays because now is the time to test your preparation. Small sided games are great to get your mind in gear, your body in shape, and your spirit elevated. If you’ve ever played Futsal then you know the fast paced nature of it. You’re working the ball in tighter spaces with smaller goals at a much more frantic pace. There’s nothing better to prepare you for larger soccer games than small sided matches.
There you have it. What do you think about these 5 steps to preparing for the new soccer season? Do you have any steps that you take to get back in shape? Let us know in the comments below.