How to improve your game day warm-up
IT’S GAME DAY!
Game day is kind of a big deal. Whether you are a U10 club or a pro athlete, there is the anticipation of what is ahead, the rehearsal of the scenarios you have trained, the feeling of a deep desire to play well and to win. Then warm-up time comes.
You know that when you are at your best, your whole body and mind work in harmony, they support each other, driving reactions that you have nearly automated during practice. Therefore, a great warm-up should include all parts of the body and mind, so that they are turned on the highest gear, and so that your desired outcome becomes more likely to happen.
3 STEPS FOR YOUR BEST GAME DAY WARM-UP
While rarely fully executed, a great warm-up should have at least the following 3 steps:
#1: VISUAL SYSTEM ACTIVATION
There is no sport or athletic activity that does not benefit from excellent eyesight. Whether you train your eyes to develop the visual skills most important for the sport you play, or whether vision practice is alien to you, giving your eyes a bit of a boost right before your body starts moving will positively enhance the way you see during the game. It will also make the rest of your warm-up more productive.
Your eyes are the entry point to any information from the game. It is the eyes that receive the signal from the court, then pass it to the brain, which then initiates the desired reaction. Eyes that are fired up for action will work for you faster, easier, more effectively.
If you do not have a vision warm up routine, you can start with this FREE vision warm-up routine from Overbound and go from there.
#2: MIND ENGAGEMENT
What your mind sees your body will do. Spend a minute or two to think about what is to come. With your eyes closed, imagine yourself making the moves and passes that you have trained, see yourself taking the perfect shot at the goal, or returning a ball to the very corner of the tennis court. Remember the way to perfectly execute your first service, your breaststroke, your bat swing.
#3: GET YOUR BODY MOVING
Now, this part you know. The stretches, the cardio warm-up, the technical skills, the strategic formations. It will most likely take the longest portion of your warm-up session and there is no question about your coach having this fully covered, including the final instructions, advice, or encouragement, before he sends you out there.
That’s it. Warm-up fully. Fire yourself up. Then go out there, be and do your best.
When it is all done, I hope you feel victorious!
IC
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