I'll never forget the day that I had the chance to help my team advance to the higher division, have I warmed up my body properly before the game! My team had a chance to o get promoted to a higher division in our league for the next year. If we lost we would be in the same division.
I was messing around in the warm-up and just not taking it seriously, because the team we were going against was last in our current division, so I was being over-confident which is the WORST thing to do, I'll explain why later on ...
A few minutes after the game started I sprinted for a through ball...next thing I know my hamstring just gave out and I couldn't move at all, so I ended up sitting out for the rest of the game.
When I got subbed out my coach didn’t feel bad that I was injured at all. He screamed at me for not warming up correctly, and he was 100% right to do so. We ended up losing the game and staying in the same division, and I always regretted that moment of my soccer career, have I took it seriously, stayed humble and warmed up properly, we would have advanced to the next division.
I'm sure you've heard of the story of 'The Tortoise and The Hare' , you can mess around and celebrate all you want AFTER you've accomplished what you were going after, NOT when nothing has happened yet! And that's why I mentioned being overly confident is the worst thing you, as an athlete can do.
This is a message to all players out there. Do NOT skip the steps, every little detail is crucial. Taking your stretching seriously is VERY important. The first step is to knowing which stretches to do in certain situations.
This leads into today’s blog topic: Difference Between Dynamic and Static Stretching, and when you, as an athlete should do them?
So, what is the difference between Dynamic and Static Stretching?
Static Stretches are deep and slow stretches in which a person is only doing one singular motion. These motions are typically held for 10 seconds or more, and target one muscular area.
These stretches are commonly done at the end of the workout when the muscles are warm. Doing static stretches when the muscles aren’t warm are very ineffective, and can lead to injury and poor performance.
Dynamic Stretches involve movements and stretches that get the muscles ready for training or game day. So, these are commonly done in the warm-up phase of a player's stretching.
Benefits of Static Stretching
Increased Flexibility
When you do static stretching, the muscles you target, loosen. You also increase the range of motion in your muscles. Range of Motion is the full potential movement of a joint. Usually, its range of flexion and extension. Flexion is the bending of a joint, and extension is the moving the angle of a particular joint.
Health
The tighter a muscle is, and the smaller your overall range of motion is, the more prone you are injuries. Stretching will help benefit both areas.
You also will decrease the soreness and stiffness in the muscles that you target, which can help you recover and avoid cramps.
Examples of Static Stretching
Quadricep Pull
Hamstring Stretch
Seated Butterfly
Knees To Chest
Benefits of Dynamic Stretching
Helps You Prepare Your Body For High Intensity Workouts
These stretches help with warming up the muscles to their working temperature, stretching them and therefore improving their function.
Mental aspect of dynamic stretching
While doing static stretching you can be stationary and not be mentally ready to perform. Doing dynamic stretching can put you on the move, and not only prepare your body to perform, but your mind as well.
Examples of Dynamic Stretching
High Knees
Opening and Closing The Gates
Straight Leg Kick
Lunging With A Twist
How We Can Help:
At FuturElitez Soccer, we value stretching (Dynamic & Static) a lot as we strive for our soccer players to perform at their best at all times, while preventing injuries. We educate our players to understand when and why to do different types of stretches to further their overall performance as soccer players!
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