Forward Lunge Glute/Hamstring Stretch (the single best soccer stretch)

This stretch is designed to warm up and stretch the hips and hamstrings. It requires a certain amount of balance to execute correctly:



1. Lunge forward deeply and place the hand opposite the forward leg on the ground.











2. Push the elbow on the side of the forward leg as close to the ground as possible next to the inside of the foot. (Make sure you keep the foot of the forward leg flat on the ground!) You should feel this part of the stretch in the hip and glute of the forward leg.






3. Place both hands on the ground on either side of the front foot, rock back onto the heel of the front foot and onto the toe of the back leg and straighten the front leg as much as possible. You should feel this phase of the stretch intensely in the hamstring of the front leg. To further deepen the stretch of the hamstring, repeat the rocking motion back onto the heel, bending and straightening the forward leg two or three times.




4. Finally, rock forward onto the leg and stand up. Lunge forward onto the other leg and repeat steps 1 to 3 on the opposite side. Perform 8 to 10 reps of this stretch at a time.

Parent's and Coach's Guide To The Dynamic Stretches

Dynamic stretches are different from ordinary, static ones in that they are designed not only to stretch the muscle, but also to begin to warm up the muscles, and to activate the muscles’ fine motor tuning (the proprioceptors). It is also important to note that dynamic stretches stretch the muscles functionally. That is to say that the more traditional stretches tend to stretch one muscle in isolation; whereas dynamic stretches tend to work the entire kinetic chain, stretching groups of muscles in the same sequence that they fire to produce a given movement.

Some of these stretches also work to stimulate core stabilization as well. What makes dynamic stretches so great is that you get so much bang for your buck with them: not only do they put the athlete into positions that force them to stretch properly, but they also require a high degree of focus on motor control and things like balance that are so important in soccer.

It has been my experience that with all of the other demands found in soccer training and pre game preparation that teams and athletes don’t spend nearly enough detailed attention to their stretching routine. . I would encourage coaches and parents alike to take the time to learn these movements and to practice them with their young athletes. As with anything, the sooner good habits are developed the better! Recently when I spoke to the a group of soccer players at a clinic I taught, I told them that stretching is not only important for injury prevention, but also that a properly stretched muscle is going to make you much faster than one that is not. Now….on to the stretches!!! To cut down on confusion I will post each of the stretches in its own post, so you can go from one post to the next. Feel free to post questions.