Soccer is an outdoor sport – As a player, parent or coach you should be prepared to play games in all weather conditions including rain, and cold.
Games will be played as scheduled this tournament weekend, please dress accordingly and prepare to have fun!
It’s cold on the soccer pitches and training grounds in Oklahoma so here are a few tips to help you stay warm, so you can focus on keeping attackers out rather than trying to keep the cold out when you’re playing in extreme conditions.
WARM UP
Keeping warm and keeping muscles stretched can be a challenge
- Always start with a light activity before stretching
- Dynamic stretching (exercises that stretch muscles in the course of other activities) may be more effective than static stretching
- Static stretching should be performed in short increments separated with activities to keep the body moving
- Keep stretching throughout the activity – cold muscles tighten up quickly, so any resting activity should include some stretching
APPAREL
- Dress in layers; from the skin out:
- Compression garments
- Uniform
- Warm-ups/Sweats
- Gloves
- Jacket/Outerwear
- Removing layers
- Keep the warm-ups on until the body is almost sweating
- Keep the core/trunk of the body warm, so pants go before tops
- At least put the warm-up jacket back on at each rest period longer than a few minutes; the body cools quickly
- Good additions
- Beanies/knit caps are a great way to add heat; the head loses more heat than any other part of the body, especially for short hair or pony tails
- Gloves can make a big difference; keep the extremities warm and the whole body is more comfortable
- Additional socks – in wet weather, replacing wet socks for dry at half-time or at a break can make a world of difference in a players comfort