Karnataka State Hockey Association, Bangalore
Conducted from April 16, 2003 to June 28, 2003
| Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 4 |
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Class 4 | Class 5 | Class 6 |
| Dr. P. J. Sebastin is a Senior Scientific Officer, Training & Methods, at the Sports Authority of India, Bangalore. | |||||
| Class 7 | Class 8 | Class 9 | Class 10 | Class 11 | Class 12 | |
Warming up is preparing/tuning the muscles/joints in your body before the game. It can be classified into two groups:
a. General warming up - which is related to the physiological aspects
b. Specific warming up - which is related to the technical aspects – i.e., tasks involved in game situations, etc.
A good, systematic warming up acts as a suitable constructive outlet for your wards to overcome their anxiety/tension/pressure through the increasing level of readiness/concentration/confidence/determination.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD WARM UP
Always begin your warming up drill from neck to toe, and not limit a specific area of your body only.
Warming up must include stretching and loosening up exercises, alternating with more vigorous work out
Warming up must comprise movements related to the game situations that lie ahead. This improves and sharpens nerve innervations.
Warming up exercises should be done systematically/slowly, they should not be the quick/jerky type.
Do not hold breath when exercising, but inhale and exhale deeply.
Warming up should taper off 10 to 15 minutes before the game, and end 5 minutes before the game, except for light stretching. This allows recovery time from temporary fatigue.
Have brisk warming up exercises after a long journey either by road/rail or air – this helps to stretch the muscle and maintain the flexibility of various muscle joints.
BENEFITS OF A GOOD WARM UP
The benefits of a good warm up are:
The danger of injury is reduced as a result of the increase in muscle tone and the effect in the nervous system.
Increased metabolic processes of body, which helps to perform to optimum level during competition
Good warm up works on the muscle ligaments and tissue of the joints. The mobility/flexibility of the joints are increased.
Good warm up related to a particular activity improves cohesion between nerve impulses, motor units and muscle groups
The benefits of warming up are in 3 areas:
Physical Changes
The player's neuro-muscular coordination improves. Note that unlike soccer, hockey is played with a stick, and it is essential for your wards to have good neuro-muscular coordination to perform at higher level.
Muscles/joints are fine-tuned and the joint flexibility/mobility increases – injury is minimized.
Stretching and loosening effect in skeleton muscles. Muscular function is accelerated according to the needs of the game.
Psychological Changes
Confidence level increases - your wards would easily overcome anxiety/tension/pressure before the game. Warming up creates a constructive outlet in your wards for negative feelings.
Physiological Changes
Through a good warm up, the efficiency of muscular contraction increases to its optimum. The speed of contraction may be increased approximately 20% by raising the body temperature.
The physiological benefits of raising muscle temperature through proper warm up prior to the actual game include:
Difference Between Warming Up and Strength Training Exercises
Warming up exercises include bending and stretching movements. Strength training exercises include movements against the gravitational force and muscular contraction, e.g., push ups/sit ups (hip bending).
Training includes warming up/practice schedule/skill drills/adapting to your game plan/warming down.
An exercise is a course of various movements of the body for a definite purpose. Joints are to be exercised from neck joint/shoulder joint/chest/abdomen/hip joint/thighs/ankle and knee joints.
Pulse rate should be between 110 to 120 beats per minute.
WARMING DOWN AFTER A GAME
Warming down or cooling down has been proved to be an effective means of decreasing the effects on the muscular-skeleton system of the stimuli of training and competition.
Warming down means a gradual drop back of the body, chiefly somatically, to a level where the para sympathetic nervous system prevails.
During the process of warming down, the waste in tissues and muscles is immediately removed.
The metabolic products (lactic acid) deposited during the game are reduced by slow jogging/active loosening and shaking of the extremities.
Immediate cessation of activity causes delay as the circulation and respiration drop down too abruptly for the removal of the metabolic waste products from the body.
Warming down period should be approximately 10 to 20 minutes after every workout/training/game/competition.
Good warming down helps your wards to recover fast and be ready for the next game. In most hockey competitions, your team is required to play 7 or 8 matches in 15 days time, so it is very important to follow the warming down exercises to help prepare your wards for the next game in the competition.
TRAINING MEANS AND METHODS
Training means are the physical exercises, while training methods are used for improvement/maintenance/recovery of the physical fitness components.
The means used in training are:
1. Pedagogical means – demonstration/explanation/discussion of movement/concept/feedback/knowledge/interest/personality etc.
2. Medical means - nutrition/massage/hygiene/physiotherapy/biochemical (health/recovery/body resistance/rehabilitation/judgment of load and training effect etc.)
3. Psychological means – Ideomotor training/autogenous training/psychotonic training (technical skill/recovery/control of activation/behavior control/removal of fear etc.)
4. Biomechanical means – cinematography/measuring device – technical assessment and other aspects of movements of your wards.
5. Natural means – Light/air/water/altitude/weather (effect on load/health/fitness level/resistance etc.)
6. Material means – Audio visual/training equipment etc.
TESTS AND THEIR IMPORTANCE
A test is a means of assessing strength/speed/endurance/technique and so on in your wards. Some of the tests are:
| Category | Sub-Category | Test |
| Strength | Back strength | Backward throw of the ball |
| Abdomen strength | Sit ups (30 seconds) | |
| Leg strength | Standing broad jump | |
| Grip strength | Grip dynamometer | |
| Endurance | Cooper test | 2.4 kms in 12 minutes |
| Speed | Acceleration ability | 30 m stationary start |
| Sprinting speed | 30 m flying start | |
| Locomotors speed | 60 m | |
| Flexibility | Shoulder | Shoulder scale |
| Hip | Forward bend and reach | |
| Coordination | Differentiation ability | Backward ball throw test |
| Orientation ability | Medicine ball run test | |
| Balancing ability | Long nose test | |
| Reaction ability | Ball roll test |
CONDITIONING
Conditioning is the process of making optimum physical/mental/technical/tactical improvement before the competition.
Physical exercises are the training means to attain high degree of physical conditioning. To condition means to toughen to prepare for high level of competition needs.
Physical exercise is a course of movement either by a segment or by the body to accomplish a purpose. The classification of exercise is as follows:
| General | Special | Competition |
| Strong foundation | Technical teaching | Technical/tactical |
| Physical condition | Tactical teaching | Competition preparation |
| Physical fitness | Adaption to system |
General Preparation
Special and Competition Preparation
Your training plan should have three phases:
PEAKING
Relationship between conditioning and peaking – conditioning helps to be strong, flexible and fast. Optimum fitness level helps to perform (peak) consistently at the higher level.
Road for peaking is as follows:
| Category | Preparatory Period 1 | Preparatory Period 2 | Preparatory Period 3 |
| General | 60% | 30% | 10% |
| Special | 30% | 50% | 65% |
| Competition | 10% | 20% | 25% |
The sign boards leading to peaking are:
Preparation is essential for peaking. The peaking process includes a proper combination of special and competitive exercises, low/medium and strong intensity practice games, adaptation to the system, formation exercises, substitution exercises, correct analysis of the opponent during the game, adapting to new systems, motivation level and taking into account common goals of the entire team/management.