Jay Asked,

What is the best way to warm up u12 goalies.  Does it change the older the player?

Jay,

Thank you for submitting your question to Ask the Goalkeeper. I want to apologize for the long response time. It is a very busy time in my season right now. When it comes to warming up younger goalkeepers I would still hit most of the basics: run, stretch, handling, diving, shots and light crossing. Have a look at “Pre-game Goalkeeper Warm Up ” http://askthegoalkeeper.com/faq/12-pre-game-warm-up. I would modify this warm up for younger goalkeepers by limiting the duration of some of the exercises. I would shorten the running section. I would also reduce some of the stretches. Most u12 players are pretty flexible, but we want to continue enforcing good habits so we don’t want to completely eliminate it. As for the crosses, throw a couple crosses in so they will be able to pick up the flight of the ball. For younger kids you want to keep all exercises short so they will stay focused. As a goalkeeper gets older, start to extend the pre-game warm up and increase the intensity. I hope you find this information helpful and once again sorry for taking so long to get back with you.

Thank you,

Chase Harrison

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