Pre Season Football and Rugby Training – Why it is so important

Football Pre-season Training

Yes, it is pre-season time, and after sitting by the pool on your holiday, eating the wrong foods, and not exercising, the dreaded intensity of pre-season training is about to begin.

You ask yourself, can I not just get fit as the Season progresses? No, do pre-season, this is why: 

  • Match fitness will not just appear; you need strength and flexibility, and lifting weights and stretching pre-season prepare you. Aerobic training, running, swimming, and cycling build up your stamina, and interval training mimics what happens in a game: short, fast bursts and quick recovery.
  • Injury prevention: The fitter you are, the less likely you are to get injured, exceedingly soft tissue injuries. Your body is more robust and flexible in the joints, and any impact is less damaging.
  • In Rugby, it’s essential to negate concussions and strengthen your neck muscles pre-season; working on your balance can prevent concussions, too.
  • Most Football and Rugby injuries come in the last quarter of a game when a player is tired; this re-enforces the point of using pre-season to get as fit as possible to maintain that stamina for the entire game and thus avoid those injuries when tired towards the end of a match.
  • It is not all about conditioning; this is a time to practice your skills before the Season. In football, you touch, pass, and shoot; in Rugby, you handle and kick.
  • Pre-season should be done with your teammates; this is an excellent time to bond for the upcoming Season.
  • Plays: Plans can be practised for specific situations. In Football, free kick routines and corners, and in Rugby, First Phase play off a scrum or lineout.
  • Physical exercise makes you tired, and sleep is essential for players; it is an excellent time to get into a routine that you will carry on through the Season, so this doesn’t just start after the first match. Nutrition too!
  •  Activate is an RFU injury prevention series of exercises that can be done in Rugby pre-season. Click on the link for more information.
  • Finally, a sense of well-being; the fitter you are, the more mentally at peace you will be and prepared for the games ahead. At the end of pre-season, you should be able to say to yourself, “I’m ready. “

Pre Season Football Camps 

  1. Jean Michel Larque Soccer Academy – St Jean de Luz – France
  2. La Manga Soccer Camps – Spain
  3. International Center of European Football – Evian-les-Bains – France

Pre Season Rugby Camps 

  1. Leicester Rugby Camps
  2. Saracens

JS Insurance covers you for Medical Treatment for pre-season rugby and football training camps and when playing in overseas tours and tournaments. See links below