Injuries can tear apart a team’s season, and even more so, a player’s confidence. In football, injuries are expected, but you don’t want to start losing players before the season starts. Here are steps that you should take to avoid preseason football injuries:
Make your players stretch
When muscles, tendons and ligaments are stiff and try to suddenly stretch or contract in the midst of an explosive football movement, they are likely to rip. By having your players stretch thoroughly before any activity, you significantly reduce the likelihood of a player abruptly collapsing to the ground as the pain of a sudden preseason football injury overwhelms him.
Always start off with warm-ups
Preparing your body to move is a two-step process. After your players have stretched their bodies out, they still need to alleviate the stiffness of a relatively sedentary day. Getting the blood flowing to your muscles allows them to work more efficiently, reducing the likelihood of cramps, pulls, etc.
Keep players hydrated
The effects of dehydration can range from debilitating to deadly. If your player is in the hospital due to dehydration, then wondering how well he will play is the least of your worries. To avoid this, ensure that your players are drinking plenty of hydrating fluids during all preseason activities.
Don’t jump straight into full contact
Football is a physically demanding sport; if the body isn’t fully prepared for it, injury is more likely to occur. This rule applies to everyone on your team, including the biggest, strongest guy on the field. By giving your players’ bodies an opportunity to recondition itself before you jump into full contact drills, you reduce the likelihood of preseason football injuries happening during training camp significantly. To this end, focus on strength, athletics and endurance training early on, and then progress into full contact activities.
Encourage your players to remain active during the offseason
The better shape that a player is in coming into training camp, the more prepared their body will be for the rigors of preseason football activities — and the less likely an injury is. While you cannot force your players to workout during the offseason, it should be highly encouraged (this will have the dual effect of improving their performance as well).
You don’t want to lose your team before your first snap
While there is no guarantee that no players will get injured before the season, you should minimize the likelihood of this occurring by taking the steps listed above.