9781422278741

STANDING GROIN STRETCH 1. Stand with your legs wider than shoulder width apart. 2. Shift your weight onto one side as you bend your knee. 3. Reach with one hand toward your outstretched foot. 4. You should feel the stretch right down the inside of your outstretched leg. 1. Sit with knees bent at ninety degrees. 2. Place the soles of your feet together to splay your knees outward. 3. Gently use your hands or elbows to push your knees downward. LOWER BACK STRETCH 1. Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. 2. Bend the right knee so the sole of your foot is flat on the ground. 3. Turn your upper body toward your right knee, and place your right hand on the floor for support. 4. Place your left forearm on the outside of your right knee, and gently pull your knee toward you. 5. Resist with your knee and left hand to feel the tension in your lower back. 6. Repeat for the opposite side. STANDING CALF STRETCH 1. Using a wall or bar to support you, place one leg outstretched behind you. 5. Repeat for the opposite side. SITTING GROIN STRETCH

“Don’t panic when someone wants to

take the ball from you. Try using your hands to create space. And always play forward. Never backward.”

– Rafael van der Vaart, two- time Eredivisie champion

“We can’t train the ability to focus on the right pass without focusing on concentration, and selective attention, and spatial awareness and other psychomotor and psychosocial skills.”

– Tom Bates, performance psychologist, Aston Villa FC

13