Play Date

Turning a young child into an athlete and a sportsperson requires the right kind of fitness routine complemented with a regimen that can sharpen his or her game skills.

Boys (Cricket)
Monday
Strength and fitness inthe gym
10 mins: Warm upwith rowingCircuit consisting of:
Jump squats: 12 xrepsPush ups: 12-15 x reps
Crunches: 25 x repswith feet on Swiss ball
Pull ups: Normallybetween 5-10
Step-ups:Improve unilateralstrength and stabilityof the ankle and knee

Rotator cuff work: Internal andexternal rotation with a very light(1 kg) dumbbell or even a cricketball. This will strengthen the ligamentsin the shoulder, which willaid throwing, and bowlingLower back extensions: 15-20x reps on a Swiss ball

Tuesday
Batting practice for 75 minutes,broken up as:

15 mins: Warm up with joggingand dynamic movements such asrotations, lunges, arm swings50 mins: Do batting specificdrills for technique, timing, coordination,running betweenwickets, sliding your bat acrossthe line as opposed to dropping itover the line
10 mins: Cool down and stretch

Wednesday
Swim or cycle followed by fullbody static stretching

Thursday
Bowling and fielding practice for90 minutes, broken up as:
15 mins: Warm up with joggingand dynamic flexibility exercises
30 mins: Bowling drills such astechnique, aim, placement, gripof the ball
20 mins: Fielding specific drillssuch as catching, ground fielding,throwing to hit wicketsdirectly, throwing to have the ballland in the keeper's gloves abovethe wickets
20 mins: Quick game, eachbatsman gets two overs to batand tries to score as many runsas possible, if he gets out, yousubtract two runs from his scoreeach time
5 mins: Cool down and stretch

Friday
Complete rest and relaxation

SAturday: Match day

SUNDAY
Rest or active recovery such ascycling or swimming.

Girls (Volleyball)
Monday
Practice for 75 minutes, brokenup as:
10 mins: Warm up by joggingaround the court a couple oftimes. Then do dynamic stretchessuch as ankle and knee rotations,walking lunges, torso rotations,shoulder swings, chestopeners
15 mins: Circuit consisting of 20x sit ups, 10 x push ups, 10 xsquat jumps, 10 x shuttles of 10m (sprinting a short distance,making a sharp turn and thensprinting back again). Completethe circuit 2-3 times along withsufficient water and rest breaks
20 mins: Practice skills such asserving, passing, setting, spikes
20 mins: Play a game. Split allplayers present into two teamsand let them play (kids love playingtheir chosen sport so letthem practice the game by actuallyplaying it and the coach canthen pick up weaknesses thatneed to be worked on)
10 mins: Cool down and stretch

Tuesday
Crosstrain. Start with cycling ona stationary bike, and follow it upwith a swim and full body staticstretches to relax the musclesand improve flexibility. If youdon't have a bike, a gentle walkthrough a park or along thebeach will do. This way you stillget a cardio workout but you usedifferent muscles than the onesused the previous day.

Wednesday
Practice for 75 minutes, followingthe same pattern as you didon Monday. Put more emphasison match play positioning andskills instead of fitness, sinceyou have a match the next day

Thursday: Match Day

Friday
Do active recovery with swimmingand deep stretches

Saturday
Fitness and strength in the gym.
10 mins: Warm up with rowing
Step ups: 10 x reps. Step onto abox and back down with thesame leg, going up first. Swaplegs and repeat.
Standing shoulder press: 15xreps. Use a 5 kg medicine ball or2 kg dumbbells in either hand.Make sure your form is correctand don't arch the back.
Crunches: 5 x reps
Lat pull downs: 15 x reps. Uselight weight, focus on control
Walking lunges: 10 x reps foreach leg. Ensure knee does notgo over toes when stepping forward.Back knee must not touchthe ground
Push ups: 10 x reps
Lower back extensions: 15 xreps on a Swiss ball. Aim for stabilityand controlComplete the circuit 2-3 timesand finish with a 15-20 minutejog and some deep stretching

Sunday:Complete rest and relaxation

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