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Dynamic Warm-up Before the Match

"Okay, guys, let's go for a pre-match dynamic warm-up, '" shouted Mr. Rolf Aas, fitness coach, as he walked around the dressing room. "Move. Quick. We only have an hour to start." He added while clapping as he passed the players who were still dressed up.

Hearing the coach's shout approaching, Zachary quickly tightened his shoelaces, pushed his soft shoes and backpack down the bench, and followed the other players out of the visitors' locker room. He was already wearing a black Rosenborg sports shirt and green Nike boots. He was more than ready to start the warm-up.

He walked confidently through the corridor, trailing behind some of his team-mates. He's not a little nervous. Even in his academy days, he always found it easy to adjust his mental state before the game. When out on the field, his mind is sometimes obscured by fleeting thoughts. But every time he put on his match clothes and shoes, everything irrelevant would be lost from his mind. He will soon start thinking about the game. He was happy to see he could reach the same state even before his debut as a professional.

"SHALALALALALA oh Rosenborg, SHALALALALA oh Rosenborg, SHALALALALA..."

Zachary's ears caught the loud chant sung in the choir by thousands of voices as he walked through the corridor, heading into the field. He was surprised by the fact that Rosenborg fans dominated the cheers. Despite being visitors at the Ruta Arena, they seem to have taken over the entire venue. The chant grew louder and louder until it reached its peak when Zachary and his team-mates stepped onto the pitch and began waving to eager away fans. At that moment, cheers rose into the air like the biggest celebratory fireworks show. The Ruta Arena was already on fire even before the match started.

Zachary was surprised once again by how quickly the relatively empty previous stands were filled with eager supporters. It had only been fifteen minutes since he had entered the dressing room, but all he could see around the stadium were countless fans in the colours of their team. Some even huddled around the net surrounding the field as the stands could not absorb it all. They are a sea of smiles, a chorus of loud and vibrant hearts— eagerly awaiting the start of the second round match of the Norwegian Football Cup.

Zachary turned his attention away from the stands and continued walking to the half of Rosenborg's field. Meanwhile, he observed Strindheim players who had long started a dynamic pre-match warm-up routine. Although they are only a second division team, they look very impressive in their light blue training outfit. They warm up with full attention under the supervision of their coach. Zachary can say that they are a team determined to emerge victorious despite facing one of the giants of Norwegian football.

"Brothers?" A voice sounded from behind Zachary. He turned around and realized that it was Mikael Dorsin, the veteran defender who asked him that question.

"No, not at all," Zachary answered honestly and went back to observing the opponent.

"Did you rest well last night?"

"Yes, I slept like a baby for eight hours or so. I'm more than ready for the game."

"Good then," said Mikael, patting his back slightly. "This is your debut match. Try to connect well with your teammates. Don't act like you're alone out there. Quickly play the ball, and you'll be fine."

"Okay," replied Zakaria. "I will do my best to connect with my teammates out there. Don't worry."

"It's okay for me" said Zachary. He had no reason to refuse the vice-captain. Mikael Dorsin is one of the few other first-team players, aside from Nicki, who has been trying to stay in touch with him for the previous two months. The vice-captain did not seem to mind his disrespectful behavior.

He always acted like a Rosenborg veteran. He is passionate about the team and keeps track of all his teammates during each training session. Moreover, he is so experienced that he is like a coach on the field of play. Zachary only sees the benefit in warming up with such a player.

So, for the next ten minutes, he accompanied the assistant captain on a simple warm-up. They did not do anything excessive or complicated but simply stretched and ran on the side of the Rosenborg field.

Zachary soon became engrossed in the practice, forgetting everything around him and focusing only on preparing his body for the match. Before he knew it, the fitness coach blew the whistle, signaling it was time for the pre-match dynamic warm-up to officially begin. Part of that warm-up was led entirely by a fitness trainer.

Everyone follows the fitness trainer's instructions as she guides them in every stretch and every movement in the routine. They start with a light jog and continue to stretch the upper body. They pass through the arm circles, alternating up and down before doing a body twist. When they are done with the upper body, they focus on warming up the legs and lower body for the next twenty minutes.

Since the session was necessary to prevent injuries in field players, fitness coaches are very strict with the starting eleven. He sees them like eagles as they perform basic lunge, calf stretches, quad stretches, and other simple light dynamic routines that are useful for the lower limbs. He does not allow starting players for the day to relax or engage in conversation during practice.

Zachary had gotten used to a very intensive workout for the previous two months. So, he sauntered through the exercise without feeling out of breath.

When the dynamic warm-up session finally ended, he took the ball— and then started juggling while moving slowly across the green. He uses his feet more but sometimes uses his head and shoulders to keep the ball under control. He is just trying to feel the ball and prepare himself for the action that will start a few minutes later.

Meanwhile, he could hear the cheers of the fans getting excited as kick-off drew nearer. But he ignored them and forced himself to focus only on his ball work. He wants to use every minute of the session to prepare for the game. That way, he can perform optimally when the game starts.

"Okay, guys," he heard Trond Henriksen, assistant head coach, yell after a few minutes. "Let's go back to the dressing room. We only have about thirty minutes to prepare. So, finish whatever you do." He added, moving around half the Rosenborg pitch.

Zachary immediately stopped his juggling and looked around. He could not believe that the 30 minutes of pre-match warm-up had passed so quickly as he was immersed in his ball practice. However, he reacted immediately and followed his team-mates back into the dressing room. The team only has 30 minutes to prepare. So, he hurried, jogging all the way back, as he was eager to listen to the coach's pre-match speech.