Whether it's training, challenge matches or championship you're preparation and warm up should be more or less the same.
In the dressing room: Five minutes work
1. Foam Rolling (Optional): Two to three minutes foam rolling the major muscle groups especially if you're feeling slightly tight or stiff.
2. Muscle Activation: Three minutes or so doing some band work to activate the muscles of the legs, hips and upper body.
On the pitch:
1. Light aerobic movements: About three to five minutes of light jogging forward, backward, side-to-side, heel flicks, high knees etc.
2. Dynamic stretching: About three to five minutes of lunges in multiple directions, RDL's, kicks etc.
3. Jumps: A lot of things that happen in the field are done while standing on one leg, make sure you've done single leg pogo's, single leg jumps and stick the landing, and single leg jumps for distance. Make sure to complete on both legs.
4. Building up speedwork: Begins with about five by three quarter pace runs out to the forty metre line, turn and jog back slowly each time. Then move on to five maximum effort sprints, turn and walk slowly back each time.
Set the standard early in the year.
These first few weeks returning to sport are going to be when a lot of athletes are at their most vulnerable so make sure your warm-up is.
David