Most coaches have spot or dot mats, but you can also use chalk if you are on a playground or in a drive way. We will be using our dot and spot movement mat for the games and drills in this section. Remember that you can try these exercises on tennis courts, playgrounds, gymnasium or any other leveled surface.
Before demonstrating several creative exercise ideas let's cover some of the basics. First try the standard hop scotch pattern seeing how many times you can go from end to end in 30 seconds. Then try one foot hops around the five dots. Alternate feet after each completion of the five dots, then try the same drill with double foot hops as well. This category of 1, 2, 3 patterns help footwork as well as rhythm skills.
First just move forward in and out of one dot as a young athlete is demonstrating, one step in and two steps out, then try running in a circle around four dots. In with one foot and out with two feet in a clockwise direction and other more complex variation is to skip in triplets one skip in the dot and two skips outside. Finally try skipping in and out but in a clockwise direction. This one is a lot tougher than it looks.
This next series uses a whistle to create agility and footwork challenges. The first variation has a junior running the dots in a hop scotch pattern forwards and then backward across two sets of dots and spots. When the coach blows the whistle the junior simply changes from forwards to backwards or from backwards to forwards. And you can also try a two foot hop in and out of each dot in a circle around the dots, then when the whistle is blown the athlete just changes direction.
This concept of drills features two athletes facing one another on a set of dots. Each exercises time for 10 seconds or another desired length depending on the fitness level of the athletes. The first exercise is as simple, in with one foot and out with two exercise. The next one is a one foot in and one foot put pattern, have the children keep count of how many times they step in the dot during the allotted time. Yet a third option of many possibilities is to have them do a one foot and two feet out pattern with skipping, well done.
This group of exercises requires two athletes, one initiates the skill and the other follows like a copy cat. Since everyone will like to be the leader just make sure to change roles after each exercise. First comes the hop scotch pattern, then they challenge each other by skipping. The interesting part of this concept is to let the children have the freedom to use their own creativity without interference, just have alternate being the leader and then the copy cat.
The concept of run outs and run ins is to vary the dynamics of movement and agility as so many sports require. Set up a line that doubles as a starting line and the finish line, then have the athlete do a run out as is now being demonstrated. It's just a simple hop scotch through the dots and a sprint to the finish. The opposite is a run in, this time have the juniors start at one line and then sprint to the other one finishing with the hop scotch pattern though the dots.
Individual races are also a possible with the run outs or run ins just demonstrated. First try a one on one race that consist of a round trip agility drill and sprint like our kids are now demonstrating. Then as a relay have the young athletes tag a teammate. Relay's definitely add more fun and camaraderie to any exercise. The movement variation for races and relays are practically unlimited. We are demonstrating with just one team but again imagine several teams performing the same exercise side by side.
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