Top 10 Drills for Young Athletes to Master

Young athletes are growing every day and their bodies are so eager to learn new skills!  Here's ten drills that all young athletes should be able to master.  Understanding and correcting these drills will boost their coordination, enhance their ability to learn more complicated skills, and help prevent them from injury.  Let's get right down to it:

1.  Squat

This is a basic skill all athletes should become very good at executing.   It requires total body coordination and strength.  Points of focus:  Heels stay flat on the ground, knees never fall together at center, chest needs to stay up, and they do not support their weight by resting their arms on the thighs.

2.  Split lunge with arms overhead

This is a lunge where the feet stay in the split position.  This will test their balance, strength, and coordination.  Points of focus:  Maintain foot placement as they go through the lunge motion- the feet should not move around to keep balanced, keep the arms overhead at all times- the arms should not drop to assist in the movement, and keep the torso in a vertical position- there should me minimal leaning forward as the knee drops to the ground.

3.  Regular lunge

To progress from the split lunge is the regular stepping forward lunge and return to center.  There are many variations of a lunge, but for this list, the basic lunge must first be mastered before adding more complex variations.  Points of focus:  Step out to a distance where the shin angles are vertical, drop the knee to the ground or almost touching, torso should stay upright and the arms should not assist the movement.

4.  Dead bug

A coordination drill that challenges them to move the right and left sides of their body simultaneously.   Points of focus:  Lay completely flat with head resting on the ground, both arms and both legs stay up to the ceiling while the opposite sides drop in sync (for example- right arm, left leg).  They should be able to switch between sides without losing the rhythm. 

5.  Bird dog

Much like the dead bug, the bird dog (or "live bugs" as they are called at TNT), challenge coordination and add a component of crossing midline which is so important to motor pattern growth.  Points of focus:  On all fours, reach out the opposite arm and leg to full extension, return to center tapping knee to elbow.  They should be able to maintain balance with full extension and with a touch at center. 

6.  Tall march

Keeping with the opposite sides of the body challenge, this tall march requires them to do the same coordination while standing.  Points of focus:  Stand tall, raise one arm overhead with the opposite knee lifting up, continually switch while maintaining balance.  Turn this into a forward walking position for added difficulty.  They should be able to fully extend the arms.

7.  Crawling

A great skill everyone hopefully learns as a baby, offers many benefits to keeping this skill in our memory.  Having the ability and strength to crawl challenges every muscle in the body along with coordination.  Points of focus:  Start on all fours, lift the knees off the ground and crawl forward moving the opposite arm with the opposite leg (are you sensing an important pattern here).  Do not rock the body side to side.

8.  Bridges

A simple drill that strengths the back side of the body.  This is very important to keeping the body balanced and preventing injury.  Point of focus:  Laying on their back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, press hips up to the ceiling.  Must keep feet flat, do not raise up on toes.  Press hips up as high as possible and control them back to the floor.

9.  Plank
Well of course the plank is on the list.  While everyone knows what this is, so many people perform it incorrectly.  Points of focus:  Elbows under shoulders, toes straight and body in a straight line.  They should be able to hold that position for at least 30 seconds without sinking in the middle or lifting the hips too high.

10.  Mountain climbers
Also a classic drill commonly performed incorrectly.  Kids must first be able to hold a push up position (similar to the plank, but arms straight).  Points of focus:  In a strong push up position, bring one knee in and quickly switch feet jumping them in without bouncing the hips up and down.  The body should stay in a straight line with minimal movement while the legs switch back and forth.

Give them a try and keep practicing the ones that are challenging!  Once you master these, you can add more fun and challenging drills to push you to be the best athlete you can be!