Try This Jumps Circuit When Coaching Young Athletes
This is a guest contribution from Clare.
While I was coaching recently, a couple of the young athletes asked if they could do a jumping circuit. I quickly put together an agility/plyometric-type circuit for them.
As it was very early in the summer athletics season I wanted to try to include some endurance-type activities within the session. The aim was to help the kids survive a full competition and allow them to compete at their best without tiring too soon.
Jumps Circuit
The Jumps Circuit
Description
1. From the start point, perform forward double foot ankle bounces over each cone. Work on pushing off the feet and getting full extension at the ankle. Think about being “bouncy”.
2. Side-step to the next cone
3. Bound, trying to land next to each cone. Work on even bounds.
4. Turn to face the opposite direction (i.e. face the start) and side step to the next cone. Facing the opposite direction means that the athletes work both sides of the body during the circuit.
5. Hop, trying to get a good cycle with their hopping leg. Use nice big even hops.
6. Jog to the next cone
7. Sprint to the finish
The athletes did four repetitions of the circuit, which meant that they did two repetitions on each leg for the hopping section.
The kids enjoyed it. They did it continuously; one repetition after the other with no recovery between repetitions.
Coaches could give athletes a small break between repetitions if you were concentrating on technique more than endurance.
Clare coaches young athletes. She specialises in teaching the long and triple jump. She is a former nationally-ranked athlete, state medallist and state record-holder.
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Darren Wensor is a sports development professional, coach educator, specialist coach of young athletes, and founder of the blog coachingyoungathletes.com. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or via email. Check out Coaching Young Athletes on YouTube, the Coaching Young Athletes podcast, and the Coaching Young Athletes E-Book Series.
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