Developing Athleticism: Crease Tag
Use this simple game of tag at the beginning of practice to do a little conditioning work. We use this game at all our camps to get the kids moving, get the blood flowing, and get a little bit of competition going. Even top college teams use this game during their Preseason conditioning.
Developing athleticism in any child participating in youth sports is one of the most important things you do as a coach. Spending some time working on Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) doesn't have to be hard, and you don't need a sports science degree.
We love this game because it's so simple, and the kids love it. Now your SAQ work becomes a "game" instead of a "drill" or "conditioning". It's just a game of tag like when you were a kid.
You don't even need a stick for this game. Just have your players focus on running as fast as they can.
Plus the Goal Crease is the thing your players will be dodging around in a game, so this SAQ drill imitates game situations.
Here's THE DRILL:
PRACTICE TIPS:
- Each Rep should last no more than 10-20 seconds. Keep the game moving with two new players every time.
- Have both players in this drill carry a ball to add an extra challenge while they run full speed!
- Have your players face the same direction the whole time as they go through the figure 8 to work on side shuffling and back-pedaling in addition to running forward.
- Make sure you schedule time for conditioning and SAQ work at the beginning or end of practice. Try Keeping Time to make sure you stick to your schedule!
- Keep Score in this game to find out who wins the most times, and who is the fastest player on your team!
VARIATIONS:
- Start your players next to each other and make it a race to see who finishes first instead of a game of Tag.
- Check out our full page of Speed, Agility and Quickness Drills for developing athleticism in your players.
- The Bucket Game: This simple game lets your players practice dodging and defense with no sticks.
- Tabata Sprints: Use these maximum-effort sprints to improve conditioning and imitate game situations.
Try it out and let us know how it goes with your team!
