Let’s simplify training for a minute. Let’s make it so easy, your young athlete doesn’t need a coach or even much space.
Remember as a kid just running as fast as you could to race your friends? Or bouncing around because you had a little too much energy? How about jumping at a basketball hoop to desperately touch the net or (gasp!) the rim? Kids don’t do that nearly as much anymore. Now, imagine your athlete went back to doing those things, but with intent. With better technique. With the consistency to actually get more and more athletic with each bounce, jump, bound, and sprint.
If your athlete does nothing else, just practice these 5 plyometrics and they will become more athletic: faster, springy-er, and more agile.
- Low level hops
It’s like jumping rope, without the rope. The brilliance of a low level hop is it doesn’t need much of a definition. Just bounce. Bounce up and down, forward and back, side to side. Bounce while you’re waiting for the school bus, and especially when you’re waiting to take the field. Bouncing is a plyometrics that can be done at home or on the road.
Bouncing builds elasticity in the tendons and ligaments. It strengthens the muscles and makes them more injury resilient. Bouncing is a foundational movement to build athleticism on. And it’s as simple as it sounds. Check out the video and let your athlete bounce whenever they have the energy!
- High pogos (Double & Single)
Pogos are another training tool that builds whole body elasticity. The ability to maintain stiffness when you sprint or jump positively correlates to improved speed and a higher vertical jump. Essentially, stiffness = force.
For the high pogo, you simply jump as high as you can and as soon as you hit the ground, you bounce back up while keeping your legs relatively straight and your ankles flexed up (dorsiflexed.)
The same rules apply for the single leg version, but I would only do these with athletes that are older and at least moderately trained.
Perform double leg pogos for 5-10 reps, and single leg pogos for 3-5 reps at a time.
- Skips
Skips are simple, right? Not so fast. You would be amazed at how often just the simple coordination of a skip is messed up. For the purposes of improving your athleticism, you should try 3 different types of skips: Skips for force (power your leg down into the ground), skips for height (drive your front leg as high as you can), and skips for distance (leap out as far as you can.)
Skips build an athlete’s ability to produce force. Practice these plyometrics often.
- Bounds (Linear & lateral)
Forward bounds resemble the skip for distance a bit. Basically, you want to drive your forward leg as far forward as you can, without kicking your foot forward. At the same time, you want to push off your back leg as hard as you can. Bounds can really build up hip drive and hamstring strength.
Lateral bounds are a little different and resemble an outside leg speed skater. Basically, you push off your outside leg and try to cover as much distance as possible. As soon as you hit the ground, you push off and go back to the opposite direction again. Lateral bounds will improve your force production laterally, which is essential for improving your agility and cutting ability.
- Sprints
You need to be able to sprint in every sport. And the sports you don’t sprint as much in are still improved by the power built through sprinting. When you have your athlete sprint at home, keep it short and sweet: no more than 5-8 sprints at a time with proper rest in between of at least one minute. The sprints should last anywhere between 15-40 yards.
The main focus of the sprint should be simple: follow the trajectory of a plane taking off and push into the ground as aggressively and you can.
Sprints can be highly technical, but if you’re looking for training at home, sprinting hard beats not sprinting at all.
