Four exercises for developing running abilities in youth

Technique Drills

This drill exaggerates walking (because both legs don’t leave the ground at the same time) by demanding high knee lift and an extended driving action of the leg on takeoff. Begin by vigorously raising the right knee to bring the thigh parallel to the ground. The right foot should be dorsiflexed, which means that the toe should be pulled toward the shin. The left leg should be straight, contacting the ground only with the ball of the foot and the toes. Keeping the right foot dorsiflexed, lower the leg, bringing the foot under the hip as the forefoot contacts the ground. The shoulders should be squared and the upper body should lean forward only slightly at the hips. The arms, kept at a 90- to 120-degree angle, should swing vigorously (as the right knee comes up, the left arm moves forward). Make sure that the arms don’t cross in front of the body. Continue the cyclic marching movement.Figure 6.5b-d

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Basic skipping

Just as a child skips, land on the heel and quickly roll off the ball of the foot, accentuating the pushing-off action. The knees should be fairly straight but not rigid. After pushing off and extending fully at the ankle joint, quickly pull the toe to the shin prior to landing. Swing the arms vigorously without crossing them in front of the body.Figure 6.5e

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Butt kicks

Make a running motion with an exaggerated follow-through action in which the heel lightly touches the buttocks. The action occurs by bending the knee. Instead of lifting the knee in front of the body as in a normal stride, the knee and thigh remain vertical throughout the drill.Figure 6.5f

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High-knee running

This drill is very similar to the high-knee marching drill, except this drill features running movement rather than marching movement. Because most of the generated force is vertical, the objective is not to move forward quickly, but to take many rapid, short strides.

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