Ages 10–13 Intro to Plyometrics Learning to land, before learning to jump.
About 20 minutes No equipment needed A driveway or a gym floor
This is where a quicker first step comes from. Every rep is judged on the landing, not the jump: quiet feet, knee over the middle of the foot, held still for a beat. Twice a week at most and at least two days apart, always on fresh legs — never after a hard skate, never the day before a game. Low numbers on purpose: when the landings get sloppy the session is over, whatever is left on the page.
Warm up Never jump on cold legs.
1
Marching high knees into A-skips 2 × 20 yd
March first: knee to hip height, opposite arm forward, tall through the chest. Then add a small skip. Quick off the ground, stay light on the feet. Common mistake: Leaning back as the knee comes up.
2
Leg swings — side to side 10 each leg
Face a wall, swing one leg across your body and back out. Toes pointed forward, hips square, chest tall. Common mistake: Twisting the whole body instead of moving at the hip.
3
Glute bridge — activation 12
On your back, feet flat, drive through the heels and squeeze the glutes at the top. Ribs down — do not arch the back to get higher. Pause a second at the top of every rep. Common mistake: Feeling it all in the hamstrings. Push through the heels and squeeze.
Learn to land 2 rounds. Walk back between every set.
4
Pogo hops 10
Stiff ankles. Bounce off the balls of your feet with only a little knee bend. Spend as little time on the ground as you can, like the floor is hot. Common mistake: Landing on the heels or sinking into the knees.
STIFF ANKLES QUICK OFF THE GROUND 5
Single-leg hop and stick 3 each leg
Hop forward a short way on one leg and freeze the landing for 2 seconds. Knee in line with the middle toes, hips level. Only add distance when every landing is quiet and steady. Common mistake: The knee diving inward when you land.
HOP FORWARD ON ONE LEG STICK IT FOR 2 SECONDS 6
Broad jump 3
Swing the arms back, then throw them forward as you jump out, not up. Stick the landing: feet hip-width, knees over toes. Hold it for 2 seconds. Mark your best one each session. Common mistake: Knees caving in on landing, or falling forward out of it.
SWING, JUMP OUT STICK THE LANDING Side to side 2 rounds. Walk it off between sets.
7
Lateral line hops 10 sec
Feet together, hop side to side over a line as fast as you can. Stay on the balls of your feet with short, quick contacts. Common mistake: Hopping too high. This one is about speed, not height.
FEET TOGETHER QUICK HOPS OVER THE LINE 8
Skater bound and stick 3 each side
Push off the outside leg and bound sideways, landing on the other foot. Stick the landing for a beat, hips back and knee over toes, then bound back. Add distance as the landings get cleaner. This is your skating stride. Common mistake: Landing with the knee caving or the chest falling over the knee.
PUSH OFF, BOUND SIDEWAYS STICK IT, HIPS BACK Finish
9
Standing quad stretch 30 sec each
Heel to the glute, knees together, tuck the tailbone under. Hold a wall so you can relax into it instead of fighting for balance. Common mistake: Letting the knee drift out to the side.
10
Figure-4 glute stretch 30 sec each
On your back, ankle across the opposite knee, pull the bottom thigh toward you. Head and shoulders stay down on the floor. Common mistake: Pulling on the crossed knee instead of the thigh behind it.
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