Animal Movement Circuit

Objective

• -Develop coordination and body control through play
• -Take young joints through a full range of movement
• -Build fitness without any adult conditioning work

Setup

1. 1Two lines of cones fifteen yards apart.
2. 2Players spread along the start line with a ball each behind them.
3. 3Coach stands where everyone can see the demonstration.

How to play

1. 1Travel across as bear crawls, crab walks, frog jumps, flamingo hops and giant strides.
2. 2Jog back to the start between each animal.
3. 3Finish by dribbling a ball across using the same rhythm.

Progressions

• +Progressive Tempo: add a fourth maximal round
• +Ball For Every Player: shrink the working area
• +Reaction Start: two cues, one a decoy
• +Add a competitive scoreline for the last round

Regressions

• -Progressive Tempo: stay at the first two tempos only
• -Ball For Every Player: bigger area, share a ball between two
• -Reaction Start: coach counts players in
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Progressive Tempo — Three rounds: 60% pace, 80% pace, then match pace with full recovery between.
• -Ball For Every Player — Every player works with their own ball so no one waits in a queue.
• -Reaction Start — Every repetition begins from a visual or audio cue rather than a set count.
• -Partner Race — Players work in matched pairs and race each repetition, best of five.
• -Mobility Focus — Each round finishes with a controlled mobility hold for the hips, groin and ankles.
• -Change Of Direction — Add a 90 or 180 degree turn into every repetition before the finish.
• -Team Target — The whole group works to a shared score target and repeats the round if they miss it.
• -Flip the practice to the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Racing so technique disappears
• -Long queues at the start line
• -Static stretching instead of movement