Drill Exercises for Kids

Every able-bodied child should get in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. Organized sports are a great way to incorporate regular workouts into a child's life while she is busy having fun. Exercise drills are meant to put the child in a possible situation that could occur during a game, giving them first-hand experience while helping them learn fundamental skills through consistent practice.

  1. Running and Stopping Drills

    • Many sports require children to run back and forth along the length of an athletic field for the entirety of a game. It is an advantageous skill for the child to be able to stop quickly and run the other way, possibly following the direction of the ball or a covered opposing-team player. To practice this situation with an exercise drill, instruct children in to line up at one end of the field. A whistle is blown and they run forward. The whistle is blown again and they stop quickly and run in the other direction. The whistle is blown again, and they turn and run the other way again. Practice this drill for a total of 10 repetitions to give children a good feel for this move.

    Ball-Toss Drill

    • Another exercise drill for kids that teaches them quick hand-eye coordination is a ball-toss drill. Divide the children into two groups. Have each group line up side-by-side, facing each other. Start at one end and hand the first kid a ball; he must toss it to the player across from him, who tosses it to the player across from him who is next to the first player. The ball continues being passed back and forth all the way down the line. More balls are added all the way down so the kids are continuously being handed a ball and tossing it. Once they become proficient, the balls can reverse direction, when they reach the end of the line and be tossed back up the line.

    Dribbling Drill

    • Our final drill is one adapted from soccer. This drill helps children develop proper foot coordination. Line up cones along a length of the field, approximately six feet apart. Line the children up at one end of the cones. Give the first child a ball and instruct her to drop it to the ground and dribble it, which means kicking it with short taps in order to keep the ball with her at all times. She must dribble the ball all the way to the other end of the cones, weaving it in and out of the setup. This exercise requires the child to keep control of the ball at all times to avoid kicking it too far or too hard. When she reaches the end, she is to turn around, dribble the ball back to the line and pass it to the next child.