Ladder and Cone Relay

How to run it

A relay for quick feet and coordination. Kids go through an agility ladder, weave through cones or step over mini hurdles and finish with a sprint – lots of movement and short queues.

Set-up

Two lanes side by side, about 30 m long. Each lane: a start, an agility ladder, then four cones (lane 1) or four mini hurdles (lane 2) and a finish line marked with two discs. Three kids per lane.

Instructions

1. 1Three kids queue in each lane. The first stands at the start, the others behind.
2. 2Go! The first runners go through the ladder – one foot in each square, small quick steps, arms working.
3. 3Lane 1 weaves through the cones, lane 2 steps over the hurdles with high knees. The next in line moves up to the start.
4. 4Sprint to the finish! Runner number two goes into the ladder.
5. 5The first runner jogs back outside the lane to the queue. Runner two takes the cones or hurdles and runner three moves up to the start.
6. 6Runner two sprints to the finish while runner three goes through the ladder.
7. 7Runner two jogs back. The first runner is at the start again and runner three is in the cones/hurdles.
8. 8The first runner starts lap two through the ladder – now with a new footwork pattern (e.g. two feet in each square). Runner three sprints to the finish.
9. 9The first runner weaves, runner two moves up to the start and runner three jogs back. The relay goes on until everyone has done three laps.

Coaching points

• Small, quick steps in the ladder – it trains the speed of the feet, not the speed forward.
• Let the arms work in rhythm with the legs.
• Change the ladder pattern every lap: one foot per square, two feet per square, sideways, in-in-out-out.
• The jog back always goes outside the lane so nobody collides.

Variations

Equipment

• 2 × Ladder
• 4 × Cone
• 4 × Hurdle
• 8 × Markers