Middle School Season Kickoff Practice Plan (90 Minutes)

Setup: Bring them to a single cone line in the infield or on the track apron—no one on the lanes yet. Point out the run direction, where water is, and the "walk back outside the lane" rule.

60 seconds on expectations, then quick name check and assign groups of 4–6 for later rotations.

• Watch for: Kids can repeat back the two safety rules: no crossing lanes during reps, and walk back outside the lane.
• Cues: "When I whistle, you freeze." "Run lanes are for running only." "If you're lost, find your cone line."
• Common issue: They drift onto the track while you talk. Fix: Physically move the whole group 10 yards farther from the lanes and put a cone 'do not cross' line.
• For groups new to structure, keep groups random today—don't overthink event placement. To increase difficulty, have group leaders repeat the rules to their group before you start warm-up.

Setup: 2 lines behind a start cone; 15–20m lane marked with flat discs. Keep spacing at arm's length.

Jog down/back, then high knees, butt kicks, straight-leg march, side shuffles, and a short skip series; finish with 2 x 20m relaxed strides at 70%.

• Watch for: Tall posture—head up, hips under, arms moving front-to-back (not across).
• Cues: "Tall like a string." "Arms cheek to back pocket." "Land under you."
• Common issue: Kids race the warm-up and collide or cut in front. Fix: Stop, reset to two lines, and make them go on your clap with a 2-step gap.
• For younger or less coordinated athletes, shorten the lane to 10–15m. To increase difficulty, add a third stride at 80% with a clean, relaxed finish.

Setup: Use a fence/wall or partner 'hands as wall' if needed; then a 15m A-skip lane with discs. Split into two groups so nobody waits long.

Wall position (hands on wall, body at an angle), then 3 x 5 single-leg drives each side; immediately go to A-march down and back, then A-skip down and back. Trigger the next rep with "Go" every 5–7 seconds.

• Watch for: Knee drives up with toe up, and foot strikes under the hips (not reaching).
• Cues: "Toe up, knee up." "Punch down under you." "Fast arms, quiet shoulders."
• Common issue: They bounce and kick the heel back on A-skips. Fix: Switch them to A-march, have them freeze at the top (knee up/toe up), then return to skipping.
• For athletes still struggling, do only A-march and 10m lanes. To increase difficulty, add a 10m 'switch'—A-skip into a smooth 10m run maintaining the same posture.

Setup: Two lanes, start line with cones; finish cone at 10–15m. Everyone walks back outside the lanes.

Teach 2-point stance (front foot under hip, back foot staggered), then 2 reps each. Add falling start (lean until you must step), then 4–6 reps each at 10–15m. Start them in waves so you're not waiting on the walk-back.

• Watch for: First two steps push back behind them with a forward lean—no upright sprinting yet.
• Cues: "Push, push, then go." "Nose down to the cone." "Big arms, small steps early."
• Common issue: They take a huge first step and stumble. Fix: Put a flat disc 1 shoe-length in front of the start and tell them first step lands on/near it.
• For younger or less experienced athletes, cut to 8–10m and fewer reps. To increase difficulty, add a clap start with reaction—still only 10–15m.

Quick water, then bring them back to the cone line. Use this as a 30-second correction window: pick one sprint cue you want all day (example: "push first, stand up later"). Remind them the next block has moving parts, so they must know their partner and their lane. If someone is missing a partner, you assign one—no wandering.

Setup: Mark a 15–20m exchange lane with cones: start cone, go cone, exchange cone. Pair kids up; one baton per pair if possible.

Start with walk-in exchanges: receiver walks, shows target hand; passer walks and places baton. Then progress to jog: receiver starts jogging at the go cone on passer's "Go!" command. Rotate roles every 2 reps.

• Watch for: Receiver's eyes stay forward and the hand is still (a clear target), baton goes in firmly without slapping.
• Cues: "Eyes forward." "Show me the pocket." "Say 'Go!' then chase."
• Common issue: Receiver turns around and slows down. Fix: Make them do one rep with no baton—receiver runs straight through, passer follows and tags their hand; then add the baton back.
• For athletes still learning, keep it all walking until targets are consistent. To increase difficulty, add a 10m run-out after the exchange so they learn to keep running.

Setup: Use the pit if available; if not, use grass with a taped takeoff zone. One line only at the runway; everyone else stands to the side behind cones.

Teach a 3-step approach: step-step-step-jump off one foot into the sand (or onto grass), land on two feet, then step forward out of the pit. Give each athlete 4–6 jumps with quick feedback.

• Watch for: One-foot takeoff with a tall chest and knees driving forward; landing is controlled (no falling backward).
• Cues: "Run-run-JUMP." "One foot off, two feet land." "Knees to the chest on landing."
• Common issue: Two-foot takeoff or jumping straight up. Fix: Have them call out their takeoff foot before starting, then do a slow walk-through to the zone and repeat at jog speed.
• For athletes who struggle, start from a standing takeoff at the zone. To increase difficulty, move to a 5-step approach only if they are consistently one-foot taking off.

Setup: 3 stations if possible: (1) 10m starts, (2) relay exchanges, (3) long jump pop-ups. Groups of 4–6 rotate every ~5 minutes on your whistle; set a clear 'home cone' for each group.

Station rules are simple: 1 coach cue, then go. At starts: 3 reps each. At relay: 4 exchanges each. At long jump: 3 jumps each.

• Watch for: Lines stay under 6; if a line grows, split into two mini-lanes immediately.
• Cues: "Freeze your finish." "Next up, be ready." "Walk back outside."
• Common breakdown: Kids forget where to rotate and drift to friends. Fix: Blow whistle, everyone freezes, and you physically walk each group to the next station once—after that, group leaders move them.
• For smaller groups, run only 2 stations (starts + relay) and keep long jump as a coached demo. To increase difficulty, add a station goal (example: 5 perfect exchanges in a row) and restart the count on a miss.

Setup: Easy walk in a group for 1 lap (or 2–3 minutes), then circle up at the cone line.

Ask two kids to demonstrate the best A-skip posture and the correct relay target hand. Give them the 'next practice' preview: we'll repeat today's warm-up and starts, and we'll add a little more speed into exchanges.

• Watch for: Kids can say the day's top cues back to you (push first, eyes forward on handoff, one-foot takeoff).
• Cues: "Tell me the safety rule." "Show me the pocket hand." "Push first—stand up later."
• Common issue: They bolt for bags before dismissal. Fix: Nobody leaves the circle until you dismiss; if they step out early, they step back in and you restart the last instruction.
• For a quicker wrap-up, do a shorter recap—one question, then dismiss. To increase difficulty, have each group leader name one thing their group did well and one thing to fix next time.