New Games & Activities

Welcome Young Guns Coaches! This page is devoted to awesome games, new activities and great ideas to help make each of your YG sessions FUN, FRESH and FITNESS-ORIENTED! Each category (Form, Agility and Strength, and Games) will be updated as new ideas are discovered! Never hesitate to share an idea with Larry so we can all see it on this page.

FORM
  • Potato Chip Run: This is a great way to highlight hand form while running. Bring something for the kids to hold in their hands while running - but make it something that can't be squished! (Pringles, grapes, even a dried leaf!) Runners will hold their hands loose and open in order to prevent the item from squishing in their hands! 
  • Exaggerated Form: Sometimes it's easier for kids to see what doesn't work for running form before they can see what does! For example, have kids run lightly in place. Point out that they are probably running on the balls of their feet. Then have them run in place but on their heels! The difference will be clear. Other examples: arms flailing side to side, head down, slumped shoulders.

AGILITY AND STRENGTH
  • Obstacle Course: This is a great way to have fun while strengthening more than just legs! Use the playground or set up an obstacle course that requires use of the whole body. Equipment like jump ropes can be used if a playground isn't available. 
  • Chalk Squares/Agility Ladder: Make squares using chalk (if available) or ropes (if on grass). Have runners do different activities in and out of the squares. For example, have one square be the hopping on one foot square, 
  • Partner/Strength Chase: Partner up the runners, then arrange them in a large square. The partners will be switching off during this drill: while one partner runs two laps around the perimeter of the square, the other partner will be doing a strength exercise, such as plank, push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, squats, etc.
  • Negative Splits/Pacing: Runners will start out with a slow lap around the track. Next lap will be slightly faster, then faster on the third lap. See how long they can keep up the "negative split" on the track. Great way to explain pacing and "not going all out in the first 5 minutes"!

GAMES:
  • Trees and Wizards:  This game is similar to Sharks and Minnows. Runners start in a line at one end of the field with one "wizard" in the middle as the tagger. Each runner who is tagged becomes a "tree" and must stay put in the place she was tagged. She now is able to tag other runners, but is only able to move by shuffling side to side. The required movements of the trees can be different each time, for example, changing the side-shuffling to hopping on one foot or skipping in order to tag others.
  • Run Rabbit Run: A great game of never-ending chase! Two teams are made and runners start around a perimeter. One "rabbit" from each team takes off around the perimeter. All the other rabbits chase the first two rabbits as they all run around the same perimeter. Each time a rabbit from one team passes a rabbit from the other team, a point is won for the faster rabbit's team. 
  • Pirate Treasure: This game uses a small perimeter (like a hula hoop) to hold "treasure" (bean bags). Two teams race against each other to collect the most treasure at the feet of the coach. 
  • Dragon's Tail (Dragon Slayer): There are two ways to play this game! First way: each runner has a "tail" or handkerchief in his shorts. Runners begin running around, pulling tails. When a runner's tail is pulled, he must stop where he is and perform 10 jumping jacks (or other activity). He then may continue the game. Second way: There are two to four "slayers" who are responsible for pulling the tails of the runners. Whichever slayer ends up with the most tails wins!
  • Bean Bag Toss Tag: This will require everyone to have a partner and one bean bag to share with partner. They will stand 8 to 10 feet away from their partner. Let them know when you blow the whistle once, they need to start underhand tossing the bean bag back and forth. When they hear two whistles blown, they stop tossing. Whoever has the bean bag is the tagger and tries to go run and tag their partner only.  Once they tag their partner, they drop the bean bag on the floor by their partner, and now the partner is the tagger again. Keep going back and forth until they hear one whistle, and that's when they start tossing back and forth in place.  Can continue for many rounds.
  • Sharks and Minnows: Pick one kid to stand on the opposite line (they will be the shark. On you word, the minnows will try to run to the other line and avoid being tagged by the shark. The shark tries to tag as many minnows as they can. If a minnow is tagged, they turn into a shark for the next round.
  • Up/Down Tag: This is a great game involving lots of running! In this game, everyone is it. Runners are trying to tag anyone in the group.  If someone gets tagged, they have to take a knee on the ground. They are only free when the person who tagged them gets tagged and goes down on their knee. So when someone gets tagged, remind them to watch who tagged them so they know when they are freed! This is a great game to call lots of jail breaks so kids keep running and running! If there ever is a tie with tagging, then rock, paper, scissors will be used to break the tie.

Lesson Plans By Week

1st_week_running_plans_-_agenda__1_.pdf
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2nd_week_running_plans_-_agenda.pdf
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3rd_week_running_plans_-_agenda.pdf
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4th_week_running_plans_-_agenda.pdf
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v-day_scavenger_hunt.doc.pdf
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5th_week_running_plans_-_agenda.pdf
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6th_week_running_plans_-_agenda.pdf
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7th_week_running_plans_-_agenda__2_.pdf
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8th_week_running_plans_-_agenda__1_.pdf
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9th_week_running_plans_-_agenda__1_.pdf
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10th_week_running_plans_-_agenda__1_.pdf
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11th_week_running_plans_-_agenda__1_.pdf
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12th_week_running_plans_-_agenda.pdf
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