The weather is too bad to go outside. We work hard most days, but I want today to be fun. Any ideas of games or “fun” workouts to do in the school. It would include the entire team (about 40 highschool kids).
The weather is too bad to go outside. We work hard most days, but I want today to be fun. Any ideas of games or “fun” workouts to do in the school. It would include the entire team (about 40 highschool kids).
Set up 4 bases using huge mats, and make them pretty far around. The game is called Mat ball. The rules are the same as kickball except runners can stay on their bases and they have to go around twice. If they are on third and want to continue running they have to get all the way to first, no one can stop on home plate again. More people than one can be on a base at a time. This makes it fun for the team in the field since they have more than one person running at a time and they have more opportunities to throw the ball and try to get people out. It's a fun game and the kids are getting a lot of running in still.
I was faced with a similar situation this week. I split up the team into teams of 9 and had them run a relay race. Everyone team member did each leg before the team coul;d move on to the next one. They went out 25 yards and then came back.
1. Lunges out, bear-crawl back.
2. Wheelbarrow, switch at the turn-around point.
3. Crabwalk.
4. Sidestep and medicine ball toss with partner.
5. Bunny hops.
6. Stride out, running backwards on return.
We have been working out decently for a month prior to this. The kids were dead halfway through the second relay. Good luck!
Thanks for the ideas. Mat Ball would be nice, but B-ball has our only gym. The relay idea is a possibility.
Get on google and research cooperatives and team building activities. Many of them are fun and relatively simple from an equipment and facility standpoint.
Even doing something as simple as passing hula hoops around a circle in opposite directions can not only be fun, but can help forge stronger bonds amongst team members of different event groups.
Good on you for thinking outside the box!
New indoor HS Coach wrote:
The weather is too bad to go outside.
Wow, how bad is the weather where you are? I coach in the Northeast and we still send our middle distance runners outside on most days.
Tell the kids they're doing 8x400 w/ 200m rest. After they've done eight, and they think they're done, tell them that you said twelve, but that they can get away with ten if the last two are fast. We had ever so much fun in HS when our coach did that.
HA ha, that sounds like my friend's HS coach who when they did 200's made them go straight across the field to the start of the first 200 straight instead of letting them jog a full 200 rest.
Coach in Western NY. We have a nice blanket of snow outside. Kids aren’t allowed to run on the roads and the track and fields are covered with a wet heavy snow/slush.
similar to this, you can do simple distance relays, where each team of 2-? kids tries to reach 5-8 miles first (while taking turns of 200-800m, then "tagging" the next runner). Obviously form teams so fastest is w/ slowest on one team, etc., so the teams are similar in overall ability. I always thought this was a blast!
Coach K wrote:
Wow, how bad is the weather where you are? I coach in the Northeast and we still send our middle distance runners outside on most days.
What is with you and people with this narrow mindset?? Do you not know about places other than that utopia right outside your window and listen to the news?
I live in the Northeast also and may be running outside these days but that doesn't mean I would question someone from another part of the country. I don't live there and can't look out their window to tell if the conditions are bad. I'll take their word for it.
For example, wasn't the midwest recently gripped with an ice storm? Would it be wise to send your runners out to run on ice and risk a fall and injury?
bump...i need some ideas for a fun day
do an elimination type thing...
10 kids at a time
2000m race/tempo/whatever you wanna call it
Every lap they go around, the kid in last is eliminated
Left with one person at the end of the 2000m
Turns into mad dashes for the line every lap
Very fun
They'll love it
Make a reward or something for the winners or top 3 if they are non-motivated
Try a continuous relay. Kids love to run with batons. You could do freshman-seniors vs. juniors-sophomores. Or even a 20-30 minute continuous relay. Depending on number of athletes, hand out 3-6 batons. It doesn't matter who hands off to who, as long as everyone participates.
20 X 400m
1 minute rest
fun
Crazy hat day!
Make up a game that involves throwing a ball around, it can be a tennis ball or something. Or it doesn't have to be a game, just have them throw one or two around while they're running, it can take their mind off of other things.
Divide all track and field athletes into 4 or 5 teams and run relays(include throwers, jumpers, EVERYBODY). When choosing teams, use the politically incorrect schoolyard method of having 4 captains picking the teams. Yes, some poor soul will be chosen last, but it is entertaining hearing the hoots, hollers and comments. Typically, the weightmen will be picked last, but they don't really care since they can beat the crap out of everybody else. It will do the runner's egos some good to be picked early.
For the actual relays, do a variety of races, such as:
1 lap per person
2 laps per person
1 lap, 2 laps, 1 lap, 2 laps, etc
1 lap, 2 laps, 3, 4 etc, depending on how many guys per team....let the team use strategy for who runs what leg, and they can do it in any order.
Use your imagination for other races.
Give a prize to the team that does the best overall.
This will end up being a pretty good workout, plus it will build team unity. You will have weightmen, sprinters and 2 milers on the same team cheering for each other. Normally they have nothing to do with each other.
Our team did this a few times in college, and it was a riot.
There is no such thing as bad weather, Just soft poeple
Go into the gym during b-ball practice. Have your runners run 40 minutes around the court without stepping on or into the line if they do make them do 50 pushups each time. Make them wear their singlet. Every 3-5 minutes have the basketball coach yell "run forrest run".