Agility Drills
These sport specific exercises from WakeMed’s Rehab physical therapists train the knee and ankle joints to deal with situations encountered in a game. They improve jumping and landing techniques while building muscle strength and awareness of proper form. Be sure to maintain good posture when performing each agility drill.
Forward/Backward Shuttle Run
Set up two lines of cones, spacing them 10 yards apart so you can run diagonally from one line to the other. Run forward from the first cone to the second and then turn backward and run to the third. Run through the course three times.
Bounding Run
For 30 seconds, run from one sideline to the other, bringing your knees up high toward your chest. Keep your knees slightly flexed and land on the balls of your feet.
Ankle Bounces
Bend your knees slightly. Jump to low bounces, using only your ankles to propel you vertically. Land on both feet evenly.
Tuck Jump
Hold the soccer ball in front of you, with arms extended at shoulder height. Jump high. At the peak of your jump, bend your knees toward your chest, tucking your knees near your armpits.
Side-to-Side Jump
With the soccer ball on the ground, jump from side-to-side over the ball with your feet parallel to each other. Land on both feet at the same time.
Single Leg – Side Jump
With the soccer ball on the ground, stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent. Jump side to side over the ball landing on only one foot.
Single Leg – Forward & Backward
With the soccer ball on the ground, stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent. Jump forward and backward over the ball landing on only one foot.
Single Leg – Distance Jump
Stand on one leg with the knee slightly bent. Propel yourself forward by bending to a modified squat position. Jump forward as far as possible, landing on only one foot in a deep-knee flexed position.
