Fun Shuttle Relay
Develop running, stopping, and turning in a playful relay format.
- Duration
- 8 min
- Steps
- 4
- Equipment
- 1 item
- Difficulty
- Beginner
How to run it
- 1
Place 4 cones in a line 10 feet apart.
- 2
Sprint to the first cone, touch it, and backpedal to start.
- 3
Sprint to the second cone and back, then third, then fourth.
- 4
Rest 20 seconds, repeat 3 rounds.
Coaching points
- Stay low when changing direction.
- Touch the cone with the near hand — don't over-reach.
- Keep effort steady; it's about control, not just speed.
Equipment
- Cones (4)
Why it works
Relay framing turns conditioning into play, which keeps young kids moving at high effort. The nugget: basketball is a stop-and-go sport, not a jogging sport — the engine you need is the sprint-stop-sprint engine, not a distance-running engine. The shuttle builds exactly that: acceleration, deceleration, and change of direction. Kids who build this young don't tire in the fourth quarter, when games are won.
Fun Shuttle Relay
Purpose: Develop running, stopping, and turning in a playful relay format.
▶How to run it
- 1Place 4 cones in a line 10 feet apart.
- 2Sprint to the first cone, touch it, and backpedal to start.
- 3Sprint to the second cone and back, then third, then fourth.
- 4Rest 20 seconds, repeat 3 rounds.
✓Coaching points
- ✓Stay low when changing direction.
- ✓Touch the cone with the near hand — don't over-reach.
- ✓Keep effort steady; it's about control, not just speed.
▢Equipment
★Why it works
Relay framing turns conditioning into play, which keeps young kids moving at high effort. The nugget: basketball is a stop-and-go sport, not a jogging sport — the engine you need is the sprint-stop-sprint engine, not a distance-running engine. The shuttle builds exactly that: acceleration, deceleration, and change of direction. Kids who build this young don't tire in the fourth quarter, when games are won.