AFC Ajax u8 agility & coordination | speed | decision making

AFC Ajax u8 agility & coordination | speed | decision making | fun (full explanation below)

Yes, under-8’s doing it here but this can really be done with any age group. Players of all ages like this one. In fact, the older the players are, the quicker/faster they are, the more intense the game is. Try it in your next session.

All the players are split into pairs. One pair remains standing while the other pairs lie down on the ground next to their partner. The pairs on the ground should be spread out from one another. Of the players standing, one will be ‘it’ and the other will be the player to be tagged (the runner). Once the trainer says ‘go!’ the game begins and the player who is ‘it’ attempts to tag the runner. The runner attempts to avoid being tagged and will be ‘safe’ if he can quickly lie down along one of the pairs of players on the ground. If this happens before the runner gets tagged then the player laying down on the opposite side is the new ‘runner’ and must quickly get up and run to avoid being tagged. The game continues.

Adding team tag to sessions is perfect as it removes the skill demands of the game and gets to the heart of learning how to move quickly and properly. Simplicity is a vital reason why tag, and tag-style games, can play a role in long-term athletic development. They need exposure to a diverse array of movements and learn how to master their body in space. They need to learn how it feels to run fast and dynamically change directions.

A game of tag organically incorporates all of these things. Free from the complexity of more convoluted drills, the participants are concerned with just one simple objective. You want a player to feel what helps them run fast? Have someone chase them, or have them pursue someone fleeing away from them. You want them to learn how to change directions and improve their improvisational and reactive agility? Put them in threat of being tagged, or wait until they’re nearly in reach of tagging someone. And the competitive nature of the game ensures these skills are being developed at the type of speed and intensity they’ll encounter in the game.

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