Welcome & First Run

1 — Welcome & Introductions 8 min

Set the tone before anyone runs a step. This few minutes shapes how athletes feel about the whole season.

• Gather in a circle — athletes and coaches together. Keep parents nearby but separate for now; they’ll have their own time at the end.
• Coaches introduce themselves. Name, connection to the school, and one sentence on why you coach. Keep it short and genuine. Example: “I’m Coach Jake. I have a kid on this team, I love running, and I can’t wait to see what you all do this fall.”
• Athlete introductions — go around the circle: Name and one thing — “what was something fun you did this summer?” Nobody skips, nobody is put on the spot for more than that.
• Season overview in two sentences: “We practice Wednesdays and Fridays, 5 to 6. The season runs through October. Today we’re going to run together, do some drills, play a game, and have a great time.”
• The one team rule: “We don’t compete against each other in practice. We push each other. There’s a big difference.”

2 — Easy Warm-Up Jog 5 min

First group run of the season. Keep everyone together — no racing the warm-up.

• Coach leads at a comfortable conversational pace. Athletes follow as a group around the perimeter of the baseball field.
• This is Z1 effort — full sentences, no effort at all. If anyone is breathing hard, slow down.
• Use this jog to keep the intro energy going: “Hey, find someone you don’t know yet and introduce yourself while we jog.”
• Watch who is already comfortable and who is working. Note it mentally — this is your first read on tiers before anything formal.

3 — Dynamic Warm-Up 8 min

Teach this routine today. We run the same sequence every practice so athletes can eventually lead it themselves.

• High Knees — 20m. Drive knees to hip height, stay on the balls of the feet. Cue: “Pump your arms like pistons.”
• Butt Kicks — 20m. Heels snap toward the glutes, lean slightly forward. Cue: “Kick up, not back.”
• Frankensteins — 20m. Walking, kick one straight leg up toward the opposite hand. Alternate legs. Cue: “Tall posture, leg goes to the hand — not hand to the leg.”
• A-Skips — 20m. Skip with an exaggerated knee drive each step. Rhythm over speed. Cue: “Up, up, up — don’t rush it.”
• Carioca (Karaoke) — 20m each direction. Lateral shuffle with crossover step. Stay low and loose. Cue: “Hips open, quick feet.”
• Leg Swings (front/back) — 10 reps each leg. Hold a fence or wall. Swing freely from the hip.
• Leg Swings (side to side) — 10 reps each leg. Same wall. Open and close across the body.
• 2× Strides — 60m each. Easy build from jog to about 80%, then relax. Walk back between. Cue: “Smooth, not fast. Long stride, relaxed shoulders.”

4 — Baseline: 10-Minute Lap Run 15 min

A timed lap count gives each athlete a concrete number to beat later in the season. Frame it as a starting point, not a test — no one is being judged today.

• Course: Athletes run laps around the baseball field. One loop = 300 yards. Mark a clear start/finish point (home plate or a cone at the entry gate works well) so lap counts are consistent.
• What to say before starting: “We’re going to run for exactly 10 minutes. Your goal is to count your laps — we’ll write them down and compare at the end of the season. Run at a pace where you could hold a conversation. If you’re gasping, you’re going too fast. If you need to walk, walk — just keep moving. No racing anyone else. Ready? Go.”
• One coach starts the timer and counts from a fixed point. A second coach or parent volunteer tallies laps for each athlete with a clipboard as they pass.
• At 10 minutes, call time. Record each athlete’s lap count immediately — athletes will forget quickly once the game starts.
• Easy 3-minute walk together after — active recovery before Band-Aid Tag.

• What to watch for:
  • Athletes who go out hard and fade sharply — note for pacing conversations next practice
  • Athletes who run comfortably and evenly — likely Tier 2 or 3
  • Athletes who need to walk more than run before 5 minutes — Tier 1; plan walk/run intervals

5 — Game: Band-Aid Tag 10 min

End on a high. This game keeps everyone moving, generates a lot of laughing, and sets the expectation that practice is fun.

• Mark a boundary on the field. Pick 2 initial taggers.
• Rules: When tagged, cover that spot with one hand and keep running. Tagged twice → go to the “hospital” (a cone at the edge), do 10 jumping jacks, then re-enter. Last person untagged wins.
• Coach stays on the outside of the boundary, calls out anyone who stops moving, and keeps energy up.
• Run 2 rounds if energy holds. Reset taggers each time.
• Cue for energy: “You have to keep moving — if I see you standing still, you’re automatically going to the hospital!”

6 — Cool Down & Stretch 5 min

Teach this today — same sequence every practice. While athletes stretch, signal parents to start gathering nearby for the end-of-practice meeting.

• Easy walk — one slow lap around the field as a group. Shake out the legs, bring the heart rate down.
• Standing quad stretch — 20 sec each leg. Pull heel to glute, stand tall.
• Hamstring stretch — 20 sec each leg. Step forward, hinge at the hips, flat back. Cue: “Hinge, don’t round your back.”
• Hip flexor lunge — 20 sec each side. Low lunge, back knee down, drive hips forward.
• Calf stretch — 20 sec each leg. Hands on fence or wall, back leg straight, heel flat.
• Team huddle: One thing done well today. One thing to work on next time. End with a team cheer — let the athletes pick one to use all season.