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Knee-Smart Warm-Up

An injury-prevention warm-up that trains knee control and landing. Done before every session, programs like this cut injuries.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026

Set up

Jog, shuffle and backpedal between cones for 3 minutes.

Core: Full.

Ages
10 to 14
Time
12 min
Players
Just you
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Cones
Level · skill
Developing · Running Form

The steps

How it works

  1. Jog, shuffle and backpedal between cones for 3 minutes.
  2. Lunge walks and leg swings for 2 minutes.
  3. Squats and a side plank: 1 set each.
  4. Two-foot hops and hop-and-holds with stuck landings, then controlled cuts.

Coaching point

Knees over toes, every time.

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Warm-up leader: take turns calling the next move while everybody copies.

Challenge

Pick a level: Less (short), Core (full), More (add a balance).

Story

You are a superhero putting on knee armor.

My best

Beat your own count

Beat your own best. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

Print it now, or save it free

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