Free drill library · Cross Country

At-home cross country drills for 11 to 13 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home cross country training for 11 to 13 year olds: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of cross country for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Hills & Terrain at home 13 minutes

  1. Short Hill Repeats · 4 min
    Lean from the ankles, quick arms.
  2. Downhill Control · 5 min
    Quick feet, soft knees.
  3. Hill Bounding Steps · 4 min
    Push off, drive the knee.

Session 2

Race Tactics at home 13 minutes

  1. Smooth Passing Practice · 4 min
    Go wide, go decisively.
  2. Course Walk Plan · 5 min
    Know the course, own your plan.
  3. Shortest Line Running · 4 min
    Straight between the bends.

Session 3

Hills: Hill Bounding Steps 14 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Hill Bounding Steps · 5 min
    Push off, drive the knee. Safety: Warm up first, use a smooth gentle hill, walk down, and stop if your knees or ankles hurt.
  3. Cross-Crawl Rhythm · 5 min
    Smooth rhythm, opposite sides.
  4. Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
    Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 cross country plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Short Hill Repeats

Ages 11 and up · 15 min

Run strong up a short hill and jog down slowly to build leg strength.

  1. Warm up with 5 minutes easy.
  2. Run up a 30 to 45 second hill at a strong effort.
  3. Walk or jog slowly down.
  4. Do 5 to 6 repeats.

Coach's cue: Lean from the ankles, quick arms.

Bring: moderate hill, adult

Safety: Pick a grassy or smooth hill with an adult nearby. Walk down the steep parts and stop if your knees hurt. If you fall and hit your head, stop and see a doctor before you run again.

Downhill Control

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Learn to run downhill relaxed with quick, short steps.

  1. Pick a gentle grassy slope.
  2. Jog down with short quick steps and arms out a little for balance.
  3. Keep your body tall, not leaning back.
  4. Do 6 trips, walking up.

Coach's cue: Quick feet, soft knees.

Bring: gentle grassy slope, adult

Safety: Pick a grassy or smooth hill with an adult nearby. Walk down the steep parts and stop if your knees hurt. If you fall and hit your head, stop and see a doctor before you run again.

Hill Bounding Steps

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Springy, long steps up a gentle hill to build push for climbing.

  1. Mark 15 yards up a gentle grassy slope.
  2. Bound up with long, springy steps and strong arms.
  3. Walk down slowly.
  4. Do 6 trips.

Coach's cue: Push off, drive the knee.

Bring: gentle grassy hill, adult

Safety: Warm up first, use a smooth gentle hill, walk down, and stop if your knees or ankles hurt.

Smooth Passing Practice

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Learn to pass on the outside with a short, decisive change of pace.

  1. Jog in a small group.
  2. On the call, move wide and pass with a quick 10-second push.
  3. Settle back to steady in front.
  4. Take turns; do 6 passes each.

Coach's cue: Go wide, go decisively.

Bring: partners, loop

Safety: Warm up first. Stop if a muscle feels tight or something hurts. Pain in one spot that gets worse each run, or a limp: stop and see a doctor.

Course Walk Plan

Ages 11 and up · 15 min

Walk or jog the course before a race and plan where to save and where to push.

  1. Walk the course with a coach or parent.
  2. Mark the turns, hills and narrow paths.
  3. Decide where you will stay calm and where you will push.
  4. Write your plan in three short lines.

Coach's cue: Know the course, own your plan.

Bring: race course or park map, adult

Safety: Run trails and parks with an adult, stay on marked paths, and watch for roots and rocks. If you fall and hit your head, stop and see a doctor before you run again.

Shortest Line Running

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Learn to run the shortest line from flag to flag on a winding course.

  1. Set a curvy course of cones.
  2. Walk it first and spot the straightest path between them.
  3. Jog it on that line.
  4. Do 5 loops.

Coach's cue: Straight between the bends.

Bring: cones, open field

Safety: Warm up first. Stop if a muscle feels tight or something hurts. Pain in one spot that gets worse each run, or a limp: stop and see a doctor.

Cross-Crawl Rhythm

Ages 9 to 14 · 6 min

Touch opposite hand to opposite knee and foot in a rhythm. Builds left-right coordination.

  1. March and touch your right hand to your left knee, then left hand to right knee.
  2. Next touch behind you: hand to opposite heel.
  3. Mix front and back in a 4-count rhythm.
  4. Do 4 sets of 20 touches.

Coach's cue: Smooth rhythm, opposite sides.

Bring: none

Safety for ages 11 to 13

  • Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
  • Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: cross country

  • Running shoes that fit, water, and a hat on sunny days.
  • At least one full rest day a week (two for younger runners), and a hard day is followed by an easy one.
  • Eat enough to train: a meal or snack before and after. Never any talk of weight.
  • Pain in one spot that gets worse each run, or a limp: stop and see a doctor.
  • Run with an adult on marked paths, and walk steep downhills.
For every sport and age (7)
  • Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
  • Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
  • Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
  • Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
  • Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
  • Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
  • Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 29 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Cross Country: governing bodies, safety and development (9)
Youth athletic development and safety (20)

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