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  3. Finishing Kick

When to Kick

Practice choosing the right moment to start your finishing kick.

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

Set up

Mark three cones at 300, 200 and 100 yards from a finish.

Core: Medium. Aim for tall and relaxed.

Ages
14 and up
Time
15 min
Players
You and a partner
Space
Yard or field
Bring
Loop, partner, cones
Level · skill
Advanced · Finishing Kick

The steps

How it works

  1. Mark three cones at 300, 200 and 100 yards from a finish.
  2. Run steady with a partner toward the finish.
  3. Take turns choosing which cone to kick from.
  4. Talk about which one felt best; do 4 reps.

Coaching point

Pick your moment, commit.

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.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Strong-finish game: build smoothly through the last stretch while a partner cheers, then jog it out together. Swap.

Challenge

Pick a stretch: Less (short), Core (medium), More (a little longer). Aim for tall and relaxed.

Story

You are a train picking up steam toward the station.

My best

Beat your own count

Aim for tall and relaxed. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

Print it now, or save it free

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