Free drill library · Field Hockey

At-home field hockey drills for 11 to 13 year olds

This is a free sample week of at-home field hockey 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 field hockey for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Dribbling at home 13 minutes

  1. Indian Dribble Through Cones · 4 min
    Ball wide, feet quick.
  2. Pull Left and Go · 5 min
    Pull late, go fast.
  3. Figure Eight Dribble · 4 min
    Reverse stick on the left.

Session 2

Tackling at home 13 minutes

  1. Channel the Dribbler · 4 min
    Show them the sideline.
  2. Block Tackle at Walking Pace · 5 min
    Wait, then block.
  3. Reverse Side Block Tackle · 4 min
    Low and early.

Session 3

Dribbling: Side Plank Build 14 minutes

  1. Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
    Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
  2. Side Plank Build · 5 min
    Straight line, breathe. Safety: Keep breathing and stop when your hips sag or your back aches.
  3. Cone Circuit Intervals · 5 min
    Steady effort, easy walk. Safety: Bring water, go at a pace where you can still talk, and stop if you feel dizzy, sick or have chest pain.
  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 field hockey 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

Indian Dribble Through Cones

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Weave through a line of cones using the side-to-side dribble while moving forward.

  1. Set 6 cones a yard and a half apart.
  2. Indian dribble through the gaps without touching a cone.
  3. Time each run.
  4. Do 8 runs and try to beat your own best time.

Coach's cue: Ball wide, feet quick.

Bring: stick, ball, 6 cones, timer

Safety: Keep your stick low and check that the space around you is clear before you swing.

Pull Left and Go

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Beat a defender by pulling the ball across to your left and accelerating away.

  1. Dribble at a cone as if it is a defender.
  2. Two yards away, pull the ball to the left with the stick turned over.
  3. Push it forward and speed up past the cone.
  4. Do 15, then try pulling right.

Coach's cue: Pull late, go fast.

Bring: stick, ball, cone

Safety: Keep your stick low and check that the space around you is clear before you swing.

Figure Eight Dribble

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Dribble a figure eight around two cones, using both the open and reverse sides.

  1. Set two cones 4 yards apart.
  2. Dribble a figure eight around them.
  3. Use the reverse side on the left-hand turns.
  4. Time 5 laps and try to beat your own best.

Coach's cue: Reverse stick on the left.

Bring: stick, ball, 2 cones, timer

Safety: Keep your stick low and check that the space around you is clear before you swing.

Channel the Dribbler

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Move sideways to steer a dribbler toward the sideline without tackling yet.

  1. Mark a 10 yard wide channel.
  2. Your partner dribbles at walking pace.
  3. Stay on the balls of your feet and push them toward one side.
  4. Do 10 turns each, then switch.

Coach's cue: Show them the sideline.

Bring: stick, ball, cones, partner

Safety: Wear your mouthguard and shin guards. Wear protective eyewear (ASTM F2713) where your league requires it. Play the ball, never the stick or the body, and go at walking pace first.

Block Tackle at Walking Pace

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Block a ball dribbled slowly by a partner, stopping it on your flat stick.

  1. Your partner dribbles at a walk.
  2. Get low and set your stick flat in the ball's path.
  3. Let the ball come into your stick; do not swing.
  4. Count clean blocks out of 15.

Coach's cue: Wait, then block.

Bring: stick, ball, partner, mouthguard, shin guards

Safety: Wear your mouthguard and shin guards. Wear protective eyewear (ASTM F2713) where your league requires it. Play the ball, never the stick or the body, and go at walking pace first.

Reverse Side Block Tackle

Ages 11 and up · 12 min

Block on your left side with the stick turned over, at walking pace.

  1. Your partner dribbles slowly past your left side.
  2. Turn your stick over and lay it flat on the ground.
  3. Stop the ball and bring it under control.
  4. Count clean blocks out of 15.

Coach's cue: Low and early.

Bring: stick, ball, partner, mouthguard, shin guards

Safety: Wear your mouthguard and shin guards. Wear protective eyewear (ASTM F2713) where your league requires it. Play the ball, never the stick or the body, and go at walking pace first.

Side Plank Build

Ages 10 to 14 · 6 min

Hold a side plank from the knees, then from the feet. Builds trunk control that keeps you steady.

  1. Lie on your side, elbow under your shoulder.
  2. Lift your hips so the body is in a straight line (start from the knees).
  3. Hold 15 to 20 seconds.
  4. Do 3 each side; move to the feet when it is easy.

Coach's cue: Straight line, breathe.

Bring: mat

Safety: Keep breathing and stop when your hips sag or your back aches.

Cone Circuit Intervals

Ages 10 to 14 · 15 min

Run around a cone circuit for 30 seconds, then walk for 30. Builds fitness in short, manageable bursts.

  1. Set a loop of cones about 40 yards around.
  2. Run the loop at a strong, steady pace for 30 seconds.
  3. Walk for 30 seconds.
  4. Do 2 blocks of 6 rounds with 2 minutes rest between.

Coach's cue: Steady effort, easy walk.

Bring: cones

Safety: Bring water, go at a pace where you can still talk, and stop if you feel dizzy, sick or have chest pain.

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: field hockey

  • Protective eyewear (goggles) where your league requires it, a mouthguard and shin guards.
  • Goalkeepers: full kit with a helmet and cage.
  • Keep the stick below your waist when young (shoulder height at most) and the ball on the ground.
  • Play the ball, never the stick or the body.
  • Strong hits and flicks only with nobody downfield or behind the goal.
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 28 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.

Field Hockey: governing bodies, safety and development (8)
Youth athletic development and safety (20)

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