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  3. Flexibility

Butterfly and Straddle Sit

Open your hips gently for straddle shapes and jumps.

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

Set up

Sit with the soles of your feet together and knees out.

Core: Mild tension. Never push into pain.

Ages
7 and up
Time
8 min
Players
Just you
Space
Small room
Bring
Mat
Level · skill
Beginner · Flexibility

The steps

How it works

  1. Sit with the soles of your feet together and knees out.
  2. Sit tall and breathe for 20 seconds.
  3. Open your legs wide into a straddle sit.
  4. Lean forward a little with a flat back for 20 seconds. Repeat 3 times.

Coaching point

Gentle and slow, no bouncing.

Safety: Stretch to a gentle pull, never pain. Nobody pushes you down; you go only as far as you can on your own.

Make it fun

Play it, don't drill it

Game version

Stretch and tell: hold each stretch while your partner reads a fun fact or tells a short story. Swap, and breathe slowly.

Challenge

Gentle levels: Less (reach a little), Core (mild tension), More (add a slow breath out). Never push into pain.

Story

You are a cat waking from a nap, stretching long and slow.

My best

Beat your own count

Never push into pain. Only your own number counts: today against last time.

Practice makes progress

Print it now, or save it free

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