Game version
Stretch and tell: hold each stretch while your partner reads a fun fact or tells a short story. Swap, and breathe slowly.
Split Prep Lunges
Work toward your splits safely with lunges and a supported half split.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Kneel in a low lunge and sink your hips forward for 20 seconds.
Core: Mild tension. Never push into pain.
- Ages
- 11 and up
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Gym or court
- Bring
- Mat, yoga blocks or pillows
- Level · skill
- Developing · Flexibility
The steps
How it works
- Kneel in a low lunge and sink your hips forward for 20 seconds.
- Shift back to a half split with your front leg straight.
- Slide toward a split with blocks under your hands holding you up.
- Stay at a gentle pull for 20 seconds. Do both legs.
Coaching point
Square hips, blocks take your weight.
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
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
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