At-home water polo drills for 11 to 13 year olds: center

This is a free sample week of at-home water polo training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a center: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 12 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 water polo for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Hold your spot 12 minutes

Eggbeater with hands up · 4 min
Only with a lifeguard or coach watching
Turn to face a passer · 4 min
Rotate with the legs, stay high
Backhand flicks at a target · 4 min
Quick wrist, stay balanced

Session 2

Center: Star Reach Balance 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Star Reach Balance · 5 min
Hips level, knee over toes. Safety: Practice on soft ground or near a wall with clear space around you, so a wobble is no problem.
Pick-a-Landmark Speed Play · 5 min
Pick a tree, go, then recover. Safety: Bring water, go at a pace where you can still talk, and stop if you feel dizzy, sick or have chest pain.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Center: Broad Jump and Hold 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Broad Jump and Hold · 5 min
Swing, jump, stick. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
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.
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 water polo 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

Star Reach Balance

Ages 9 to 14 · 8 min

Stand on one leg and reach the other foot out to the front, side and back, like the points of a star.

Stand on one leg in the middle of three taped lines.
Reach the other foot along each line as far as you can and tap lightly.
Return to the middle without touching down between reaches.
Do 3 rounds on each leg.

Coach's cue: Hips level, knee over toes.

Bring: tape or chalk

Safety: Practice on soft ground or near a wall with clear space around you, so a wobble is no problem.

Pick-a-Landmark Speed Play

Ages 10 to 14 · 15 min

Mix easy jogging with short faster bits whenever you choose, like to the next tree. Fitness through play.

Jog easily for 3 minutes.
Pick a landmark and run a bit faster to it.
Jog easily until you feel ready again.
Repeat for 12 to 15 minutes.

Coach's cue: Pick a tree, go, then recover.

Bring: park or field

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

Broad Jump and Hold

Ages 10 to 14 · 10 min

Jump forward as far as you can with control and hold the landing. Distance only counts if you stick it.

Stand with toes at a line.
Swing your arms back, then forward as you jump out.
Land on both feet and hold for 2 seconds without stepping.
Do 3 sets of 3 with full rest; note your best stuck jump.

Coach's cue: Swing, jump, stick.

Bring: soft ground, tape measure (optional)

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

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.

Set a loop of cones about 40 yards around.
Run the loop at a strong, steady pace for 30 seconds.
Walk for 30 seconds.
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: water polo

A polo cap with ear guards for every shooting, goalie or contact drill.
A ball your size (size 1 for the youngest).
A lifeguard or water-safety certified coach watches every session.
Deep-water play only after you can tread for 30 seconds; until then, play where you can stand.
Contact: hands on the body only, never on the head or neck, and never push anyone under.
Shoot at the goal corners, never at a person. Goalies start with soft balls.

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.

Water Polo: governing bodies, safety and development (9)

Youth athletic development and safety (20)