Game version
Stretch partners: take turns picking the next stretch, and count the holds out loud together, slowly.
Water Polo Cool-Down Stretches, Ages 7 to 10
A 5-minute cool-down for water polo players aged 7 to 10 after training: an easy walk, then gentle stretches for the legs, hips and arms, each held for a slow count of 10.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
- Ages
- 7 to 10
- Time
- 5 min
- When
- After training
- Hold
- slow count of 10
After training
- 01Walk easy for
- 02Front of the thigh
- 03Back of the leg
- 04Calf
- 05Inner thigh
- 06Back of the arm
- 07Child’s pose
Core: All 5 minutes. Stretch only to a gentle pull, your own way.
The steps
How it goes
- Walk easy for 1 minute and let your breathing slow down.
- Front of the thigh: hold a fence, wall or partner and bring one heel toward your bottom, knees side by side. Hold for a slow count of 10, each side.
- Back of the leg: sit with one leg straight and the other bent, and reach toward the straight leg’s ankle until you feel a gentle pull. Hold for a slow count of 10, each side.
- Calf: hands on a wall, one foot back with the heel down and the back knee straight. Hold for a slow count of 10, each side.
- Inner thigh: sit with the soles of your feet together and let your knees drop gently. Hold for a slow count of 10.
- Back of the arm: reach one hand down between your shoulder blades and rest the other hand gently on that elbow. Hold for a slow count of 10, each side.
- Child’s pose: kneel, sit back toward your heels and reach your arms forward. Three slow breaths.
Coaching points
- Stretch to a gentle pull, never pain.
- No bouncing: settle in and stay still.
- Breathe out slowly as you settle into each stretch.
Safety: Stretch only to a gentle pull and stop if anything hurts. An injured muscle or joint is not stretched until a doctor or athletic trainer says it is OK. Do this on land, out of the water.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Story
Melting snowman: each stretch melts one part of you a little more, until you are a calm puddle on the floor.
Practice makes progress
Finish every session this way
In SSTracker every planned session starts with the warm-up for the child's age and ends with the cool-down, so the habit is built in.
Free for families and teams
Save the week with this routine built in, free
Sign up and the free water polo week opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.