Animal Locomotion Warm-Up
Athleticism
Legend
- player
- cones
- movement path
How it works
Build fundamental movement patterns and body awareness through fun animal-themed locomotion exercises.
What you need
- cones
Your focus
Animal locomotion movements develop strength, coordination, and mobility in young athletes without formal strength training equipment. Varied movement patterns expose children to crawling, jumping, and balancing motions that form the foundation of athletic development. Making it playful increases engagement and consistency.
Mark a 20-yard lane with cones.
Bear crawl (hands and feet) to the first cone, 5 yards.
Bunny hop (two-foot jumps) to the second cone, 5 yards.
Crab walk (hands behind, belly up) back to start.
Goal
You've got it when you can do each animal movement all the way across the field without stopping or tipping over, a bear crawl is a bear crawl the whole way.
Helpful cues
- Keep your back flat in bear crawl
- Land softly like a feather on bunny hops
- Keep your hips up in the crab walk
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Shorten the lane to 10 yards total.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add a field hockey stick carried in one hand during the locomotion patterns.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.