4.3. Fundamental Movement Skills & Advanced Progressions

• A-Skip Drill: Emphasise knee drive, dorsiflexion, rhythmic foot strike.
• Accelerations: 5–15 m builds—focus on successive 10% increases in speed; record via timing gates if available.

This section describes two important running drills. The A-Skip Drill focuses on three key elements: driving the knees high, keeping the toes pulled up (dorsiflexion), and maintaining a rhythmic foot strike as you run. It helps improve running technique and efficiency. The Accelerations drill involves gradually building speed over a distance of 5-15 meters, where athletes should aim to increase their speed by about 10% with each repetition. This can be tracked with timing gates for precision.

Think of the A-Skip Drill like a dancer practicing their steps to ensure they move gracefully and confidently. Just like a dancer emphasizes their movements, the A-Skip Drill helps an athlete perfect their running form. In the Accelerations drill, imagine a car speeding up from a stop; just as a driver gradually presses the accelerator to increase speed smoothly and safely, athletes use this drill to build up their pace progressively.

• Depth Jump Protocol: Drop from 30–60 cm, amortisation <0.2 s, explosive rebound reach.
• Reactive Strength Index: Jump height (m) ÷ ground contact time (s).

This section outlines jumping and plyometric exercises that enhance explosive power. The Depth Jump Protocol involves jumping from a height of 30 to 60 centimeters, where the aim is to land and rebound quickly, minimizing the time on the ground (less than 0.2 seconds). This rapid transition builds muscle strength and power. The Reactive Strength Index (RSI) is a measure used to evaluate this power, calculated by dividing the jump height by the time spent in contact with the ground.

Imagine you’re a basketball player preparing to jump for a rebound. The Depth Jump is like practicing how quickly you can spring back up after landing to grab that ball. Just like a coiled spring that releases energy quickly to bounce, the athlete trains their muscles for explosive movements. The Reactive Strength Index is similar to measuring how high a frog can jump compared to how quickly it can hop back to the ground – the faster it reacts, the higher it can leap!

• Medicine Ball Sequence:
  1. Overhead slam × 10
  2. Rotational chest pass × 8 each side
  3. Reverse overhead throws × 6

This section introduces a series of exercises using a medicine ball to enhance throwing techniques. The sequence begins with the Overhead Slam, where the athlete lifts a medicine ball overhead and slams it down, enhancing upper body strength. The Rotational Chest Pass involves throwing the medicine ball to the side while rotating the torso, improving rotational power. Lastly, Reverse Overhead Throws focus on throwing the ball backward in an overhead motion, working on shoulder strength and stability.

Think of these throwing patterns like a painter mixing colors. Just as a painter needs to use different techniques to create the right colors and textures, athletes use varied throwing exercises to develop strength in different muscle groups. The Overhead Slam can be imagined as sending a powerful wave crashing down, while the Rotational Chest Pass is like a baseball pitcher throwing a stunning curveball – using body rotation for that extra kick!

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