• Place four small hurdles three yards apart
• Place a stick or cone two yards to the right between hurdles one and two, another stick two yards to the left between hurdles two and three, and a third stick two yards to the right between hurdles three and four
• Perform a double-leg hop over first hurdle
• Sprint to first stick or cone
• Sprint to second hurdle
• Perform double-leg hop over second hurdle
• Sprint to second stick or cone
• Repeat sequence for length of hurdles

REPS: 8
REST: 1 minute
Coaching Point: Because the drill taxes the central nervous system, use low reps and take sufficient recovery time to preserve the quality of speed in the drill. Begin with four hurdles and eventually work up to eight.

VARIATIONS:

• Shuffle to stick instead of sprinting for a couple of reps as a warm-up
• Run around the outside of each stick instead of simply running to the stick
• Dribble a soccer ball around the outside of the stick

BENEFIT: "It's great, because in soccer you are always forced to adjust the path of your run to get to the ball as it moves. The proprioception part of this is pretty big. You don't want to get carried away with momentum or else you will get nowhere."

Coaching Point: Proprioception refers to the system of pressure sensors in your joints, muscles and tendons used to maintain balance. Training this system helps you process information and transfer it into action more quickly. With this in mind, focus on control and balance as you go in and out of movements and direction changes.