In today’s blog, I would like to address some ways athletic skill proficiency can be performed in an at-home setting and with minimal to no equipment required.
First, sports specific proficiency training can be tricky without a coach, team, or equipment easily accessible. However, with any sport, coordinated movement patterns can help prepare for the return to play.
- If you have access to an external wall or large room in your house, you can perform wall ball activities, throwing or kicking a ball against a wall and reacting to catch or control that ball on the rebound. This is quite effective in sports such as soccer, lacrosse, tennis, or any sports that require ball control and return.
- In addition games kids have enjoyed for play can be used for eye-hand coordination and reactive movement. One example is playing “keep it up” with a balloon or light ball you might have at your home. Old school hacky sack is a great eye-foot coordinated movement.
- Balance is also a great skill that works on athletes’ reflexes and reactive forces. Standing on one leg while throwing and catching a ball or “keeping a balloon up” is a great way to work on body control and reflexive movement. Also, standing on a pillow or uneven surface can increase the challenge of the work. As a side note, make sure the athlete has a slight bend in their knee when working on standing balance for muscular recruitment and proprioceptive feedback versus “locking out the joint.”
Overall, sport skill training doesn’t necessarily have to involve all of the equipment needed to play that sport in a game setting. Using coordinated movement patterns and balance and reflexive reactive movement techniques can help an athlete be prepared for the return to their sport.
