AGILITY TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGN

When it is time to do agility exercises in training, the drills you choose will depend on the age and
experience of players, as well as the phase of the season.

Younger and less experienced players, who may have a low level of agility development, should focus on
establishing sound mechanics and technique. The majority of the drills done by these players should be of
the basic level (see above), in which the player knows exactly what movement patterns they need to
perform. The players should start the exercise at a speed that allows them to do the patterns properly.
Once they have mastered the movement, they should then attempt to do it as quickly as possible. The ball-
work component of these drills should be relatively simple (receive and pass for example) as the main
focus of the exercise is agility.

For more experienced players, the drill you choose will depend largely on the phase of the season you are
in. As you progress from the off-season to the pre-competition phase, you want to progress from drills
with simple to complex patterns, as well as exercises that emphasize reaction. Remember, most game
situations involving agility are reactive in nature. During the competitive phase, you can alternate among
drills of various levels of difficulty, but the majority should fall in the advanced category.

Regardless of the session, 2 to 3 exercises, with 8 to 10 repetitions per exercise, should be sufficient.
Because agility exercises place a high demand on the neuromuscular system and require coordinated
efforts, they should be placed early in the training session. However, as your players master the various
agility skills, you may start performing exercises when players are more tired, as they are likely to
perform these same movements in the game under a fatigued state. Agility exercises also need shorter
work, but longer rest periods. As such, assign a work-to-rest ratio of about 1:5 or 1:6.

Table 5.2 summarizes the general guidelines to be used when designing your agility training program and
practice.