Certain exercises can be used to develop speed, quickness and agility in all sports. Agility exercises incorporate a significant amount of lateral movement. Team sports like football, basketball, soccer and ice hockey require a great deal of agility. Do agility drills before the start of a workout. These exercises require concentration, effort and some hand-eye coordination.
Agility T-Drill
Sit in the middle of the field with your legs crossed. On the coach's whistle, get up and sprint 5 yards straight ahead to a cone. When you get to the cone, a teammate will throw a ball to you that you must catch on the move. After catching it, run backwards to the starting position and drop the ball. Then run five yards to the right past a cone, catch another ball and backpedal to the starting position. Then go to the rear of your starting position and return after catching a ball, and then go to your left before catching a ball and returning. This will improve your agility and hand-eye coordination.
Lateral Sprint Drill
Start off at the goal line. Stand at the hashmark. Sprint 10 yards, then go 10 yards to the right, sprint 10 yards straight and then 10 yards to the right. Keep doing this drill until you have run five straight sprints and five lateral sprints. Take a 30-second break and repeat the drill.
Tire Drill
This is one of the oldest football drills and it translates to all sports. Line up 10 tires in a 2-by-5 configuration. Sprint through the tires by putting your feet in the holes in the center of the tires. Try not to hit, kick or trip over the inner edges of the tires. When finished, go back to the starting point and run three more routes through the tires. Take a 1-minute break and then repeat the set.
