Fun Football Exercises for Kids Under 10: Build Speed, Strength & Athleticism
- CFA Staff
- Mar 11
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 21
Why Kids Under 10 Should Sprint, Jump, and Move
If your child is under 10 and loves football, now is the perfect time to help them build speed, coordination, and strength—without making it feel like a chore. At this age, kids don’t need to lift weights or do structured workouts like older athletes. Instead, they should be running, jumping, and moving in ways that feel natural and fun.
In our last post on strength training for young athletes, we talked about how bodyweight exercises help kids build strength safely. Now, we’re going to focus on fun, football-friendly exercises that parents can coach at home to help young players develop speed, power, and agility. This routine is designed for kids under 10 and only takes 20-30 minutes, 2-3 days per week. It’s built around sprinting and jumping because those movements lay the foundation for long-term athleticism. Let’s get started!
Football Exercise Plan for Kids Under 10
This training plan focuses on body control, speed, and explosive movement while keeping it fun. It requires little to no equipment and can be done in a backyard, driveway, or park.
1. The Frog Squat (3 Sets of 10 Reps)
Why it’s important: Squats strengthen the legs and core, which helps kids run faster and jump higher.
How to make it fun:
Have your child squat down like a frog, touch the ground, then jump up.
See who can jump the highest or make the best frog sound while squatting!
Coaching tip:
Keep feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower hips down and back, keeping chest up.
Jump softly and land in the same spot.
2. High Knees (3 Sets of 10-15 Seconds)
Why it’s important: This drill trains foot speed, running form, and coordination.
How to make it fun:
Turn it into a race! Have them run in place or race you across the yard while pumping their knees up high.
Pretend they’re marching like a soldier to keep their knees up!
Coaching tip:
Knees should come up to waist level.
Encourage them to move their arms fast like they’re sprinting.
3. The Quick Feet Challenge (3 Rounds of 10 Seconds)
Why it’s important: This improves footwork and reaction time, both key for football.
How to make it fun:
Set up a 5-second countdown and challenge them to move their feet as fast as possible—like the ground is lava!
Have them compete against a sibling or parent to see who can move the fastest.
Coaching tip:
Feet should stay light on the ground—like tapping a hot surface.
Keep their knees slightly bent to stay in an athletic position.
4. 5-10-5 Shuttle Sprint (3-4 Reps)
Why it’s important: This develops agility and quick direction changes, which are essential in football.
How to make it fun:
Pretend they are chasing an opponent or dodging a defender.
Add a clap signal—when you clap, they must switch directions!
Coaching tip:
Set up three cones five yards apart in a straight line.
Start in the middle, sprint five yards, touch the ground, sprint 10 yards the other way, touch, then sprint back to the middle.
5. The Rocket Sprint (4-5 Sprints of 20 Yards)
Why it’s important: Sprinting is the most important skill for young athletes. The earlier kids start sprinting, the faster they’ll be as they grow.
How to make it fun:
Tell them to blast off like a rocket on your signal!
Have a race against a parent or sibling to keep it competitive.
Coaching tip:
Keep them leaning forward and pumping their arms.
Encourage fast, powerful strides.
6. Broad Jumps (3 Sets of 5 Jumps)
Why it’s important: Broad jumps help build explosiveness, which translates to sprinting, tackling, and quick movements.
How to make it fun:
Mark their jumping distance with chalk or a cone and see if they can beat it.
Challenge them to jump over an imaginary puddle or pretend they’re leaping like a superhero.
Coaching tip:
Have them swing their arms forward for power.
Focus on a soft, balanced landing.
7. Sky High Jumps (3 Sets of 5 Jumps)
Why it’s important: This builds vertical explosiveness, which is useful for catching, blocking, and jumping over obstacles.
How to make it fun:
Have them reach for an object (like a football) at the peak of their jump.
See if they can touch a spot on the wall or jump higher each time.
Coaching tip:
Encourage them to explode up as fast as possible.
Land softly and reset before the next jump.
8. Superhero Push-Ups (3 Sets of 10-12 Reps)
Why it’s important: Push-ups help develop upper body strength for blocking, tackling, and overall body control.
How to make it fun:
Pretend they are a superhero pushing the ground away!
Have them try “clap push-ups” as a fun challenge.
Coaching tip:
Keep their back straight and core engaged.
Slow and controlled movements are better than rushing.
Why Sprinting and Jumping Matter for Kids Under 10
At this age, kids don’t need weight training—they need to move in explosive, natural ways. Sprinting and jumping:
Help develop speed, coordination, and power early.
Train fast-twitch muscles, which are responsible for quick, powerful movements.
Lay the foundation for long-term athleticism.
Encouraging fun movement-based training at a young age will set kids up to run faster, jump higher, and move better as they grow.
Final Thoughts: Make Training Fun & Engaging
If your child wants to get better at football, the best thing they can do is sprint, jump, and move in fun, creative ways. These football exercises for kids under 10 are designed to help build foundational strength, speed, and agility. As a parent, you don’t have to be a coach—just keep it exciting and encourage effort. Contact us at the link below to schedule training!
About Us
Based in Haymarket, Virginia, Command Football Academy trains youth and high school athletes to become faster, more skilled, and smarter on the field. Through elite speed training, position-specific development, and game IQ coaching, we help players develop explosiveness, precision, and football intelligence—enabling them to outwork, outthink, and outperform the competition.
Contact Us: contact@commandfootballacademy.com
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