5 Exercises to Improve Running Speed for Youth Athletes
Speed can look like a gift, but it is also a skill. Young athletes get faster when they learn how to push the ground, hold good posture, move with rhythm, and recover well enough to repeat quality efforts.
For youth athletes, the goal is not to grind through long, exhausting workouts. The goal is to practice fast movement with clean technique. A few well-chosen drills done with focus can make a bigger difference than a long session full of tired reps.
The five exercises below help build the key pieces of sprinting: acceleration, coordination, elastic bounce, single-leg strength, and power.
This article is for general training information. Youth athletes should train with age-appropriate loads, good supervision, and medical guidance when needed.
Speed training should stay simple and sharp
Running faster depends on several traits working together:
Posture The body should stay tall through the hips, ribs, and head.
Arm action The arms help set rhythm and balance. They should move forward and back, not across the body.
Force into the ground Faster athletes push hard against the ground in the right direction.
Quick ground contact During top speed, the foot should hit and leave the ground quickly.
Relaxation Tight shoulders, clenched fists, and strained faces waste energy.
For young athletes, quality matters more than fatigue. Once technique breaks down, the drill stops helping. Keep reps short, rest enough between them, and treat each sprint like a skill rep.
A good speed session usually fits before conditioning or heavy sport practice, not after. Fresh legs learn faster.
The five exercises build different parts of speed
These are not random drills. Each one targets a major part of running speed.
Exercise | Main benefit | Best use |
Wall drive drill | Acceleration posture and knee drive | Warm-up or technique block |
A-skips | Rhythm, coordination, and sprint mechanics | Warm-up or movement prep |
Pogo jumps | Ankle stiffness and quick ground contact | Before sprinting or jumping |
Reverse lunge to knee drive | Single-leg strength and hip drive | Strength or field session |
Short hill sprints | Safe acceleration power | Main speed work |
The order also matters. Start with technique, add bounce and strength, then finish with short sprints while the athlete is still fresh.
1. Wall drive drill
The wall drive drill teaches the body position athletes need during acceleration. It looks simple, but it gives instant feedback. If the athlete bends at the waist, drops the hips, or reaches with the foot, the drill feels awkward right away.
To set up, stand facing a wall, fence, or sturdy pad. Place both hands on it at shoulder height. Walk the feet back until the body forms a straight line from head to heel. The athlete should lean from the ankles, not fold at the hips.
From there, lift one knee toward the chest while keeping the other foot planted under the hip. The planted leg should feel strong and straight, with the heel slightly off the ground.
How to do it
Start in a strong forward lean.
Keep the head, shoulders, hips, and back heel in one line.
Drive one knee up.
Switch legs with control.
Progress to faster switches once the position looks clean.
Sets and reps
Use 2 to 4 sets of 5 to 8 switches per leg.
Rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets, or longer if the athlete needs to reset technique.
Coaching cues
“Push the wall away.”
“Keep the hips tall.”
“Drive the knee, don’t kick the foot.”
“Switch fast, land strong.”
Common mistake
Many athletes let the foot swing behind them like a butt kick. That does not help acceleration. The knee should punch forward and up, with the foot landing under the hip.
2. A-skips
A-skips are one of the best drills for teaching sprint rhythm. They combine knee lift, foot placement, posture, and arm swing in a controlled way.
The goal is not to bounce as high as possible. The goal is to move with timing. The foot comes up, steps down under the body, and quickly leaves the ground again.
A-skips are especially useful because they turn sprint mechanics into a repeatable pattern. Athletes learn to strike the ground beneath the hips instead of reaching too far forward.
How to do it
Stand tall with eyes forward.
Drive the right knee up while the left arm moves forward.
Step down under the hip.
Skip lightly off the ground.
Repeat on the other side with steady rhythm.
Sets and distance
Use 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 20 yards.
Walk back for recovery. If the athlete gets sloppy, shorten the distance.
Coaching cues
“Tall posture.”
“Knee up, toe up.”
“Step down under the hips.”
“Arms cheek to pocket.”
The phrase “cheek to pocket” keeps the arms moving in the right path. The hand comes up near the cheek and comes back near the pocket. The arms should not swing across the chest.
Common mistake
Some athletes turn A-skips into high-knee running. That removes the skip rhythm and often causes pounding. Keep the drill smooth and springy.
3. Pogo jumps
Pogo jumps train the lower leg to act like a spring. This matters for speed because fast runners spend very little time on the ground at top speed.
A good pogo jump uses stiff ankles, soft knees, and quick contacts. The athlete should feel like the ground is hot. Touch and go.
This exercise should feel bouncy, not heavy. If the landings get loud or the knees bend deeply, the set is too long or too intense.
How to do it
Stand tall with feet about hip-width apart.
Keep the knees slightly bent.
Jump with small, quick bounces.
Use the ankles more than the knees.
Land on the balls of the feet, then pop back up.
Sets and reps
Use 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 20 contacts.
Start with two-foot pogos. As athletes improve, they can try low-level single-leg pogos for fewer contacts.
Coaching cues
“Bounce off the ground.”
“Stay tall.”
“Quiet feet.”
“Don’t squat the jump.”
Common mistake
Athletes often turn pogo jumps into mini squat jumps. That trains a different quality. For speed, keep the bounce short, quick, and elastic.
4. Reverse lunge to knee drive
Sprinting is a single-leg action. Each stride asks one leg to support, push, and recover while the other leg moves through the air. The reverse lunge to knee drive builds strength and control in that pattern.
This exercise also helps young athletes connect the lower body and upper body. When the right knee drives up, the left arm should come forward. That cross-body rhythm carries over to sprinting.
Use body weight first. Add a light medicine ball or dumbbells only after the athlete shows balance and control.
How to do it
Stand tall with feet under the hips.
Step one foot back into a reverse lunge.
Keep the front foot flat and the chest tall.
Push through the front foot.
Drive the back knee up to hip height.
Pause for a moment, then repeat.
Sets and reps
Use 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps per side.
Move with control. This is not a race.
Coaching cues
“Front foot owns the ground.”
“Push the floor away.”
“Drive the knee up.”
“Stay tall at the finish.”
Common mistake
The front knee may cave inward during the push. The knee should track in line with the toes. If control is poor, reduce the range of motion or slow the exercise down.
5. Short hill sprints
Short hill sprints are one of the most useful ways to build acceleration. The hill naturally encourages a forward lean and a stronger push. It also limits top speed, which can make it a safer choice for many youth athletes than long, flat-out sprints.
The hill should be gentle, not steep. A steep hill can change the running motion too much and place extra stress on the calves and Achilles area.
Keep the sprint short. Ten to 20 yards is enough for most young athletes.
How to do it
Find a slight hill with safe footing.
Start from a standing position, falling start, or athletic stance.
Sprint hard for 10 to 20 yards.
Walk back slowly.
Rest until breathing and posture are controlled.
Sets and reps
Use 4 to 8 sprints.
Rest 60 to 120 seconds between reps. Full recovery is part of speed training, not wasted time.
Coaching cues
“Push, push, push.”
“Big arms.”
“Eyes up the hill.”
“Run through the finish.”
Common mistake
Many athletes jog back and sprint again too soon. That turns speed work into conditioning. For running faster, each rep needs enough rest to be fast and clean.
How to fit these exercises into a weekly plan
These drills work best when they are part of a simple plan. Youth athletes do not need speed training every day. Two focused sessions per week are often enough when they also have practices, games, and school demands.
A sample session could look like this:
Light warm-up for 5 to 10 minutes
Jog, shuffle, backpedal, and move through easy dynamic stretches.
Wall drive drill
3 sets of 6 switches per leg.
A-skips
3 sets of 15 yards.
Pogo jumps
3 sets of 15 contacts.
Reverse lunge to knee drive
2 sets of 6 reps per side.
Short hill sprints
5 sprints of 10 to 15 yards with full rest.
This session does not need to take long. With good focus and proper rest, it can fit into 30 to 40 minutes.
For athletes who are in season, reduce the volume. One or two sets of the drills and a few short sprints may be enough. The goal during a season is to stay sharp, not add extra soreness.
What coaches and parents should watch for
Youth speed training should build confidence. Athletes should leave feeling fast, fresh, and successful. If every workout ends with heavy legs and poor form, the training is missing the point.
Watch for these signs that the session should be adjusted:
The athlete starts limping or favoring one side.
Sprint times or effort drop sharply.
Landings become loud and heavy.
The athlete looks tense through the face, neck, or shoulders.
Technique gets worse with each rep.
Good speed work has a crisp look. Reps are short. Rest breaks are real. Coaches give one or two clear cues at a time instead of talking through every step.
One helpful rule is to stop the drill when the best reps are gone. Young athletes do not need to prove toughness on speed day. They need to repeat high-quality movement until it becomes natural.
The takeaway
The best exercises to improve running speed for youth athletes are simple, repeatable, and easy to coach. The wall drive drill teaches acceleration position. A-skips build rhythm. Pogo jumps improve quick ground contact. Reverse lunges with knee drive develop single-leg strength. Short hill sprints bring those pieces together at speed.
Keep the work short, sharp, and consistent. Fast athletes are not built by doing more tired reps. They are built by practicing better reps, resting well, and showing up ready to move fast again.
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