Activation & Warm-ups
TIP - We recommend reading Minis Curriculum and Session Planning & Design prior to this article.
OVERVIEW
Kick-off every session with 10-15 minutes of fun games and activities to gets players moving and engaged. Think about mixing in some of the core skills and physical mobility to ensure players are ready for the session ahead i.e. ensure activation has some contact prep if you are focusing on tackling, or everyone gets a good touch of the ball if you are looking at passing.
Pick-and-mix from the below, come up with your own or even see what your players have enjoyed at school or other clubs - fun and engagement! Another tip is to think about games that are easy for kids to join in as they arrive and/or start earlier if ready and require minimal set-up/clear-up!
Club Values - Before or shortly after activation it is a good idea to gather kids and briefly discuss the session ahead. take the opportunity to highlight our club values and use to set appropriate expectations for the players:
Passion - “Always try our best and work hard”
Respect - “Listen to coaches, teammates and referees”
Teamwork - “Work together and bring your teammates into the games and activities”
Enjoyment - “Have fun!”
TIG VARIATIONS - Any game of tig will work!
‘Chaos’ Tig - Everyone is the tigger. If player A tigs player B, then player B takes a knee until player A is caught by someone else. If player tig each other at the same time, then it is rock-paper-scissor to decide. If coach shouts Chaos then everybody up and starts again - keep an eye on activity and use this to avoid players being inactive for too long.
‘Link’ Tig - Start with 2-3 tiggers. When they tig someone then take hands and move together. The idea is eventually you have 2-3 lines trying to navigate the grid and players trying to avoid. Think about the space of the grid and the number of players to start as too big a grid and too few players tends to make it quite hard to catch once players start to link.
‘Spiderman’ Tig - Start with 2-3 tiggers and give each a bib to hold. Tiggers use the bib to tig by trying to throw it at the other players - like Spiderman’s web. If player are caught, they pick up the bib and become a tigger.
‘Infection’ Tig - Start with 1 tigger. Whoever they tig become a tigger with them and you keep going until everyone is a tigger.
‘Sharks and Fish’ - Start with players in pairs with 1 as a ‘Fish’ (with a ball) and the other as a ‘Shark’. Fish move around the grid and the Shark tries to follow. Shark try to tig Fish when the coach shouts SHARK ATTACK! and Fish try to get to a safe zone (pick one side of the grid) before they do. Swap roles throughout the game - usually better for younger age groups.
‘Catch the Coach’ - Just as it sounds. On this call, all the kids try to catch the lead coach. Get yourself a ball and pass to other coaches to mix it up. Just get the kids running around keep an eye on space.
TIPS - Think about the size of the grid compared with number of players along with age-and-stage of players. Try to introduce the ball and simply having players carrying a ball and encourage 2-handed touches around the hips (or even the knees for older age-groups) to encourage good habits for the future.
ANIMAL WALKS, RELAYS & FIGHT CLUB - Introduce mobility exercises in a fun way and progress as appropriate
‘Animal Walks’ - A staple in P1/P2s for sure. Kids line up along one side of a grid and you work through different animals and get them to imitate them across the grid. Ask the kids for their ideas and see what they come up with but a couple good options to throw in below:
Monkeys - Players on all fours with knees off the floor
Gorillas - Walking lunges while beating your chest like a Gorilla
Bunnies - Start in a lower squat position, stay low and bounce along like a Bunny
Crabs - Sideways walking/running and get those pincers up!
Flamingoes - Hopping on one leg, then switch
Frogs - Similar to Bunnies but bigger jumps and finishing with hands on the floor
Cheetahs - Running as fast as you can!
‘Relays’ - As kids get towards P3+ you can start putting them in pairs to work through some physical mobility. Line groups up along one side of a grid and work through some of the above animal movements and introduce the below depending on age-and-stage - generally have 1 player working and the other resting but some exceptions.
Piggybacks - Both go and swap at one end
Wheelbarrows - Both go and swap at one end (if you end up with mis-matches, get pairs to do Monkey walks instead)
Forward rolls
‘FIGHT CLUB’ - Named purely to peak kids interest but no actual fighting! Kids get into pairs and work through some light physical contests and 1-on-1 tackle technique. Good to introduce to tackling from P3/P4 and warm-up for contact sessions. Example exercise:
‘Wrestling’ - 1 player has the ball and try to keep a hold of it while the other tries to rip it free. Partners needs access to the ball so no running or twisting to avoid the wrestle.
‘First one up’ - 1 player lie with back on the ground, the partner lays across their hips. Aim of the game is for the first players to stand-up, while the second player is trying to prevent it.
‘Plank’ - To start, simple competition to see which partner can hold plank the longest. Progress to having 1 partner trying to push the partner out of plank (sensible pushing with arms only)
‘Jackal’ - Similar to ‘Wrestling’ in that players try to hold/steel the ball but the player with the ball is lying on the ground - they are allowed to hold onto the ball.
Tackle Tech - Opportunity to have some de-powered focus on tackle tech. Per Scottish Rugby advice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USFXKhsZIbE
Breakdown Tech - tbc
FREE RUNNING/COACH SAYS - Setup a simple pitch, ensure everyone has a ball and start running around to find space and perform actions on coaches call
Round the World - Players put the ball around their body one way then back while still moving (Progression: Increasing the number of times i.e. 5x round the body)
Tackle - Players hits the deck and present the ball as if being tackled - squeeze ball, knees > hips > shoulders, present, then up and moving again (Progression: Present ball on one side and then the other)
Juggle - While moving, juggle the ball from one hand to the other (Progression: Encourage higher juggling of the ball)
Accies - Score a try! Nominate an end of the grid that players sprint to and score a try on this call (TOP TIP: Use this call when you need to bring the players together to perhaps explain the next condition or finish the activation)
Sausages - Down for sausage roll then up and moving
Pancake - Down face down with arms and legs spread then up and moving
Onside - Players need to get the ‘on’ side of the pitch depending on where the coach is. Coach moves around to challenge kids and the ‘on’ side should be the opposite side of the ‘Accies’ try line.
Flower of Scotland - Find a team-mate (or team-mates!), huddle together and starting singing - the louder the better!
Not enough balls? Mix up the conditions to account of some players being without and encourage players to start passing
WHAT NEXT?
Take a look through the rest of the Curriculum and sample Session Plans then get stuck in!