10 Agility Hurdle Drills for Young Athletes (6 and 12 Inch Workouts)

Mini hurdles teach what cones cannot: getting feet off the ground with rhythm. The drills below use six dual height hurdles, starting at 6 inches for footwork and flipping to 12 inches when the athlete is ready to jump. One rule before anything else: speed comes after rhythm. Let them go slow until the pattern is clean.

6 inch drills: fast feet

1. Walking step-overs

Walk the line of hurdles, knee up and over each one, arms swinging in opposition. Sounds basic, fixes more sprint form than any cue you can shout. Also the standard first drill in knee rehab programs.

2. Single-leg run-through

Run the line with one foot landing between each pair of hurdles. The classic quick-feet pattern. Three rounds each side of the lead leg.

3. Two-in-two-out

Both feet touch down between each hurdle. Doubles the ground contacts and forces shorter, faster steps. Add arm pump once feet are clean.

4. Lateral step-overs

Face sideways, travel the line right to left, then back. Knees stay high, hips stay level. This is where young athletes discover one side is clumsier, which is exactly the point.

5. Icky shuffle

In, in, out, moving diagonally down the line. The drill every athlete recognizes from agility ladders, except hurdles punish lazy feet honestly: clip one and you know.

12 inch drills: power

6. Two-foot hops

Jump each hurdle with both feet, stick each landing for one second. Landing quality first, height second, speed last. That order is non-negotiable with kids.

7. Continuous jumps

Same as above but bounce straight into the next jump, no pause. Pure plyometric rhythm. Six hurdles, three rounds, full rest between.

8. Single-leg hops

Advanced only, and only after continuous jumps look effortless. Three hurdles, not six, and watch the knee on every landing.

9. Hurdle to sprint

Three hurdles, then a 10 yard sprint to a cone. The transition from bounce to sprint is the most game-realistic thing on this list.

10. The circuit

Combine: lateral step-overs, two-foot hops, sprint finish. Time each athlete, rest, repeat three rounds. This is a complete speed session for a 10 to 14 year old in fifteen minutes.

Programming notes

Two hurdle sessions a week is plenty for youth athletes. Keep total jumps under 60 per session for under-12s. The dual height design matters here: run drills 1 to 5 at 6 inches with beginners while your older group does 6 to 10 at 12 inches, same equipment, same session.

Build the full station with mini cones for sprint gates and a speed chute for resisted finishes, or read the complete equipment guide first.