Social Distancing and Fun, Effective and Engaging Youth Programs

As the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the “typical” daily life of children and adults across the world, we are now left with the challenge of moving forward.

If you are involved with youth sports or other physical activity programs, moving forward right now means determining ways to engage kids with activities and games that maintain social distancing requirements. Since sports and other physical activities often involve a large degree of close-contact interaction, this can be a challenge.

The good news is that many youth organizations are already innovating activities and field set ups that not only comply with regulations, they create an engaging training environment kids enjoy!

Below are some of the innovations that are helping individuals and organizations keep kids active during this challenging time.

Athletic Competition

Local government regulations are varied across the US and other countries. Some communities are allowing modified sports practices for some sports and not for others. Games and tournaments have continued for some sports and not for others.

For many of the high contact sports like wrestling, American football, and others, it’s unclear when some communities will allow participation and competition. To keep their participants engaged, they are designing and holding “skills” competitions associated with their sport. Athletes are still able to benefit from the team training environment while they work to develop the non-contact skills associated with their sport.

If your community does not allow kids to compete in certain high contact sports, consider how you could create team competitions involving individual skills of a sport. For example, consider the speed, agility, and/or strength demands for your sport and some of the individual activities that are used as criteria for these skills, like the 40-yard dash in American Football. Include this event amongst others highlighting the other individual skills needed for a sport. Teams can train for and compete in these events.

Field Set Up for Training and Practices

Maintaining social distancing requirements during physical activity begins with field set up and the consequent group management strategies. With the goal of maintaining as much reasonable social distancing as possible, many organizations have employed different strategies.

Grids

One of the most common strategies being used by fitness-based programs is to create square grids on the ground with tape or chalk. Within each square they will place numbers or other markers so kids even have direction as to where to move within the square.

The size of the grid differs based on the space available, but each is large enough for kids to move in. In limited space, kids can “partner” for each grid with only one athlete being active at a time. Cones, agility ladders, and other “non- touch” pieces of equipment can be set up within each grid.

Cones/Markers

While single cones and/or markers do not define an entire space, they function to provide kids a frame of reference for distancing. This is effective when creating lines and even in creating the framework for larger format activities like the one below.

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Social Distance Games and Activities

Many non-group and individual activities can easily be performed with social distance assuming proper group management (waiting in line, etc.) is established.  Most speed, agility, and strength activities can be done individually without many social distancing concerns. The same goes for most standard dynamic warm up and cool down activities.

Challenges arise when considering how to construct group or partner games and activities maintaining appropriate distancing. Below are examples of different individual, partner, and group activities that can be done while maintaining safe distancing expectations.

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Individual Activities

(can be done in a grid or other forms of limited individual space)

Agility Shapes

Lava Boats

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<– This video demonstrates a 2-leg version. For more advanced young athletes, attempt on one leg.

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Partner Activities

Linear Movement Mirror

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Group Games

Red Light, Green Light

Edge of the Earth

While no one knows how long this “new normal” will last, as youth coaches we can continue to innovate in order to continually inspire kids to become athletic for life.

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