Soccer and many other sports require not only agility, but the ability to make explosive movements. Some examples of this in soccer are having a burst of speed to beat a defender, or “exploding” vertically to reach a ball in the air for a header.
Side to side jumps are an exercise that can help players accomplish such movements.
- Set up one cone or a series of cones.
- Stand next to the first cone and simply jump laterally (sideways) over the top of the cone.
Use shorter cones to emphasize development of speed and taller cones to emphasize development of strength.
Incorporate side jumps into other exercises like t-drills for a multi-dimensional workout.
