Pogo Hops and Reactive Hoop Bounces
Continuous hops with nearly straight legs, bouncing off the balls of the feet in place, moving, and through hoops. Students activate the elastic stiffness of the ankle and Achilles tendon before sprinting or jumping.
How to play
- Jog for 1 minute and do 20 easy hops as if jumping rope.
- Pogos in place (1.5 minutes): almost straight knees, bounce off the balls of the feet with minimal ground contact; 3 sets of 10 with 20 seconds of rest.
- Traveling pogos (1.5 minutes): in lines of 4, 10 yards forward, 10 yards sideways, and 10 yards backward.
- Hoops (2 minutes): each line sets 6 hoops in a row; hop in and out with feet together, then on one leg, landing quietly; the next student goes when the one ahead reaches the third hoop.
- Partner rhythm (1 minute): one student claps a rhythm and the other hops to the beat for 15 seconds; switch twice.
- Check-in (1 minute): while walking, students note any Achilles or shin discomfort.
Rules
- Bounce off the balls of the feet; heels barely touch the ground.
- Safety: dry, even surface, shoes tied tight, and never land on a hoop's edge.
- Achilles or shin pain means stop and tell the teacher.
Variations
Easier
Two-foot pogos with longer rests and hoops with feet together only.
Standard
Pogos in place, traveling, and through hoops on two feet and one foot.
Harder
Single-leg zigzag bounces through the hoops and pogos with quarter turns.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: quick heel raises seated or with support, following the claps.
- Students with visual impairments: hop in place to a partner's claps, without hoops.
- Lower fitness level or higher body weight: sets of 6 hops on two feet only.
Learning goals
- Activate ankle elasticity before speed and jumping.
- Reduce ground contact time in repeated hops.
- Match hops to an external rhythm.
Equipment for a class of 25
- hoops: 36
Teacher tip
The usual mistake is bending the knees a lot and turning it into power jumps: cue springy legs. The volume is low on purpose.
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