Speed Drills
One-five-one
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance
Equipment: Whistle, Timer
Duration: 10 minutes
Everyone starts rolling on the track. On the first whistle (start the timer), everyone sprints for 5 laps; they must be able to finish in 1 minute. When a person has finished their five laps, they coast on the outside of the track. Blow the whistle at the end of one minute. Time a 45 second coast for everyone. On the third whistle (restart the timer) everyone sprints for 20 laps, they must be able to finish in 5 minutes. When a person has finished their 20 laps, they coast on the outside of the track. Blow the whistle at the end of five minutes. Time a 45 second coast. On the fifth whistle (restart the timer), everyone sprints for 5 laps; they must be able to finish in 1 minute. When a person has finished their five laps, they coast on the outside of the track. Time a 45 second coast.
Variations: Use 20 laps in 4 minutes.
Forty In Ten
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Pushes, Endurance, Pack, Jamming, Communication/Teamwork, Form
Equipment: Whistle, Timer
Duration: 10 minutes
Everyone forms a pack. On the whistle blows, everyone has to do 40 laps in 10 minutes as a pack. If there's a hole in the pack, people should step into that hole to keep a tight pack. If a person lags behind, everyone should be communicating and helping by pushing or pulling that person to keep a tight pack. Use a strong person to pull a weaker person for several laps then switch off to another person. Jammers should skate on the outside of the pack. Newer or weaker people should start at the inside front of the pack.
Variation: Instead of using 40 laps, count the number of laps done in ten minutes, and then repeat this drill weekly to see how many more laps the pack can skate in ten minutes.
Hell Sprint
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance
Equipment: Whistle, Timer
Duration: 10 minutes
On the first whistle (start the timer), everyone sprints. At the 5 minute mark, switch directions (don’t stop). At the end of the second five minute, time a 45 second coast. Everyone should use the 5-stride method. Everyone should count their laps and try to increase laps with each successive run of this drill.
Sprint Squat
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance, Control and Slowing Down, Squatting/Getting Low
Equipment: Whistle
Duration: 10 minutes
On the whistle, everyone sprints. On the next whistle everyone coasts in a squat. And repeat. Vary the timing of whistle blows for ten minutes.
Variation: Reverse the direction around the track. Have everyone form a tight pack.
Seven Sprint
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance, Control and Slowing Down
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Everyone skates at a moderate pace for 6 laps, then everyone sprints for 1 lap. Then skate at a moderate pace for 5 laps, then sprint for 2 laps. Work your way up to 1 lap at a moderate pace and 6 sprint laps.
Variation: Do this pyramid style.
Lap The Line
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance, Pace
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Everyone starts in a pace line in order from fastest to least fast (front to back). Skate at a moderate pace. Have the person at the front of the pace line sprint off and lap the line. At the end of that persons’ lap, the new pace line leader “jumps in” behind the sprinting person and they both lap the line. Repeat, each time the pace line is lapped the sprinting line picks up another skater, until the entire pace line has joined the sprinting line.
Leg Burners
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, General Skills, Form, Squatting/Getting Low
Equipment: none
Duration: 20-30 laps
Everyone sprints through one corner, then squats and coasts in good derby form (both skates on the floor) for the remainder of the lap.
Up-n-Back
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Falls, Stops, Endurance, Starts, Control and Slowing Down, Squatting/Getting Low
Equipment: none
Duration: 5-10 minutes
Everyone start at one end of the practice space. Sprint to the 1/3 distance point, and T-stop, then squat and touch the floor. Sprint back to the starting point and perform a reverse toe stop. Sprint to 2/3 distance and plow stop, then squat and touch the floor. Sprint back to the starting point and perform a reverse toe stop. Then sprint the full length of the floor and baseball slide, then sprint back to the starting point and perform a reverse toe stop. Sprint to 2/3 distance and plow stop, then squat and touch the floor. Sprint back to the starting point and perform a reverse toe stop. Sprint to the 1/3 distance point, and T-stop, then squat and touch the floor. Sprint back to the starting point and perform a reverse toe stop.
Variation: Substitute any other comparable skill to be performed at the end of each sprint.
Torture By Time
Group Size: Small Group (3-4)
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance, Jamming
Equipment: Timer
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Complete a 1 lap, 3 lap, 5 lap, 7 lap, 10 lap and 20 lap time trial, one after the other, each from a standing start. Allow a reasonable rest period between each time trial. Time each trial, and note the “fall off” time from the first trial to last trial.
The goal is to have the last trial time as close as possible to the first (aim to minimize fatigue).
Mountain Sprint
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Everyone starts in a moderate pace for 1 lap, then sprint for 1 lap, then 2 laps at a moderate pace, then sprint 2 laps, then 3 laps at a moderate pace, then sprint 3 laps, then back down, 2 laps moderate pace, 2 laps sprint, 1 lap moderate pace, 1 lap sprint.
Variation: Change the maximum number of laps to 5 or more to increase difficulty.
Pyramid Short Sprints
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance
Equipment: none
Duration: 20 minutes
Everyone alternates between sprinting and moderate skating. Work up in sprint lengths as follows:
30-second sprint, 30-second moderate then 45-second sprint, 45-second moderate, etc building up to a 2 or 3 minute sprint, then back down. This drill can also be run as a 20-second sprint, 40-second moderate, 30-second sprint, 30-second moderate, 40-second sprint, 20-second moderate, 50-second sprint, 10-second moderate, 1minute sprint and then back down.
Having more moderate pace time builds pure speed; less moderate pace time builds strength and endurance.
Variation: Add any other comparable skills during the moderate skate times; also reverse the direction around the track.
Pyramid Sprint
Group Size: Partners
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, General Skills, Endurance, Form, Squatting/Getting Low
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Everyone pairs up. One person from each pair starts on the track and the other off in the middle. The person on the track sprints for 1 lap. The partner in the middle will perform push ups, crunches, squats, etc. The partners will switch positions and repeat. Pyramid up to a 5 lap sprint and back down to 1 lap sprint.
Pyramid Jammer Drill
Group Size: Individual
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance, Jamming
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Each individual will sprint for 90 seconds, a full jam. Allow a 30 second rest between jams (sprints). Increase the jam time to 2 minutes, then 3 minutes. Repeat working it back down to 90 seconds.
* Superior jammers must be able to do several jams back to back if needed.
Variation: Increase the jam time to 4 or 5 minutes.
Partner Sprints
Group Size: Partners
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance, Communication/Teamwork
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Everyone pairs up. Link hands and arms with your partner and lean together. Sprint for 2 laps, then coast or 30 seconds. Sprint for 3 laps, then coast or 30 seconds. Pyramid up to 6 laps sprint and back down to 2 laps, coasting for 30 seconds between sprints.
Variation: Change the maximum number of laps to 5 or 7.
Partner Pyramid Sprints
Group Size: Partners
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Stops, Endurance, Communication/Teamwork, Form, Control and Slowing Down, Squatting/Getting Low
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Everyone pairs up. Partners switch off sprinting laps from 2 up to 6 then back down to 2. One person will start while the other is squatting on the outside of the track. If the squatting person comes out of the squat for more than 3 seconds; add 30 seconds to the squat time. The squatting person calls out the count every time the sprinter passes. When the sprinting partner comes off, they must plow stop. The partners switch sprinting and squatting up to 5 laps. When the person sprinting exits the track they must be look behind.
Drill Jam
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance, Pace, Jamming
Equipment: none
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Everyone starts in a pace line with the slowest person in the front and in speed order to the fastest person in the back.. The person in front sprints for 8 laps then coasts for 2 laps leading the pace line, then they pull out of the line. The next person in line does the same. Repeat until the last person sprints 8 laps by themselves.
The fastest person ends up doing an insane amount of laps.
Building Sprints
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, Endurance
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minutes
Everyone begins at a moderate pace. Work in a pyramid of increasing sprint intervals: 30 second moderate pace, 30 second sprint, 1 minute moderate pace, 1 minute sprint, 1:30 min. moderate pace, 1:30 min. sprint, 2 mins. moderate pace, 2 mins. sprint, 2 mins. moderate pace, 1:30 min sprint, 1:30 min moderate pace, 1 minute sprint, 1 minute moderate pace, 30 second sprint, 30 second moderate pace.
Interval Sprint
Group Size: Everyone
Skill Level: All
Improves: Speed, General Skills, Crossovers, Endurance, Form, Control and Slowing Down, Squatting/Getting Low
Equipment: none
Duration: 10-20 minute
Everyone begins at a moderate pace for two minutes than skates in a squat for two minutes. Then sprint for one minute followed by 1 minute of sticky skate. Then sprint for 1 minute followed by 1 minute of right leg scissors. Sprint for 1 minute than 1 minute of left leg scissors. And finally sprint for 2 minutes. No stopping for the length of this drill.
Variation: Add any other comparable skills (one-foot glide, etc) between sprints.