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Physical Education

Speed, Agility, Quickness

Overview

Students complete a series of drills that develop three related but distinct physical qualities: speed, agility, and quickness.

Learning Objective
Students develop explosive speed, directional agility, and quick reaction through a structured SAQ session.

Resources needed

  • Open outdoor space
  • Marked distances and direction points (stones)

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Explain the three components: speed (how fast), agility (change of direction), quickness (reaction and acceleration).
  2. 2 Speed drill: 3 x 20-metre sprints from a standing start.
  3. 3 Agility drill: set up a T-shape course — sprint forward, shuffle sideways, shuffle back, sprint back.
  4. 4 Quickness drill: pairs face each other 1 metre apart — one drops a stone, the other catches it before it bounces twice.
  5. 5 Combine: sprint 10 metres, change direction on a signal, sprint to a new marker.
  6. 6 Rest 30 seconds between each drill set.
  7. 7 Cool down: 3 minutes walking and stretching.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • T-drill against the clock — record and try to improve.
  • Reaction: partner points left or right — athlete sprints in that direction.
  • Add a ball — receive a pass after the direction change.
More information

Teach: sprint, shuffle, react, direction, explosive, change. The T-drill direction is the most complex — walk through it slowly before timing it.

Reduce the T-drill to an L-shape for students who find the full pattern confusing. All components can be simplified without losing the training benefit.

Is the direction change sharp or does the student arc widely? Is there a genuine acceleration after each direction change?

Mark the T-drill with stones. Use any small stone for the dropping drill. No cones or specialist equipment needed.

Students confuse agility with speed. Clarify: speed is straight-line, agility is directional change. A slow person can be very agile.

SAQ training is used across professional sport. The T-drill is a standard fitness assessment used in football, basketball, and athletics globally.

Activity details
Secondary Challenging 25 minutes 10 minutes prep Whole Class, Small Group Outdoor
Topics
Speed Agility Quickness