I'm looking to talk through hurdle training progressions for young hurdlers.

Just curious what age and what hurdling event?

I have coached hurdlers for 20 + years. Just retired from coaching. How can I help?

I'd defer to Agtrack but if it's for the 300 hurdles I can offer some advice as well, not so much the 100/110 hurdles! It's always important to learn proper technique first, even if it's with smaller hurdles so they can get used to good habits and a good technically sound muscle memory! And if you got a pickup truck you can always Jack a hurdle from the high school lol!

So I've been coaching middle school hurdles for a while now and I'm always looking to get the most out of my kids. It can be a challenge because it's non-cut and lots of kids want to be hurdlers because I sell the crap out of what we do. My current progression looks something like this:
1. Trail leg/lead leg fence drillmostly to get them to feel/see what it supposed to look like and work on arms. Also a drill I can send them to work on when they're deficient.
2. Marching lead and trail leg over 24" training hurdles. 6 feet apart. Basically adding movement to fence drill.
3. Rhythm training over 24" training hurdles. 6' feet and then move to a progression where later hurdles are farther apart. It's three step training even though I know most of my kids won't three step.

Disclaimer: I do teach four stepping. It's not great but I've got a short amount time to get kids to love hurling and that usually comes with being competitive in meets.

4. Running at one hurdle on the track. Teaching being aggressive and fast with consistent steps. Until we get this down, they don't move on to two hurdles.
5. Adding hurdles to the number. I'm trying to figure out which of my boys can possibly sprint three step.

That's the basics but what am I missing?

300m work is usually about consistent step patterns and sprinting through each hurdle, limiting shuffle steps if at all possible.

We work a lot on training hurdles and my kids rarely ever run over more than 6 hurdles in practice.

Eaton is pretty much mirroring my own experience. i was a not good hurdler in high school, but i've taught my kids (boy and girl), and they both won district championships.

i start them with homemade PVC hurdles that i can adjust height to get them hurdling with good form for muscle memory, then advance height as they progress.

Sometimes I'll even revert to lower PVC hurdles after they are hurdling regulation when we need to work on refining certain points. getting that form down will translate to higher hurdling.

STRETCHING is very important- keep limber for health and effectiveness.

First hurdle is huge (talking 100/110 here) work on a comfortable stance and explosive start from blocks and getting the right steps to 1st hurdle til it's automatic- then they will attack first hurdle and carry that speed over to next if their form is good. my daughter was not a speed demon, but she almost NEVER got beat over the first hurdle because her form and steps were good, and confidence high. try starting with different legs- even if feels weird at first- often they find the other leg is more comfirtable eventually. she was a left leg lead, then kept working on her own til she got the right down, then her right became her better form.

video them with phone- you will see things clearly you may miss- like where they were taking shorter steps, or not bringing the trail leg forcefully and far enough to keep a large stride rhythm. film them frim front and back where you'll see them off balance as they clear/land the hurdle. want to work on efficiently stepping over, keeping tight and even form so they dont lose momentum.

4 step if they can work on developing both lead legs- as they grow and improve, they can shoot for 3 step.

Otherwise they are 5 stepping and not developing good habits. For younger kids, 300 is mostly stamina/conditioning- oyherwise they will have NO form after about 3rd or 4th hurdle. again work on both legs to avoid the short stepping. getting the right steps between 300 hurdles is really advanced stuff i wouldnt worry about.

set up pvc hurdles on grass or turf for more relaxed setting and vary the distances to work on different reflexes/steps. PVC super cheap- just need some 1/2" or 3/4" and some elbows and tees to make a few.

again, im just an amateur and those above im sure have better stuff. but this is home grown experience which proved fruitful becaise middle school coaches and even high school are spread too thin to work extensively with your kid.

If your kids take to it and become really good, they'll probably outgrow you and you can decide how much expertise you can get them from qualified coaches.

Lots of sources on You Tube to get some ideas/ exercises/ stretches, etc..

Good luck!

p.s. i was writing this for parents mostly. i know Eaton that you have very limited time to work with each hurdler. maybe you can impart this to their PARENTS, so they can work witn tbeir kids on weekends, or over the summer for the following year. The serious ones just might take you up on it.

Divining Rod said:

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Eaton is pretty much mirroring my own experience. i was a not good hurdler in high school, but i've taught my kids (boy and girl), and they both won district championships.

i start them with homemade PVC hurdles that i can adjust height to get them hurdling with good form for muscle memory, then advance height as they progress.

Sometimes I'll even revert to lower PVC hurdles after they are hurdling regulation when we need to work on refining certain points. getting that form down will translate to higher hurdling.

STRETCHING is very important- keep limber for health and effectiveness.

First hurdle is huge (talking 100/110 here) work on a comfortable stance and explosive start from blocks and getting the right steps to 1st hurdle til it's automatic- then they will attack first hurdle and carry that speed over to next if their form is good. my daughter was not a speed demon, but she almost NEVER got beat over the first hurdle because her form and steps were good, and confidence high. try starting with different legs- even if feels weird at first- often they find the other leg is more comfirtable eventually. she was a left leg lead, then kept working on her own til she got the right down, then her right became her better form.

video them with phone- you will see things clearly you may miss- like where they were taking shorter steps, or not bringing the trail leg forcefully and far enough to keep a large stride rhythm. film them frim front and back where you'll see them off balance as they clear/land the hurdle. want to work on efficiently stepping over, keeping tight and even form so they dont lose momentum.

4 step if they can work on developing both lead legs- as they grow and improve, they can shoot for 3 step.

Otherwise they are 5 stepping and not developing good habits. For younger kids, 300 is mostly stamina/conditioning- oyherwise they will have NO form after about 3rd or 4th hurdle. again work on both legs to avoid the short stepping. getting the right steps between 300 hurdles is really advanced stuff i wouldnt worry about.

set up pvc hurdles on grass or turf for more relaxed setting and vary the distances to work on different reflexes/steps. PVC super cheap- just need some 1/2" or 3/4" and some elbows and tees to make a few.

again, im just an amateur and those above im sure have better stuff. but this is home grown experience which proved fruitful becaise middle school coaches and even high school are spread too thin to work extensively with your kid.

If your kids take to it and become really good, they'll probably outgrow you and you can decide how much expertise you can get them from qualified coaches.

Lots of sources on You Tube to get some ideas/ exercises/ stretches, etc..

Good luck!

p.s. i was writing this for parents mostly. i know Eaton that you have very limited time to work with each hurdler. maybe you can impart this to their PARENTS, so they can work witn tbeir kids on weekends, or over the summer for the following year. The serious ones just might take you up on it.

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I appreciate it. I'm a fan of using lower hurdles to make sure my kids have good form, attack the hurdle, and are comfortable.