For this drill you can use one center cone and eight other cones about 10-12 feet away from center cone, and equal distance from each other.  Or you can make a dedicated spoke for under $20.00.  Please see the pictures and list of supplies to make your own.

 

We start our first athlete off at one of the tips of the spokes, facing in towards the middle.  On the whistle the athlete sprints forward towards the center, touches the center, then backpedals to the starting point.  Then going left or right, the next step can be a shuffle, crossover or karioca to the next cone/stake.  Continue to the center, backpedal, then continue in the direction started.  This goes on until the athlete has touched every stake or cone.  So as you can see this incorporates the sprint, backpedal, shuffle, crossover step or karicoa.

 

This is a great drill to time and have them beat previous times or for a little healthy competition.  So as you can see, this is an excellent footwork and agility drill.  Great for basketball, football, soccer or any sport for that matter.

 

I found this drill in Brian McCormick's book - Cross Over: The New Model of Youth Basketball Development.  This book is an awesome book on youth development, specifically focusing on basketball.  This book has become somewhat of our "bible" so to speak.  Our head coach has had the same philosophy for many years, and this book affirms what he is doing for our team.  A must have for anyone involved with youth athletics!!!!!  To get your copy, visit the link below.

 

 

What you will need to make your own spoke for this drill:

 

1.  1 - Wood dowel (2 foot long, taper one end, 1 inch in diameter)

2.  1- Key chain ring (1 inch across minimum, able to fit snug over dowel)

3.  8 - Spikes/stakes (preferrably metal tent stakes)

4.  1 - 80 feet of rope (not thick, able to tie a knot in it)

5.  8 - mini bungee cords (11 inch long - each)

6.  8 poly tube spacers (best is the swamp cooler poly tube)

 

I had an old croquet set lying around, so I used one of the handles for my center stake.  Taper the end that will go into the ground, drill a hole about 1 inch from the top - this is where you will place a dowel or pin to hold the center ring.  Cut your spacers out of the polytube so that they will fit on the center ring, while leaving room to place the mini-bungees inbetween each spacer.  Crimp the mini-bungees around the center ring.  Now cut your 8, 10 foot pieces of rope.  Tie slide knots on each end of each piece of rope.  Crimp the other end of the mini-bungees thru one end of the rope.  The other end of the rope you attach to the tent stakes.  Now you have your center piece to spread your spoke out equally.