Build the skills and engine first, then back off so she arrives at Nexus sharp, springy, and rested — not run down.
↓ Every drill explainedAlmost everything here can be done at home with the gear you've got.
Dynamic warm-up first, then first touch — receive passes off a wall on both open and reverse stick, moving onto the ball. Then Indian dribble + pulls, 8 min.
Extra 1v1 attacking moves into a cone; 20 hits each side for accuracy.
5-min easy Peloton bike spin to warm up bike, then accelerations: 6 × 20m outside, walk back to recover — or on the tread, 6 × (20s hard / 40s easy) tread.
Extra Easy 12–16 min tempo spin or jog to top off the aerobic base.
Hydrate through the day. Evening: 10-min foam roll + 15 min in the Hyperice leg sleeves. Full night's sleep (8–10 hrs).
Warm-up, then wall passes — two-touch (control, then pass) building to one-touch, plus receive-and-release on the turn.
Extra Receive-and-shoot, 20 reps.
Agility (outside — the tread can't cut): 5-10-5 shuttle × 5 and a zig-zag cone weave × 4.
Extra T-drill × 4; light prehab — single-leg hip thrusts on the bench, glute bridges, single-leg balance. bench
Easy walk or 10-min easy bike spin; hip + ankle mobility; massage gun on the calves; hydrate.
Warm-up, then 3D stick skills — lifts, jinks, eliminations at a relaxed pace.
Extra Aerial passing + receiving.
Strength — 2 controlled rounds DB · KB · bench · dip bar: goblet squat, dumbbell Romanian deadlift, Bulgarian split squat (rear foot on bench), single-leg hip thrust, dips. Finish with a slam-ball power set — overhead slams + rotational slams. Use a weight she moves cleanly; no sprinting today.
Extra 6-lb vest on for step-ups or calf raises — build phase only.
Carbs + protein within an hour. Foam roll, then Hyperice legs + hip 15–20 min; gentle stretch.
Warm-up, then 1v1 attack to finish under light pressure.
Extra Deflections and tips in front of goal; passing under pressure in a small box.
Repeated-sprint: 8 × 25m outside with ~20s rest — or on the tread, 8 × (30s hard / 30s easy) tread. Mirrors back-to-back game efforts.
Extra A few kettlebell swings for hip power (low volume). KB
Make tonight the priority sleep of the week. Foam roll + Hyperice legs to flush after the sprints.
Keep it light and fun: relaxed touches and juggling, an easy Peloton recovery ride or light tread walk, and a full mobility flow. Planned down day — the goal is to feel fresher tomorrow.
Enjoy the 4th. Hydrate, eat well. Hyperice legs while relaxing; massage gun or foam roll if she wants. Normal bedtime.
Warm-up, then crisp first touch + scan-then-pass (receive, look up, deliver), and clean finishing reps — quality over quantity.
Extra 1v1s with a real opponent if available; circle-entry finishing.
Sharp engine: 6 × 20m accelerations + 4 agility reps — full effort, full recovery between.
Extra A few kettlebell swings to stay explosive (light). KB
Mobility; massage gun; Hyperice legs; 9-hr sleep target.
Warm-up, then receiving-to-shot at game pace.
Repeated sprints: 6 × 25m (outside or tread intervals). This is the last day of real conditioning load — everything after gets lighter.
Extra Short slam-ball power finisher (low volume) or agility ladder; light core only. Don't add a big session — banking fitness now just shows up as fatigue at Nexus. slam ball
Good stretch; foam roll; Hyperice legs + hip; solid sleep. Taper begins tomorrow.
Warm-up, then crisp touches and a few favorite 1v1 moves.
Accelerations: 4 × 15m — fast, with full rest between. Stop while she still feels good. Vest off from here — nothing weighted in the taper.
Hyperice legs; prioritize sleep and steady hydration.
Warm-up, then first touch and passing rhythm, plus light dribbling.
3–4 easy accelerations, or a short easy bike spin. No grinding.
Start hydrating extra ahead of the VA heat. Light foam roll; Hyperice legs; 9–10 hr sleep.
Easy dynamic warm-up and light touches.
2–3 short strides to wake the legs up — or a 5-min easy bike spin — then mobility. That's the whole session.
Lay out gear, hydrate, big sleep. Hyperice legs. Mental reps: picture clean first touches, loud communication, high work rate.
Rest, or a 10-min easy mobility flow with a few touches if she's antsy. No conditioning. If traveling, a short walk or 5-min easy spin to shake out the car or plane is plenty.
Hydration focus, fuel well (lean on carbs), pack early, early night. Foam roll + Hyperice legs are perfect after sitting in the car or on a plane. She should arrive springy and a little under-worked — exactly right.
Every drill and movement named in the plan, in plain language — what it is, how to do it, and why it earns a spot. Skim it once and the daily blocks read clearly.
Moving warm-up before every session: leg swings, walking lunges, skips, side shuffles, building pace. ~5 min.
Why Warms muscles and raises the heart rate so the first sprint or touch isn't cold — far better than standing-still stretching.
Controlling a pass cleanly on the first contact. "Open stick" = forehand side; "reverse stick" = stick rotated to the backhand side. Give a little as the ball arrives to cushion it, and push it into space rather than stopping it dead.
Why A clean first touch buys time and sets up the next move — the biggest separator at game speed.
The classic field-hockey dribble: rolling the wrists to push the ball from open to reverse and back while moving, keeping it close.
Why Protects the ball and lets her change direction instantly with a defender near.
Dragging the ball across the body from forehand to reverse (or back) to shift it away from a defender's stick and open a new angle.
Why A quick, low-risk way to beat a defender or escape pressure.
Lifts pop the ball off the turf, a jink is a quick deceptive sidestep with the ball, and eliminations are moves to get past a defender.
Why Adds deception so she's not predictable in tight space.
Beating one defender (cone or partner): change of pace, fake one way and go the other, then accelerate past into space.
Why Forwards and mids win games by beating their mark — this rehearses it on repeat.
Push or hit the ball against a wall and receive the return. Two-touch = control then pass; one-touch = redirect first time.
Why Builds touch and quick decisions even when training solo.
Taking a pass and finishing on goal in one fluid motion instead of stopping the ball first.
Why Real chances come fast; she rarely gets to settle before shooting.
Looking up to read options just before the ball arrives, then delivering the pass.
Why A midfielder who already knows where the space is plays a step faster than everyone else.
Lifting the ball over distance and bringing it back down under control. Practice with space around.
Why A weapon for switching play or clearing pressure.
Redirecting a pass or shot into goal with a quick stick touch in front of the cage.
Why A forward's bread and butter — many goals come from a tip, not a clean strike.
Carrying or receiving the ball into the shooting circle and getting a shot away.
Why Goals only count from inside the circle, so reps there matter most.
Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at the chest. Squat down sitting the hips back, knees tracking over the toes, then stand tall. 8–10 reps.
Why Full leg strength in an easy, safe-to-learn position.
Holding the weights, hinge at the hips and push them back with a slight knee bend, lowering the weights down the legs until you feel the hamstrings stretch, then drive the hips forward to stand. Keep the back flat. 8–10 reps.
Why Builds the hamstrings and glutes that power sprinting and guard against strains — one of the most important movements for her.
Rear foot resting on the bench, lower straight down on the front leg, then drive up. 6–8 each leg.
Why Each running stride is single-leg — this builds that drive and evens out left/right strength.
Upper back on the bench, one foot planted, drive the hips up squeezing the glute, lower with control. 8–10 each side.
Why Direct glute power for acceleration; protects the hamstrings and knees.
Step up onto the bench leading with one leg, stand tall, control the way down. Add the 6-lb vest in the build phase only.
Why Sprint-specific single-leg power.
Hinge at the hips and snap them forward to swing the bell to about chest height — the power comes from the hips, not the arms. The arms just guide it. 10–15 reps.
Why Explosive hip power that translates straight to a fast first step and sprinting.
Overhead: lift the ball overhead and slam it down hard, pick it up, repeat. Rotational: from a slight squat, slam it to one side, then the other, turning through the trunk.
Why Total-body and rotational power — the rotational version feeds straight into hitting and shooting.
Lower under control until the elbows reach about 90°, then press back up. Use a foot on the ground to assist if needed.
Why Upper-body and core strength for shielding the ball and holding off defenders.
Short sprints (~15–20m) building to fast from a jog start, then walk back to fully recover.
Why Field hockey is bursts, not steady jogging — this trains the part she actually uses.
Several near-max sprints (e.g. 8 × 25m) with only short rest (~20s) between. Tread version: 8 × (30s hard / 30s easy).
Why Trains her to sprint hard, recover fast, and sprint hard again — the real game demand.
Start in the middle: sprint 5 yds one way and touch the line, 10 yds back the other way and touch, then 5 yds back through the middle. Done outside, not on the tread.
Why Sharp, controlled change of direction at speed.
Zig-zag: sprint/dribble through cones, cutting hard at each. T-drill: sprint forward, shuffle sideways to each arm, backpedal to start.
Why Cutting, lateral, and backward movement — all of it shows up in a game.
Use it for straight-line work: hard/easy run intervals or an incline tempo run. Get up to pace holding the rail briefly; don't attempt jump-on/off max sprints.
Why Weather-proof sprint and aerobic work in July heat — keep cutting drills outside.
A HIIT/Tabata ride for hard conditioning, an easy spin to warm up, or a recovery ride on light days.
Why Trains the engine and flushes the legs without pounding — ideal on strength and taper days.
A light overload — wear it for step-ups, calf raises, push-ups, or skips during the build phase only. Take it off for sprinting and for the whole taper. Skip it any day the legs feel heavy.
Why A small, safe way to make bodyweight work a touch harder without heavy lifting.
Balance: stand on one leg and hold steady. Soft landings: hop and land quietly with knees bent and tracking over the toes, and practice stopping under control from a run.
Why Builds ankle/knee stability and trains the landing and decel mechanics where knee injuries happen — key protection for a young athlete.
Slow rolls over calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and upper back; pause and breathe on tight spots for a few seconds.
Why Eases tightness and helps her bounce back between hard days.
1–2 min per muscle on calves, quads, hamstrings, and glutes. Keep it on the meat of the muscle — off the spine, joints, and bony areas.
Why Quick, targeted way to loosen tight muscles after a session or before bed.
Slip on the leg sleeves (add the hip after lots of running or lunging) for 15–20 min while relaxing — after sprint and strength days, through the taper, and after travel on the 10th.
Why Gentle pulsing compression flushes the legs and speeds recovery — the best passive tool she's got, especially after sitting in a car or plane.