These seven moves protect the two areas that take the most wear at your age: the heel and the front of the knee. Both are still growing. The stretches keep the muscles from pulling too hard on them; the strength moves teach the tendons to take load.

The stretches live in morning stretches, the strength moves are built into the run-day timers (recovery run, tabata sprints, tempo run). This page is the form reference — come back here when you’re not sure a move is right.

the stretches (daily)

Calf stretch — knee straight — hands on a wall, one leg back, that knee straight, heel pressed down. You feel it high in the calf. 30 seconds each side.

Calf stretch — knee bent — same position, but the back knee bent. You feel it lower, near the achilles. The calf is really two muscles; the knee angle picks which one gets the stretch. 30 seconds each side.

Couch stretch — back foot up on a couch or against a wall, front leg in a lunge, push the hips forward. Stretch across the front of the hip and thigh. About a minute each side.

Short-foot drill — barefoot. Dome the arch without curling your toes — pull the ball of the foot toward the heel, toes stay flat. Hold 5 seconds, release. 10 each foot.

the strength moves (run days)

Calf drops — stand on a step (a stair, a curb, or a thick book against a wall) with heels off the back. Up onto both toes, then lower one foot down slowly — 3 to 4 seconds — past step level. Back up with both feet. 3 sets of 10 each side. The most important move on this page.

Wall sit — back against the wall, slide down until the knees are around 70–90 degrees. Hold 40 seconds, three times. Quiet and boring is the point.

Bridges — on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Lift the hips and squeeze at the top — the big muscles in your seat do the work. 3 sets of 10. Move to single-leg when both-legs feels easy and your hips stay level.

when to say something

Tell mum or dad if any of these shows up:

  • pain at the back of the heel when you press it, or walking barefoot in the morning
  • tenderness at the bumpy spot just below the kneecap, top of the shin
  • morning stiffness in heels or knees that doesn’t loosen in a few minutes
  • pain during or after training that feels different from normal soreness

None of these mean stopping football. They mean back off and check — a day early costs a day. Weeks late costs weeks.

progression. these get harder on their own: single-leg calf drops once two feet feel easy, single-leg bridges once your hips stay level. slow is the progression — a three-second lower does far more than a fast one.

background: heel pain, explained calmly · knee pain, explained calmly