Athletics is about getting stronger, faster, and healthier through steady practice. Over three months you'll train, track your progress, and see real improvement. You'll also learn what it means to compete with good sportsmanship.
Why it's worth it
Athletics is about racing your old self, not the fastest kid in school. You'll test yourself in things like sprints, jumps, or a long run, then train for three months and see the numbers change because of work you chose to do. Along the way you'll learn how food, sleep, and warm-ups affect your body, and you'll run a meet for others. That habit of setting a goal and tracking it carries into school, music, and any team you join.
Start this week
- Write down two sports or events you already enjoy and two you've never tried but are curious about.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of an Athletics counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Talk with a parent about getting a physical exam if you haven't had one in the past year, since requirement 2 covers why it matters.
- Set up a training log in a notebook or on a calendar so you're ready to record your first test results.
Plan ahead: Requirements 3 and 5 each need three months of training and tracking. Agree on your plan and options with your counselor, record your starting results, and begin early; work on the rest of the badge while the weeks add up.
Stay safe
- Warm up before every session, drink water often, and stop and tell an adult if you feel dizzy, sick, or sharp pain. In hot weather, train early or late in the day.
Requirements · 7
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
- Requirement 1
Safety and first aid
Tips for this section: Think about the injuries that can happen in sports you like, such as sprains or heat problems, and learn the first aid for each.
- Requirement 1a
Explain to your counselor the likeliest hazards in athletics and how to anticipate, help prevent, reduce, and respond to them
- Requirement 1b
Show your counselor you know first aid for athletics injuries and illnesses, including sprains, strains, bruises (contusions), scrapes (abrasions), blisters, dehydration, heat reactions, and concussions
- Requirement 2
Health habits
Tips for this section: Keep a simple food and sleep log for a week and look for ways to make healthy choices before and after workouts.
Example for this section: Keep a one-week food and sleep log, then talk about one change, like eating a banana and drinking water an hour before practice instead of chips, or getting nine hours of sleep the night before a meet.
- Requirement 2a
Discuss with your counselor why a yearly physical exam matters and why it covers overall health, shots, medications, allergies, and medical history; tell when your last physical was
- Requirement 2b
Explain to your counselor how you keep healthy habits, especially while training, and how tobacco, alcohol, and other harmful substances hurt your health and athletic performance
- Requirement 2c
Describe to your counselor what makes a balanced, nutritious diet and what you do to eat healthily
- Requirement 3
Personal training program
Tips for this section: Write your training plan on a calendar you'll see every day. Ask a coach or PE teacher to look it over.
Example for this section: A sample plan: Mondays and Thursdays sprint work (six 50-yard dashes with walking rests), Tuesdays and Saturdays a 20-minute run, Wednesdays push-ups, sit-ups, and stretching, Fridays and Sundays rest. Log each session and adjust every month.
- Requirement 3a
Pick an athletic activity you enjoy; with your counselor's guidance, set up a personal training program for it and follow it for 3 months
- Requirement 3b
Track your progress during those 3 months with a chart or other method
- Requirement 3c
Explain to your counselor the equipment your activity needs and the right clothing for it and for the season
- Requirement 3d
After 3 months, review your records from 3b with your counselor, discuss your progress, and tell how training affected you mentally and physically
- Requirement 4
Rules, warm-ups, and sportsmanship
Tips for this section: Show your warm-up routine to your counselor. Think of a time you saw good sportsmanship and what made it stand out.
Example for this section: Show your warm-up: five minutes of light jogging, then dynamic moves like leg swings, high knees, and arm circles. Then share a real sportsmanship moment, like a runner who stopped to help a fallen opponent.
- Requirement 4a
Explain the rules of two athletic activities, including the one you chose for requirement 3
- Requirement 4b
Discuss why warming up before and cooling down after every training session or event matters
- Requirement 4c
Tell your counselor what makes someone an amateur athlete and how amateurs differ from professionals
- Requirement 4d
Discuss what good sportsmanship looks like, why it matters, and its role in both individual and team sports
- Requirement 5
Four events, improving over three months. Choose 4 of 9
Tips for this section: Test yourself at the start, then train steadily. Record each result so you can see your improvement over the three months.
Example for this section: If your four options are a sprint, a jump, a long run, and an upper-body event like pull-ups, test all four in the first week, retest at six weeks, and test again at three months. A simple chart of the three results makes your progress easy to see.
- Requirement 5a
Option A: sprinting
- Requirement 5a1
100-meter dash: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5a2
200-meter dash: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5b
Option B: long-distance running
- Requirement 5b1
3k run: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5b2
5k run: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5c
Option C: long jump or high jump
- Requirement 5c1
Running jump (long jump or high jump), best of 3 tries: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5c2
Standing jump (long jump or high jump), best of 3 tries: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5d
Option D: swimming
- Requirement 5d1
100-meter swim: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5d2
200-meter swim: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5e
Option E: pull-ups and push-ups
- Requirement 5e1
Pull-ups in 2 minutes: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5e2
Push-ups in 2 minutes: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5f
Option F: baseball throw
- Requirement 5f1
Baseball accuracy throw, 10 throws at a target from 20 ft (ages 11–12), 30 ft (ages 13–15), or 40 ft (ages 16–17): show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5f2
Baseball throw for distance, total of 5 throws: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5g
Option G: basketball shooting
- Requirement 5g1
Basketball accuracy, 10 free throws: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5g2
Skill and agility shots
- Requirement 5g2a
Left-side layup
- Requirement 5g2b
Right-side layup
- Requirement 5g2c
Shot from the left side of the hoop along the key line
- Requirement 5g2d
Shot from the right side of the hoop along the key line
- Requirement 5g2e
Shot from the left spot where the key line meets the free-throw line
- Requirement 5g2f
Shot from the other spot where the key line meets the free-throw line
- Requirement 5g2g
Shot from the top of the key
- Requirement 5g2h
Shot from another spot on the 3-point line
- Requirement 5h
Option H: football or soccer kick
- Requirement 5h1
Goals from the 10-yard line, 8 kicks (football or soccer): show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5h2
Football or soccer kick for distance, total of 5 kicks: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5i
Option I: weight training
- Requirement 5i1
Chest/bench press, 2 sets of 15 reps: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 5i2
Leg curls, 2 sets of 15 reps: show improvement over 3 months
- Requirement 6
Sports meet
Tips for this section: Plan your sports meet with friends or your patrol. Learn the rules well before you serve as an official.
Example for this section: To plan a meet or field day: pick 10 events, at least five from the requirement 5 options, recruit timers and judges, list each official's duties and the equipment you'll need, draw a course map, and set a rain plan. As an official, explain the rules at the start and call every race the same way.
- Requirement 6a
Plan a sports meet or field day with 10 events, at least five from the requirement 5 options; outline each official's duties and list the equipment needed
- Requirement 6b
With approval from a parent or guardian and your counselor, volunteer or work as an official at a sports meet and watch the officials in action; tell your counselor your duties and what you learned
- Requirement 7
Careers or healthy lifestyle. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Look into jobs like athletic trainer, coach, or sports official, or keep up a sport as a lifelong hobby.
- Requirement 7a
Explore three athletics careers; research one (through an expert interview, site visit, or other sources) for training, education, costs, job outlook, pay, and advancement, then discuss it and your interest with your counselor
- Requirement 7b
Explore how an area of athletics could become a hobby or part of a healthy lifestyle; research related education, costs, and organizations, then talk over what you found and your goals with your counselor
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A high school or college track meet
Watching officials, starters, and timers at work helps you plan and run your own meet for requirement 6.
How: Go with your family or patrol. Many meets are free to watch; check the school's athletics calendar.
A sports medicine or physical therapy clinic
Athletic trainers and therapists can show how they prevent and treat the injuries in requirement 1.
How: Have a parent or your counselor call and ask if a trainer could talk with a small group of Scouts for 15 minutes.
Where it can lead
- Athletic trainerPrevents and treats injuries for teams and is often first on the field when someone gets hurt.
- Physical therapistHelps people recover from injuries and surgery through exercise.
- CoachPlans training and teaches skills at schools, clubs, and colleges.
- Sports officialReferees and judges games and meets; many start officiating youth leagues as teens.
- Personal trainerDesigns workout plans for clients; usually requires a certification rather than a degree.
Ask yourself
- What do you want your body to be able to do three months from now that it can't do today?
- Which week of training was hardest to stick with, and what kept you going?
- How did your eating or sleeping habits change once you started tracking them?
- What did it feel like to be the official instead of the competitor?
- What kind of exercise could you see yourself enjoying when you're 30?
Good questions to ask a coach or athletic trainer
- How do you help an athlete who feels like they've stopped improving?
- What's the most common injury you see in young athletes, and how can I avoid it?
- How should I balance training with rest?
- What does good sportsmanship look like when you lose a close game?
- How did you get into coaching or athletic training?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Host a troop sports meet so scouts can practice planning and officiating.
- Check in monthly on scouts' training logs to keep them motivated.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- School coach or PE teacher — Help with training plans, testing, and technique.
- MyPlate (opens in a new tab) — Simple guidance on healthy eating.
- Local recreation center — Tracks, gyms, and programs for practicing your events.
- President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (opens in a new tab) — Tips on staying active and eating well, from the U.S. government.
- USA Track & Field (opens in a new tab) — Youth track, field, and cross-country programs and event rules.
- Positive Coaching Alliance (opens in a new tab) — Ideas on sportsmanship and being a great teammate.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.