Cookouts, trips to the lake and family vacations are in full swing as we move deeper into summer.

While taking some time to relax is nice, athletes often can’t afford to miss out on training. For those playing fall sports such as football, staying in shape during the summer is crucial.

It’s important to have a routine workout schedule. However, it’s easy to stray from that schedule when an opportunity to relax arises during the summer.

A recent article at Stack.com offered six backyard games that athletes can play during the summer to help hone their skills:

Push-up tag

Push-up tag is exactly what it sounds like, a combination of tag and push-ups that helps build upper-body strength and core stability.

• Have two people get in the push-up position.
• The goal of the game is to tap your opponent’s hand.
•  If your hand is tapped three times, you lose and have to do 10 push-ups.

Power ball

Power ball is a combination of several different sports, including football and basketball. You will need either a basketball or football and two trashcans to play.

• Divide into two teams, each at its own end of the playing area.
• One defensive player puts the ball in play by throwing it to the other team.
• When an athlete on offense catches the ball, he runs toward the opposing team’s trash can until he passes to a teammate or is tagged by an opponent.
• Once tagged, the athlete must stop, drop the ball and allow the opposing team to gain possession and try to score.
• A point is scored each time an athlete shoots the ball into the other team’s trash can without entering the safety area surrounding it. If an athlete enters the safety area, his team loses possession. If an athlete scores while in the area, a point is added to the opposing team’s total. Whenever a throw is intercepted or a point is scored, the defensive team goes on offense.

Boxing tag

Boxing tag is a significantly less physical version of boxing that is designed to help athletes with agility, conditioning and hand-eye coordination.

• Set up four cones in a 5-by-5-yard box to form an imaginary boxing ring.
• Get two players in the ring and have them attempt to tap each other on the shoulders, hips or knees.
• The idea is to keep moving the entire time.
• First player to 10 wins.

Pass precision

Pass precision is a game that will help players with agility, conditioning and hand-eye coordination. This two-team game is five minutes long and whichever team earns the most points is the winner.

• A clock is set for five minutes, and the ball is thrown in play.
• The team in control attempts to move the ball around the field without having it stolen by the opposing team.
• After a short time, someone throws a second ball into play.
• The team in control attempts to strike the second ball with the one already in play.
• Players must stay at least 6 feet away from the second ball.
• A point is scored when the ball is hit. The ball is then removed from the field, to be thrown in again later.

Balloon Bash

Balloon Bash is a much more organized version of the game “Don’t let the balloon touch the ground!” that has been popular at every event that has ever had a balloon present.

• Inflate a balloon and stand about 8 yards away from your partners.
• Hit the balloon toward a partner, not straight up in the air.
• If the balloon touches the ground near you, you’re out.
• The last person standing wins.

Ultimate Frisbee

While similar to football, Ultimate Frisbee gives athletes a chance to receive some of the benefits of football with considerably less contact.

• Form two teams and set up on different sides of the field.
• The game starts when a defensive player throws the Frisbee to an opposing player, much like a kickoff in football.
• When the offensive player catches or picks up the Frisbee, he or she must remain stationary and throw it to a moving teammate. This is repeated until the Frisbee is moved down the field and across the other team’s goal line—or intercepted by the other team.
• A point is scored each time an athlete catches the Frisbee in the other team’s end zone.
• When a throw is intercepted, or after a point is scored, the defensive team goes on offense.