Essential Skills Young Athletes Should Be Working On

Introduction

Parents and coaches often ask: What should a young athlete actually be working on? The short answer: fundamentals. Foundational movement competence, balance and coordination, age-appropriate strength, speed, and agility mechanics, and good recovery habits are skills that transfer across sports and protect children from injury while boosting long-term performance potential (Barnett et al., 2016; Behringer et al., 2010). Avoiding premature specialization and fostering broad motor skill development are also recommended (Mosher et al., 2021).

1. Movement Quality and Fundamental Motor Skills

Why this matters: Fundamental movement skills (FMS), such as locomotor (running, jumping), object control (throwing, catching), and stability (balancing), are the building blocks of sport skills and participation in physical activity (Barnett et al., 2016). Higher motor competence is associated with greater physical activity and better health outcomes in youth.

Coach tips

• Prioritize technique early: use short teaching cues, schedule frequent short sessions, and incorporate play-based practice.

• Include squat patterning, hinge mechanics, and basic pushing/pulling variants.

• Use progressions: bilateral → unilateral → reactive/unplanned movement.

(Evidence: Barnett et al., 2016; Logan et al., 2015).

2. Balance, Coordination, and Spatial Awareness

Why this matters: Balance and coordination are foundational skills for agility and quick decision-making on the field. Interventions and skill practice can improve gross motor competence in children and adolescents (Barnett et al., 2016).

Coach tips

• Single-leg balance progressions (eyes open → eyes closed → unstable surface).

• Hand-eye and foot-eye drills (bounce-catch, ladder + ball toss).

• Reactive games that require rapid orientation to changing stimuli.

(Cited evidence: Barnett et al., 2016).

3. Age-Appropriate Strength Training (Technique First)

Why this matters: Resistance training produces meaningful strength gains in youth when programs are supervised, progressive, and technique-focused. Trainability generally increases with age and maturation, and duration/volume matter for adaptation (Behringer et al., 2010; Myer et al., 2017). Well-designed strength work also supports injury prevention.

Coach tips

• Start with bodyweight control and movement quality (pushups, split squats, deadlift pattern with PVC/empty bar).

• Supervised progressive loading (low-to-moderate loads, emphasis on tempo and control).

• Avoid maximal lifts and high technical complexity until movement competency is solid.

(Evidence: Behringer et al., 2010; Lesinski et al., 2016, as summarized in reviews).

4. Power & Plyometrics (When Ready)

Why this matters: Plyometric/jump training improves jumping ability and explosive qualities in adolescents when dose and contact frequency are appropriate. Recent meta-analyses have shown positive effects and identified proper dose ranges (Chen et al., 2023).

Coach tips

• Only introduce plyometrics once athletes demonstrate landing control and sufficient strength.

• Use low-to-moderate total ground-contact volumes initially.

• Emphasize soft, athletic landings and progressive load (double-leg → single-leg → reactive).

(Evidence: Chen et al., 2023).

5. Speed Mechanics & Acceleration

Why this matters: Speed is skillful; sprint posture, arm drive, and proper acceleration mechanics reduce injury risk and improve efficiency. Teaching sprint mechanics early (age-appropriate drills) pays off later in sport-specific contexts.

Coach tips

• Short technical sprints focusing on posture and arm drive (10–30 m).

• Hill sprints or resisted sprints are used sparingly to emphasize acceleration.

• Always pair speed work with solid warm-ups and movement prep.

(Supported by long-term athlete development literature and applied reviews; see Ford, 2011; LTAD frameworks).

6. Agility, Deceleration & Change-of-Direction

Why this matters: Deceleration and re-acceleration are frequent causes of soft-tissue injuries when athletes lack eccentric control and proper technique: train deceleration, multi-directional movement, and reactive agility drills (not just planned COD drills).

Coach tips

• Include braking drills: controlled falls, backward running to a gentle stop, and drop-and-stop decelerations.

• Use decision-based drills (coach shout/ball cue) to develop reactive agility.

(Evidence supports training deceleration and reactive agility to reduce injury and improve performance — see LTAD reviews and applied evidence summaries).

7. Recovery, Sleep, and Habits That Protect Athletes

Why this matters: Sleep and recovery are not optional. Insufficient sleep among adolescents is associated with increased injury risk and poorer performance measures (Coel et al., 2022). Teaching sleep hygiene and proper recovery habits constitutes a performance- and safety-related intervention.

Coach tips

• Encourage ≥8 hours of sleep per night where possible; reduce screen time 60–90 minutes before bed; maintain consistent sleep/wake times.

• Teach simple recovery practices: hydration, nutrition basics, and light active recovery on off days.

• Screen for chronic sleep issues and refer when needed.

(Evidence: Coel et al., 2022; supporting systematic reviews).

8. Avoiding Early Specialization: Encourage Play & Variety

Why this matters: Systematic reviews warn that early, exclusive specialization is associated with increased risk of overuse injuries and may hinder broad motor skill development. While the mechanisms remain an active research area, the practical recommendation is to promote diversified sport exposure through early adolescence (Mosher et al., 2021).

Coach tips

• Encourage children to play multiple sports and engage in unstructured play.

• If a child focuses on one sport, keep training load, rest, and cross-training in mind.

• Plan seasons and off-seasons intentionally to allow physical and mental recovery.

(Evidence: Mosher et al., 2021; guideline syntheses).

Practical Programming Example:

A weekly microcycle for a 13–15-year-old multisport athlete (sample, progress as competency allows):

• Monday: Movement quality + light strength (bodyweight/lighter loads + technique) + short sprint mechanics.

• Wednesday: Plyometric progressions (Low TGCF) + deceleration drills + mobility.

• Friday: Strength session (moderate load, slow tempo emphasis) + coordination drills.

• Saturday: Sport practice (technical/tactical) with integrated reactive agility games.

• Daily: Sleep hygiene focus, nutrition basics, hydration.

(Adapt volumes based on maturation, prior training experience, and sport season).

Conclusion

If you’re developing young athletes, start with: movement quality, motor skill competence, age-appropriate plyometric training, speed and deceleration mechanics, and recovery habits such as adequate sleep and proper nutrition. These skills create a resilient, adaptable athlete who can enjoy sport for life and reach their performance potential without unnecessary injury risk. For Graves Athletics, that means progressive, supervised training that prioritizes technique, variety, and long-term development.

References

Behringer, M., vom Heede, A., Yue, Z., & Mester, J. (2010). Effects of resistance training in children and adolescents: A meta-analysis. Pediatrics, 126(5), e1199–e1210. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2010-0445

Barnett, L. M., Lai, S. K., Veldman, S. L. C., Hardy, L. L., Cliff, D. P., Morgan, P. J., Zask, A., Lubans, D. R., Shultz, S. P., Ridgers, N. D., Rush, E., Brown, H. L., & Okely, A. D. (2016). Correlates of gross motor competence in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 46(11), 1663–1688. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0495-z

Chen, L., Huang, Z., Xie, L., He, J., Ji, H., Huang, W., Li, D., Zhou, Y., & Sun, J. (2023). Maximizing plyometric training for adolescents: A meta-analysis of ground contact frequency and overall intervention time on jumping ability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 21222.

Coel, R. A., Pujalte, G. G. A., Applewhite, A. I., Zaslow, T., Cooper, G., Ton, A. N., & colleagues. (2022). Sleep and the young athlete. Sports Health, 15(4), 537–546. https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381221108732

Ford, P. R., et al. (2011). The Long-Term Athlete Development model. Journal of Sports Sciences (review of LTAD literature). [See: Ford, 2011 review of LTAD and Balyi model].

Mosher, A., Till, K., Fraser-Thomas, J., & Baker, J. (2021). Revisiting early sport specialization: What’s the problem? Sports Health, 14(1), 13–19.