Training Young Athletes With Long-Term Development in Mind

When it comes to training young athletes, our primary goal is not short-term performance, but long-term athletic development. That means building movement quality, coordination, strength, and confidence in a way that supports athletic success years down the road—not just today.

Rather than rushing athletes into heavy loading or sport-specific specialization, each training session follows a structured progression that aligns with proven LTAD principles: develop movement first, layer in control and strength, and finish with enjoyment and play.

Here’s how we approach a typical session.

1. Dynamic Warm-Up: Ground-Based Movement & Gymnastics

Every session begins with a dynamic warm-up centered around ground-based movement and low-level gymnastics. Exercises like somersaults, kick-throughs, bear crawls, and backward rolls expose young athletes to a wide range of movement patterns.

The goal here isn’t conditioning—it’s movement literacy. These drills help athletes learn how to control their bodies in space, become comfortable in unfamiliar positions, and develop spatial awareness. This foundation is critical for coordination, injury resilience, and future skill acquisition across all sports.

2. Balance & Coordination Work

Next, we move into dynamic balance and coordination exercises such as cone placements, alternating ball tosses, or walking along a balance “beam.”

At younger ages, balance and coordination are highly trainable qualities. Improving these abilities enhances stability, posture, and body awareness, all of which transfer directly to running, jumping, cutting, and sport-specific skills. This stage reinforces control before intensity.

3.Plyometrics & Medicine Ball Training

An important part of developing youth athletes from a performance and health perspective is introducing plyometrics. Things like pogos, low hurdle hops, skips and bounds are great for developing rhythm, elasticity and tendon health. Medicine balls are also a great tool fro young athletes to express force in different planes of motion. Things like slams, tosses, and chest passes are great options.

4. Tempo-Based Strength Foundations

Once movement quality is established, we introduce tempo work on a primary movement pattern. Tempo training emphasizes controlled, timed eccentric (lowering) phases and pauses rather than fast, uncontrolled repetitions.

For example, a goblet squat with a four-second eccentric teaches athletes how to move with intention, maintain positions, and own the full range of motion. This approach builds strength safely, reinforces proper technique, and prepares athletes to handle more advanced training as they mature.

5. Foundational Strength Circuits

From there, athletes complete a circuit of three to four exercises using bodyweight, bands, or minimal external load. Each circuit includes:

• One upper-body exercise

• One lower-body exercise

• One core-focused exercise

Repetition ranges typically fall between 10–15 reps, emphasizing quality movement over maximal effort. This phase develops a broad base of general strength, which is essential before progressing to heavier or more specialized training.

6. Game-Based Conditioning

We finish every session with game-based conditioning. Instead of traditional conditioning drills that feel like punishment, athletes train their cardiovascular system through games that are fun, competitive, and engaging.

This approach not only improves fitness, but also keeps athletes mentally invested and excited about training. Enjoyment is a key—often overlooked—pillar of long-term athletic development.

The Big Picture

Long-term athletic development is about progression, not acceleration. By prioritizing movement quality, coordination, controlled strength, and enjoyment, we help young athletes build a foundation that supports both performance and longevity.

The result? Athletes who move better, feel stronger, stay healthier, and develop a lifelong appreciation for training and sport.