Stage by stage
- Ages 6-9 — build the movement alphabet: run, jump, land, skip, crawl, throw, catch, tumble. Play multiple sports. Coaching is mostly games and technique, not load.
- Ages 10-12 — teach skill under light load: bodyweight strength, medicine ball throws, hops and landings, sprint mechanics. Resistance training is safe and effective at this age when supervised and technique-first.
- Ages 13-15 — the growth spurt. Coordination and flexibility often regress temporarily and growth-plate related complaints (Osgood-Schlatter, Sever's) are common. Reduce volume during peak growth, protect the basics, keep training.
- Ages 16-18 — real strength and power development, position-specific speed and conditioning, and honest recruiting work.
- Ages 18+ — specialization, higher training density, and long-term career management.
Guardrails that protect young athletes
- Weekly organized-sport hours should not exceed the child's age in years (a 12-year-old: about 12 hours).
- Training hours should not exceed roughly twice free-play hours.
- Take at least one day fully off per week, and 3 months per year away from any one sport (it can be split into blocks).
- Early single-sport specialization is associated with higher rates of overuse injury and burnout without a reliable advantage in later success.
What actually helps from the sidelines
- Ask about effort and enjoyment before results. Kids who feel evaluated on outcome quit earlier.
- One coach's voice at a time. Coaching from the car ride home undoes technical work.
- Report pain, not soreness, immediately — especially joint pain lasting more than a few days, night pain, or limping.
- Fuel and sleep are parent-controlled variables. They matter more than any extra private session.
