Ever heard the phrase “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? That’s exactly what happens when young athletes drop physical development in-season and only focus on their sport. It might seem like more games, practices, and showcases are the key to success, but the truth is that this path often leads to burnout, injury, and missed potential.
Let’s flip the script and talk about what young athletes really need during the season: a plan that builds long-term athletic success, not just short-term performance.
The Growth Window: Why Ages 11–16 Are So Important
Think of your child’s athletic journey like building a house. If you skip the foundation and rush to the roof, it won’t hold up for long. The Canadian Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model highlights the “Training to Train” stage—ages 11–15 for girls and 12–16 for boys—as the time to lay that foundation.
During this stage, kids go through rapid physical and neurological changes. It’s the golden window for developing core athletic abilities like:
- Strength
- Speed
- Coordination
- Mobility
- Balance
- Skill adaptability
These are the pillars that support every future goal—whether that’s varsity sports, college scholarships, or just playing injury-free for the long haul.
“If you don’t take time to build the athlete, you’ll spend even more time later fixing the injuries and limitations.” – Rob Gray, PhD, Motor Learning Expert
What In-Season Training Should Look Like
Let’s be clear: in-season training isn’t about crushing heavy workouts or exhausting athletes. It’s about keeping the sword sharp and making smart progress. At this age, athletes can make continued progress, even through the season. The idea is to support your athlete’s development, not overload them.
That means keeping sessions short, focused, and tailored:
- 1–2 strength training sessions per week
- Emphasis on skill transfer (like landing, sprinting, cutting)
- Planned intensity changes with recovery weeks built in (these are not off weeks)
- Moderate loads, emphasizing form and speed, or reduced volume for maintained intensity (loads)
This training is different from practices or skills coaching. A soccer practice won’t teach proper jumping mechanics or build general strength. A basketball drill won’t teach sprint mechanics. That’s why you need qualified strength and conditioning coaches for physical literacy.
Too Much Game Time = Less Development
Let’s talk truth: playing your sport all year isn’t helping your athlete—it’s hurting them.
Here’s the all-too-common schedule – Soccer:
- Fall/Winter: Club regular season + boys school season + third potential practice team
- Winter/Spring: Club regular season + girls school season + third potential practice team
- Summer: Playoffs, tournaments, camps
- Sprinkle in skills coaches and extra training
- The Academy may be added to school schedules during class time.
OR
Hockey:
- Fall: Club regular season + academy
- Winter: Club regular season + tournaments and showcases + academy
- Spring: Playoffs + transition to Spring league + another potential practice team + academy
- Summer: Summer league, tournaments, camps
- Sprinkle in skills coaches and extra training or practices with other teams
The Academy may be added to school schedules during class time.
When does the athlete get a break? When do they learn to move better, recover, or just be a kid?
This cycle leads to:
- Overuse injuries (especially in knees, hips, and backs)
- Burnout and loss of love for the game
- Missed windows to develop speed, strength, and mobility
The research backs it up: a 2012 study by Lloyd and Oliver found that young athletes need exposure to varied, progressive, and fun training—not more games—to reach their potential.
What Real Development Looks Like
Want your athlete to improve? Here’s what actually works:
- Play your main sport during its season.
- Play other sports for fun and variety.
- Train all year, but with changes in focus and intensity.
- Learn new movements like weightlifting, jumping, sprinting, and decelerating.
- Recover—and yes, that means sleep, downtime, and laughter.
In other words, athletes should be getting better at being athletes first. This means building the biggest toolbox filled with a variety of skills. This includes sports skills from a variety of sports, physical literacy, sprinting, jumping, throwing, landing, cutting, and strength development. This builds that solid foundation upon which you build the largest peaks.
“Sport will always demand more. But if you keep giving more without building the base, the body will eventually say no.” – Jeremy Frisch, Youth Performance Coach
Final Thoughts: Stop Chasing Trophies, Start Building Athletes
The obsession with early success—more trophies, more games, more exposure—leads a lot of families down the wrong road. Showcasing at 13 doesn’t matter if your athlete’s body breaks down by 17.
Instead, give your athlete the time, space, and structure to develop the physical skills they need to thrive. Support in-season training. Let them rest. Let them explore other sports. Help them grow into durable, skilled, and well-rounded athletes.
Because the goal isn’t just to win the next game—it’s to build a strong, capable athlete for life.
References
- Lloyd, R. S., & Oliver, J. L. (2012). The youth physical development model: A new approach to long-term athletic development. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 34(3), 61–72.
- Canadian Sport for Life. (2014). Long-Term Athlete Development 2.0. Retrieved from https://sportforlife.ca
- Faigenbaum, A. D., et al. (2017). Resistance training for children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 140(6), e20171968.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (2016). Sports specialization and intensive training in young athletes. Pediatrics, 138(3), e20162148.