Practical Application for Long-term Athletic Development

Developing a comprehensive long-term athletic development program in the United States is critical. The program must start at the youth level. This article will focus on ages 3–14 years. The following information is for coaches, parents, and sport organization directors. To date, little has been done to provide youth coaches with knowledge of how to teach and develop proper movement techniques. Coaches are left often with an excessive number of competitions, incomplete athlete development, and an emphasis on sports-specific skills only. Many athletes suffer systemic overuse injuries caused by improper training and repeated sub-maximal repetition stress, followed by inadequate recovery (26). This article will offer a framework for practical, functional, and sequential Skill Development to assist coaches with a “best practices” model to develop a movement vocabulary, physical literacy, and movement skills that improve athleticism.