Athlete Development

Athlete Development

Why the youth athlete is much more vulnerable to injury

Over half of school age children participate in at least 3 hours of organised sport each week. For many young athletes it is considerably more....

Make sport fun.

What is fun? And why is it so important? Enjoyment is the number one reason athletes play sport. Yet creating an environment that is enjoyable...

Reduce injuries by focusing on what matters most

Old school thinking says that, to make the top, athletes must do two things: work hard and train more than everyone else. One of those...

Talent Identification: How we’re failing youth athletes

Early specialisation. It exists when a young athlete concentrates all of their efforts on a single sport, year round. And more and more, sports...

Stop Checking Facebook Before Bed.

Sleep. How important is it? Are you getting enough and is it good quality?  Do you schedule it into your weekly training plan? Most youth...

How to learn faster and increase performance

Think back to when you were a kid. What did sport mean to you? A local primary school recently asked their students why they play sport....

Sacrifice vs. Choice

To sacrifice is to give something up for the sake of something else. However, the word comes with negative connotations. “That pizza all my friends...

Parents, are you negatively affecting your child’s performance?

One of the most important elements of success for every youth athlete is the right supp ort from their parents. But you knew that, right? Here’s...

5 things parents can do to help their kids get more...

This sign has been doing the rounds on social media for a little while now. It’s proven to be very popular with a lot...

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Debunking a common myth: Youth weight training

There are these common generational myths that have been passed down to us and it would be fair to say that we really don’t...

AD Alumni: Anna Steven

We're shining the spotlight on some of Athlete Development's alumni who are doing great things in their chosen sport. Meet sprinter Anna Steven, who...

Preparing for school and club sport

Now that school and club sports teams trainings and games are gearing up again, what can your young athletes do to better prepare for...

Pat Chat: Sleep enhancement for youth athletes

In the second of our three-part series,  AD Academy Programme Manager and Lead Coach Patrick Davenport focuses on the importance of sleep for the...

How can you build psychological safety?

When it comes to pursuing excellence, moving from where we are now to a place that is more effective, how we behave is what...