High school is the most important time for athletic development, and as a coach, it’s important that you make the most of this period by implementing the right program to build proper training habits and maximize growth. Around the ages of 13-18, the bodies of young athletes are experiencing a lot of changes. Hormone levels are shooting through the roof. This promotes growth and can allow the body to finally adapt to the demands of training. Most of your athletes will be training for the first time. This is a huge benefit for you as a coach because every athlete is an empty slate. There are no bad habits that need to be unlearned, and even though teaching proper movement is a huge necessity due to this lack of experience, athletes of this age learn so much easier than those who have been training a certain way for multiple years. However, because the athlete is so responsive to their environment at this age, bad habits and faulty movement can also be ingrained much easier if not addressed right away. As a coach, your most important job is to develop habits that an athlete will take into the rest of career. From athletic development, to movement patterns, and even the enjoyment players get out of your high school training program, you are building a blueprint that will have a great impact on the rest of the athletes life.

Why high school training needs are different than a professionals

High school athletes should not be doing the same training program as professionals. Likewise, professionals should not be training like high school athletes. Far too often, we see coaches take a training style implemented at the professional level and try to apply it to their high school athletes. This is not to say there aren’t some applicable movements and methods of training that transcend all levels of sports, but
the way training is structured in these two cases should not look identical. This is because the needs of the high school and professional athlete are much different than each other. As we’ve mentioned, the goal of a good high school program is to build general athleticism. A professional has already gone through years of general strength training during their time at the high school and college level. They are at the point in their career where they are simply “strong enough”. Adding 10 pounds to a 600 pound squat won’t improve their performance on the field as much as improving VMO or rotator cuff stability will.

Essential of a good high school developmental program

The training goals for these professionals has shifted from building athleticism to maintaining athleticism. Most professionals come into the league at their peak athletic potential. Whether it be from compiling injuries, or the general wear and tear of getting older, the body is going to be more likely to break down than it is to build. At this point, professionals are just trying to maintain this peak for as long as possible, so training is going to be focused more on health and longevity. These athletes have been able to identify over years of training what their strengths and weaknesses are as an athlete, so they spend much more time addressing these weaknesses in training. The high school athlete, however has not developed enough to properly identify where their strengths and weaknesses are. A high school athlete does not need to specify training as much because of this. Training programs should be balanced and promote a holistic approach to development.