How Training Evolves as Young Athletes Grow

Over the past few months, we have explored how junior athletes develop strong movement foundations, improve coordination, and learn new skills through a variety of movement experiences. We have also looked at how physical development supports skill learning and why these early years are so important for long-term athletic development. 

As young athletes continue to grow, another important question naturally follows: 

How should training change as children get older? 

This is one of the most common questions we receive from parents and athletes within the Junior Development Program. 

The answer is reassuringly simple. 

Training should grow with the athlete. 

Not simply with their age, but with their development, experience, and readiness to learn. 

Growth Is More Than Getting Taller 

When we think about growth, we often think about height. 

But growth involves far more than simply getting bigger. 

As children move through adolescence, their muscles become stronger, their bones lengthen, and their nervous system continues to mature. At the same time, coordination, balance, concentration, confidence, and decision-making are also developing. 

All of these changes influence how young athletes move, learn, and respond to training. 

This is why two athletes of the same age can look and perform very differently. 

And that's completely normal. 

Every child develops at their own pace. 

Development Isn't a Race 

It can be tempting to compare young athletes. 

Some children grow earlier. 

Some become stronger sooner. 

Others appear naturally faster or more coordinated. 

However, early success is not always a predictor of future performance. 

Many world-class athletes were late developers who simply continued improving over time. 

Long-term athlete development isn't about who develops first. 

It's about who continues developing year after year. 

Progress should be measured over years, not weeks. 

Training Should Grow With the Athlete 

As athletes mature, training gradually evolves. 

This doesn't happen overnight. 

Instead, every stage builds on the one before it. 

In the early years, the focus is on developing movement confidence, coordination, balance, and a love for being active. 

As athletes become older and more experienced, they gradually develop greater strength, movement efficiency, and physical robustness. 

Later, training begins to become more specific to the demands of their chosen athletics events. 

Throughout this journey, one principle remains the same: 

Every stage prepares athletes for the next. 

What Does Progression Actually Look Like? 

Progression is often much smaller than people expect. 

Rather than introducing completely new exercises every few months, coaches gradually increase the challenge while keeping familiar movement patterns. 

For example, a young athlete may first learn how to squat using only their body weight. Once they demonstrate good control and movement quality, they may progress to holding a light medicine ball before eventually learning more structured strength exercises as they mature. 

The same applies to jumping. Athletes first learn how to land safely and absorb force before progressing to hopping, bounding, and more advanced plyometric exercises as their strength and coordination improve. 

Even sprinting follows a similar pathway. Before athletes are asked to run faster, they first learn posture, rhythm, balance, and how to apply force efficiently. Speed is built on good movement, not simply greater effort. 

These gradual progressions help athletes build confidence while ensuring they develop the physical and technical foundations needed for future performance. 

Learning Before Loading 

Parents often ask when their child should begin lifting heavier weights or completing more advanced training. 

The simple answer is: 

When they are ready. 

Before athletes can produce large amounts of force, they first need to learn how to move well. 

They need balance. 

They need coordination. 

They need body awareness. 

Once these foundations are established, increasing training becomes both safer and more effective. 

This philosophy is often summarised in one simple principle: 

Learn first. Load later. 

How the Centre of Excellence Supports Progression 

At the NSW Athletics Junior Development Program (JDP), progression is built into every session. 

Rather than expecting every athlete of the same age to complete exactly the same activities, coaches adjust the level of challenge based on how each athlete moves, learns, and develops. 

This means one athlete may spend more time refining movement quality, while another may be ready to progress towards more challenging strength, coordination, or athletic development activities. 

Our coaches continually observe how athletes move, respond to coaching, and develop over time. This allows sessions to evolve naturally as athletes become more capable and confident. 

The goal is never to move athletes through the program as quickly as possible. 

The goal is to ensure they develop the right skills at the right time. 

By building movement competency first, athletes are better prepared to tolerate higher training loads, learn more advanced technical skills, and continue enjoying athletics for many years to come. 

Looking Ahead 

As athletes continue progressing through the pathway, training naturally becomes more purposeful. 

They begin to understand why they are completing different exercises, how physical preparation supports their event, and how good habits contribute to long-term success. 

Parents also play an important role during this stage. 

Supporting consistency, encouraging patience, and recognising that every athlete develops differently helps create an environment where young people can continue growing with confidence. 

Final Thought 

Growing up in sport is not about moving through the pathway as quickly as possible. 

It is about moving through it at the right time. 

The movement skills learned today support the strength developed tomorrow. 

The strength developed tomorrow supports technical performance in the future. 

Every stage has a purpose. 

At the Centre of Excellence and within the NSW Athletics Junior Development Program, our goal is to guide young athletes through each stage of development with confidence, enjoyment, and appropriate progression. 

Because long-term success isn't built by rushing the process. 

It's built by respecting it, one step at a time.