Be an Elite Coach, Build Elite Athletes

Things to develop your coaching and have a greater impact on your athletes. You define what your “elite” is!

By Isaac Leung, Athletic Skills

Hey reader,

Are you preparing your athletes for today—or for the future?

Too often, we focus on short-term wins and rigid drills, but true success comes from building adaptable, resilient athletes who love what they do. This newsletter explores how to blend fun, creativity, and purpose into your coaching to create athletes who thrive now and in the years to come.

Coaching with Purpose: Building Better Athletes Through Fun, Movement, and Adaptability

Would you put your least experienced teacher in charge of a classroom of young students? Of course not. So why do we often take the same approach with youth sports coaching?

As coaches, we have the opportunity—and responsibility—to shape the foundational years of an athlete’s development. These years are critical, where movement patterns, adaptability, and confidence are built. But too often, training is rigid, overly focused on technical drills, or simply not engaging enough to keep athletes coming back.

Here’s how you can reshape your coaching to better prepare young athletes for success, both on and off the field.

Why Early Specialisation Holds Athletes Back

Early specialisation is like teaching a child only one subject at school. They might excel at it, but they miss out on the broad learning that makes them well-rounded. Similarly, young athletes who focus solely on one sport too early often lack the varied movement skills—like sprinting, jumping, and rotating—that underpin athletic success.

💡 Coaching Tip: Encourage athletes to explore multiple sports or incorporate diverse movement skills into your sessions. This builds a solid foundation for future specialisation, reducing injury risk and improving performance.

Make Movement Fun and Functional

Training doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Adding an element of fun not only keeps athletes engaged but also encourages creativity and problem-solving—key components of long-term athletic success.

• Relay Races: Add challenges, like passing a ball while lunging, to develop coordination and strength.

• Animal Movements: Use playful movements like bear crawls or frog jumps to teach body control and agility.

• Creative Problem-Solving: Set challenges like “only one hand and one foot can touch the ground” and watch athletes collaborate to find solutions.

💡 Coaching Tip: Use warm-ups to introduce these engaging, skill-based activities. They’re an ideal way to energise sessions while developing fundamental movement patterns.

Combine Physical and Technical Training

Why separate conditioning from skill development? Combining physical and technical drills creates game-like scenarios, helping athletes connect movement with decision-making.

• During small-sided games, pull players aside for quick coaching on deceleration or lateral movement.

• Use constraints in your drills to encourage specific behaviours. For instance, limit defenders in football drills to promote quick decision-making and passing under pressure.

💡 Coaching Tip: Design your drills so the environment does the coaching. Athletes will naturally adapt and learn through exploration without the need for constant instruction.

Training for the Chaos of Competition

In real games, nothing is predictable. Training should reflect this. While controlled drills teach foundational skills, chaotic, game-like scenarios prepare athletes for the unpredictable nature of sport.

• Start with Control: Teach proper body positioning and deceleration cues like “chop your feet” during drills.

• Progress to Chaos: Add defenders, uneven ground, or time constraints to mimic the demands of competition.

💡 Coaching Tip: After chaotic drills, ask reflective questions: “What worked well? How did that feel? What would you change next time?” This encourages athletes to think critically and internalise their learning.

Add Variety for Engagement and Adaptability

No two sessions should feel identical. Variability keeps training fresh, improves adaptability, and encourages athletes to stay motivated.

For instance, one coach promised their team no gym session would ever be the same. While core components like strength work remained consistent, warm-ups and auxiliary drills were always varied.

💡 Coaching Tip: Add challenges to classic exercises—like experimenting with different types of squats or gamifying warm-ups. This not only keeps athletes engaged but also improves their ability to adapt to new situations.

Letting Athletes Take the Lead

Great coaching isn’t about controlling every moment—it’s about creating an environment where athletes can problem-solve and develop independence.

• Ask Questions: Instead of giving the answers, ask, “Why did that work? How could you adjust next time?”

• Observe First: Give athletes the chance to self-correct before stepping in.

• Encourage Ownership: Empower athletes to reflect on their performance and take charge of their growth.

💡 Coaching Tip: Athletes are often more intuitive than we realise. Stepping back allows them to build confidence, resilience, and autonomy.

Final Thoughts: Coaching for Long-Term Success

The best coaching isn’t about perfect drills or flawless execution. It’s about helping athletes adapt, solve problems, and enjoy the process of improvement. By blending fun, creativity, and purposeful movement into your sessions, you can set your athletes up for long-term success, both on and off the field.

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Speak soon,

Isaac 🙂