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By Isaac Leung, Athletic Skills

Hey reader,

Why Kids Move Worse Than Ever… And What Coaches Can Do

We’re coaching a new generation of kids—one that moves worse than ever before.

Think about it.

Ten, twenty years ago, kids would spend their free time climbing trees, sprinting through fields, kicking a ball in the street until the streetlights came on. They weren’t training, but they were developing balance, agility, coordination, and endurance—just by playing.

Today? We see a different reality.

🏠 Kids spend more time indoors, glued to screens.
🏃‍♂️ Multi-sport play is declining—specialization is starting too early.
🛑 Every movement is structured, leaving little room for free exploration.

The decline is staggering. Studies show youth physical activity levels have dropped by over 30% in the past two decades. Injuries like ACL tears and growth-related conditions are increasing at an alarming rate. We are seeing more injuries, less athleticism, and a worrying decline in movement skills—even at the elite academy level. Kids are running slower, jumping lower, and struggling to control their bodies in ways that should come naturally.

The Hard Truth: We Are Part of the Problem

As coaches, we have two choices:

1️⃣ We can complain about the ‘good old days’ and blame society. 2️⃣ We can adapt and find new ways to build the physical skills our players are missing.

Because here’s the thing—if we don’t fix this, no one else will, and we will see more talented players break down before they even reach their prime.

Why Traditional Fitness Approaches Fail Young Athletes

Too often, when we recognize a physical gap, we react with old-school conditioning drills:

❌ More running. ❌ More laps. ❌ More ‘fitness work’ separate from the game.

This isn’t the answer.

You don’t make kids faster, more agile, or more injury-resistant by making them hate movement. You do it by making movement an integral part of their game.

The Simple Fix: Training Smarter, Not Harder

Here’s the good news: You don’t need extra time, a gym, or fancy equipment to develop movement skills. You just need to rethink how you coach.

1️⃣ Warm-Ups That Build Better Movers

Every warm-up is an opportunity to develop speed, agility, and coordination—if done right.

✅ Ditch the static stretches and slow jogging. ✅ Use games like tag variations, reaction drills, and agility-based races. ✅ Introduce jumping, landing, and quick changes of direction to build resilience.

Let’s stop wasting warm-ups. Make every movement count.

2️⃣ Integrate Physical Development Into Your Drills

Instead of isolating ‘fitness work,’ ask: How can I challenge movement within the game?

✅ Design drills that force quick acceleration, deceleration, and changes of direction. ✅ Use constraints—smaller areas, quicker transitions—to naturally develop endurance and agility. ✅ Make physical challenges part of the session—not an afterthought.

Even elite-level athletes like Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haaland built their explosiveness by integrating movement-focused drills into their skill work—why aren’t we doing the same for young players?

3️⃣ Encourage Free Play & Movement Variety

The best athletes aren’t just footballers. They’re movers.

✅ Encourage your players to play multiple sports—just like legends such as Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer did. ✅ Let them explore different ways of moving—climbing, rolling, jumping. ✅ Bring back unstructured, game-based playwhere creativity and instinct develop naturally.

The Real Question: Are We Setting Them Up for Success?

This isn’t about ‘fitness.’ It’s about preparing kids for the demands of the game.

It’s about making sure a young player’s body can keep up with their talent.

It’s about building the next generation of athletes who can move, react, and perform at the highest level.

So, let me ask you:

Are you actively building better movers in your sessions, or are you leaving it to chance? The way you coach today will determine the athletes of tomorrow. Or are you assuming that somehow, they’ll figure it out themselves?

Let’s start the conversation.

• How have you seen movement quality change in young players?

• What are you doing to keep physical development at the heart of your sessions?

• What’s your favorite movement-based drill to incorporate into training?

Hit ‘Reply’ and let’s talk.

Because if we don’t fix this problem, no one else will.

Stay strong, stay smart, and let’s build better players—together.

Speak soon,

Isaac 🙂 

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Here is a good podcast to watch about Youth Sports!