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,

I have coached female athletes for 7+ years and seen the importance of S&C on their overall development.

Physical development is such a key part and learning to jump and land is vital in performance and injury risk. Not just for the elite athletes, for all females.

See below on some tips on jumping and landing in female athletes and don’t forget to look at the bottom for a video I recorded on all things plyometrics!

Quick one before we get going. If you are a graduating S&C coach reading this, I have a great opportunity for you to get in to Pro Sport so if you are interested then hit reply and I will share more details! This will be just for a small number of you!

Now let’s get in to the newsletter!

In coaching female athletes, building strength, agility, and coordination are key, but there’s one area that deserves extra focus: jumping and landing techniques. Effective training in these areas is vital for boosting performance, preventing injuries, and instilling confidence.

Female athletes, in particular, are more prone to knee injuries like ACL tears, partly due to landing mechanics and muscle imbalances.

By integrating jumping and landing drills into your sessions, you can help your athletes become more powerful, stable, and confident.

Here’s why it matters and how you can start incorporating these elements into your coaching.

Why Jumping and Landing Techniques Are Essential

1. Injury Prevention

Female athletes face a higher risk of ACL injuries, in part due to differences in knee alignment and muscle activation patterns. In sports with frequent jumps and landings—like basketball, volleyball, and football—proper landing technique is essential for protecting the knees and lower body. Teaching safe landings reduces stress on joints, helping athletes avoid injuries that can set back their progress for an entire season.

2. Competitive Advantage with Power and Agility

Effective jump and landing techniques aren’t just about injury prevention; they improve overall performance. A powerful jump with a stable landing supports vertical height, lateral agility, and quick transitions, giving athletes a noticeable edge on the court or field.

3. Confidence in Movement

Controlled, safe movement patterns foster body awareness and confidence. When female athletes feel stable and strong during dynamic actions, they can push harder and play with greater assurance, which shows in performance. Confidence in movement isn’t just a skill—it’s an athletic advantage.

How to Coach Jumping and Landing Techniques

Step 1: Teach the Fundamentals

Before diving into advanced drills, focus on basic jumping and landing mechanics. Emphasize a soft knee bend, controlled landing, and balanced posture. Key cues to reinforce: “engage the core,” “keep knees aligned with toes,” and avoid “knock knees”—when knees collapse inward on landing.

• Example Drill: Begin with a basic vertical jump, focusing on a soft landing. Cue athletes with phrases like “land like a cat,” “keep your knees over toes,” or “engage your core.”

• Quick Wins: Coaches report athletes gaining more confidence and softer, more stable landings within just a few sessions. These improvements boost morale and reduce the risk of injury almost immediately.

Step 2: Build Explosive Power with Plyometrics

With the fundamentals down, introduce plyometric drills to develop explosive power. Plyometrics help athletes learn to generate force quickly and land in control. Begin with lower-intensity exercises, then gradually progress to more advanced movements as form improves.

• Example Drills:

  • Box Jumps: Start with a low box, guiding athletes to land softly with knees slightly bent. As they improve, increase box height to build power and control.

  • Broad Jumps: Forward jumps to teach power and balance in a controlled landing, enhancing core stability.

• Quick Wins: Plyometric drills improve reaction times and jump height quickly, keeping athletes motivated and building tangible power gains that transfer to game performance.

Step 3: Add Sport-Specific Movements

Adapt drills to match the specific demands of your athletes’ sports. For instance, basketball players may benefit from multidirectional jumping, while football players need lateral explosiveness. Sport-specific drills help athletes transfer these skills to game scenarios, reinforcing confidence under pressure.

• Example Drill: Set up cones in a zig-zag pattern and have athletes perform lateral jumps between them, developing the agility and balance needed for quick directional changes in-game.

• Quick Wins: Adding sport-specific movements improves agility and control, allowing athletes to feel game-ready and capable of more fluid movements in real play situations.

Step 4: Develop Strength with Single-Leg Drills

Single-leg jumping and landing drills strengthen each leg individually, enhancing balance, coordination, and knee stability. These drills address muscle imbalances and are crucial for reducing ACL injury risks.

• Example Drill: Have athletes perform single-leg hops, focusing on a stable landing with minimal wobble. Use cues like “land quietly,” “steady knee,” and “engage the core.”

• Quick Wins: Single-leg stability exercises quickly highlight and correct asymmetries, helping athletes feel more balanced and confident within a few training sessions.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

1. Mistake: Knees Collapse Inward (Valgus Knee Position)

   • Fix: Cue “knees out” or “knees aligned with toes.” Emphasize glute engagement to improve stability and correct alignment.

2. Mistake: Hard Landings

   • Fix: Reinforce “soft knees” and “land quietly.” Remind athletes to absorb the impact by bending at the knees and hips, distributing force through the body.

3. Mistake: Lack of Core Engagement

   • Fix: Remind athletes to “engage the core” as they jump and land, promoting overall stability and reducing unnecessary movement.

Coach’s Checklist

Before wrapping up each session, use this quick checklist to make sure athletes are landing safely and in control:

• Knees are aligned with toes on landing

• Landings are soft and controlled, with a quiet impact

• Core is engaged throughout the jump and landing

• Hips, knees, and ankles work together in alignment to support stable landings

Coach’s Testimonial

“One of my biggest challenges was getting athletes to land without risking their knees. After incorporating these drills into our sessions, I noticed immediate improvements in how stable they felt during games. They were more confident, and we saw fewer injuries over the season.” — Coach Sarah, Basketball and Volleyball

Start Implementing These Drills Today

Integrating these jumping and landing techniques into your training sessions will give your female athletes the stability, confidence, and power they need to excel. Help them achieve controlled, explosive movements that reduce injury risks while boosting game-day performance. Get started today and watch your athletes’ power, control, and competitive edge grow!

If you’d like more tips on implementing these exercises or have questions about customising them for your sport, simply reply to this email. I’m here to help you make the biggest impact on your athletes’ development!

Here is a video on how plyometrics can help your coaching!

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