When you’re building a house, the first and most important step is laying the foundation. Without a strong, solid base, no matter how impressive the design or how beautiful the finishing touches are, the house will eventually falter. Cracks will appear, walls may shift, and the entire structure becomes vulnerable. The same is true for athletic development—especially for youth athletes. Without a solid foundation of movement competence, even the most talented young athletes will struggle to reach their full potential, and worse, they may find themselves facing injuries and setbacks.
The Foundation of Movement Competence
Movement competence refers to an athlete’s ability to perform basic movement patterns—like squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, and jumping—with proper technique, strength, and control. These foundational movements form the bedrock of all athletic activities. Whether your child plays football, basketball, rugby, or any other sport, their ability to move well will determine how successful they are on the field or court.
However, many young athletes, driven by the desire to perform at a high level, skip over the foundational work and jump straight into more advanced training. They may load up on heavy weights, attempt complex exercises, or focus solely on sports-specific skills without first mastering basic movement patterns. This is the equivalent of trying to build a skyscraper on shaky, incomplete foundations—it may stand for a while, but sooner or later, cracks will begin to show.
The Dangers of Poor Foundations
Just like a house built on poor foundations, athletes with inadequate movement competence are vulnerable to a number of issues:
- Injury: Poor movement patterns place unnecessary stress on joints, muscles, and connective tissues. Over time, this can lead to overuse injuries, muscle imbalances, and serious conditions like tendinitis or stress fractures. Without proper movement competence, young athletes are at much higher risk of injury.
- Poor Performance: An athlete who hasn’t built a solid foundation of movement competence will struggle with advanced skills. For example, an athlete who hasn’t mastered the squat pattern won’t be able to generate power in their legs, which is essential for sprinting, jumping, or changing direction quickly. Poor movement efficiency also leads to wasted energy and suboptimal performance in competition.
- Stunted Long-Term Development: When athletes rush through foundational training or skip it altogether, they limit their long-term potential. Just as a weak foundation prevents a house from being expanded or built higher, poor movement competence restricts an athlete’s ability to handle more advanced training down the line. Without a strong base, it becomes difficult to develop strength, speed, and power effectively.
Why Movement Competence Matters for Youth Athletes
Youth athletes are in their most critical stage of development. At this age, they are like blank slates—their nervous systems are highly adaptable, and they have the capacity to learn and refine new movement patterns with relative ease. However, if they develop bad habits early on—like poor posture, incorrect movement mechanics, or inefficient coordination—it becomes much harder to correct those habits later in their athletic careers.
This is why focusing on movement competence at an early age is so important. It’s not about rushing to lift the heaviest weight or master the most complex skill—it’s about laying the groundwork for long-term success. Once a young athlete has mastered the fundamentals, they can safely and effectively progress to more advanced training.
The Importance of Progression
Think of movement competence as the foundation upon which everything else is built. Once the foundation is strong, you can begin adding layers—strength training, speed work, agility drills, and sports-specific skills. But if you skip the foundation, those layers will crumble under pressure. Just like a house built on poor foundations, an athlete with shaky movement patterns won’t be able to sustain the demands of high-performance training or competition.
By focusing on progression—starting with movement competence, then gradually increasing the complexity and intensity of training—youth athletes will be better prepared to excel in their sport without the risk of injury or burnout.
Building the Right Foundation for Your Child
At The Athlete Academy, our Foundations Program is designed specifically to help young athletes build this all-important foundation of movement competence. Our program starts with the basics—teaching athletes how to move correctly, with proper form and technique. We focus on bodyweight exercises, stability, coordination, and mobility, ensuring that every athlete has the solid foundation they need to progress safely.
Once athletes have developed movement competence, they can move on to more advanced stages of training, including strength development, speed training, and sport-specific skills. But without the proper foundation, they would simply be setting themselves up for future struggles and setbacks.
Invest in the Long-Term Success of Your Athlete
Building a solid foundation of movement competence isn’t always flashy, and it doesn’t come with immediate rewards. But much like constructing a house, it’s a step that simply cannot be skipped if you want long-term success. By focusing on the fundamentals now, you’re giving your child the tools they need to excel later—not just in their sport, but in their overall physical health and development.
Don’t let your child’s athletic journey be built on shaky ground. Invest in building the right foundation today, and watch them grow into stronger, faster, more resilient athletes tomorrow.
Rob Anderson
Founder of The Athlete Academy
UKSCA Youth S&C Coach of the Year
