EDUCATION VS. YOUTH SPORTS COACHING: Is Your Child’s Coach a Teacher or Just a Babysitter in a Tracksuit?

The shocking truth about youth sports coaching that every parent needs to understand…

Picture this: You’re on the morning school run, dropping your child off for another day at school. You have complete confidence that their teacher is a qualified professional who has undergone years of university education, placements and assessments and understands appropriate education for your child’s age and stage of development.

Now, imagine you’re dropping your child off at their sport training. The coach is a young, enthusiastic former player. They’re good at running drills and keeping the kids busy and sweating. But what do you REALLY know about their qualifications? Do they understand how your child’s growing body is changing? Or are they just treating them like miniature adults?

THIS IS THE BROKEN PARADIGM OF EDUCATION VS. YOUTH SPORTS COACHING, AND IT’S DAMAGING THE EXPERIENCE OF CHILDREN IN SPORT.

The Teacher Standard: A Career in Education

To become a primary school teacher, the journey is rigorous. It requires specialist education through a university degree followed by a teaching qualification. Teachers must complete practical placements with supervised experience and undergo continuous assessment.

Once qualified, the teacher has a clear career path from teaching, to leading a department, to Assistant Head Teacher to Head Teacher. Alongside the career trajectory are increases in salary and responsibility growing with expertise.

It would be totally bizarre for someone to ask a primary school teacher, “When are you going to get promoted to teach at a secondary school?”. They are specialists in their field.

The YOUTH SPORTS Coaching Crisis: A Hobby, Not a Profession

Now, let’s look at the world of youth sports coaching.

THE REALITY IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

For many coaches, working with kids is a stepping stone or weekend hobby, not a realistic career. The pay is often poor, and therefore only likely to attract young coaches, typically early in their careers with little experience in the unique needs of young athletes. They may have completed some work experience with senior adult athletes and just assume the same methods will work for children. (As do many schools and clubs unfortunately!)

THIS IS A DANGEROUS ASSUMPTION.

These coaches often have little to no understanding of youth development, which encompasses the physical, mental, and emotional stages of a growing child. They often lack any real knowledge of Long-Term Athletic Development models designed to create healthy, lifelong athletes. They don’t understand growth and maturation and the profound impact of growth spurts on performance, injury risk, and coordination.

This isn’t about blaming the youth sports coaches. Many are well-intentioned. BUT THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN. We demand more qualifications and expertise from the person teaching our children maths, than the person shaping their physical and athletic future.

Why This Matters for YOUR Child

YOUR CHILD DESERVES BETTER. When a youth sports coach doesn’t understand youth development, the consequences can be severe. Children going through growth spurts experience temporary decreases in coordination, increased injury risk, and performance plateaus. A coach who doesn’t understand this might push them harder when they need modified training, or label a late developer as “lacking talent” when they simply haven’t hit their growth spurt yet.

HOW CAN A COACH PREVENT WHAT THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND?

The Solution: DEMAND a Higher Standard

It’s time to stop accepting the status quo. THE SOLUTION IS TO EXPECT THAT YOUTH SPORTS COACHES BECOME EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD. They must be required to dive deep into the science of youth athletic development.

This means understanding Growth and Maturation and that they will encounter a wide variety of Early, On Time and Late Maturing athletes.. They should be knowledgable in the specific injuries most likely in their athletes, such as Severs, Osgoods and Hip Apophysitis, rather than hamstring strains and ACL injuries.

Coaches must be aware of the bias in Talent Identification, understanding that the biggest kid at 12 isn’t always the best at 18. They must monitor a child’s potential based on their skill, effort, and coachability, not just their current physical size, strength or speed.

Furthermore, coaches should be well-versed in a variety of LONG-TERM ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT MODELS, such as:

• The Youth Physical Development Model provides an evidence-based approach to systematic development, recognizing all physical qualities are trainable throughout childhood.

• The Long-Term Athlete Development Model is a seven-stage framework guiding participation, training, and recovery pathways to develop lifetime players.

• The Athletic Skills Model introduces holistic movement education through adaptive training and multisports, successfully used by elite academies like Ajax Football Club.
• The Integrated Model of Long-Term Athletic Development which takes a few the most popular models and combines the best bits of each!

These models and many others, provide a roadmap for developing young athletes in a healthy way that prioritizes long-term success over short-term wins.

What YOU Can Do as a Parent

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO DRIVE THIS CHANGE. Start by asking questions. When you’re considering a new team or youth sports coach for your child, ask them:

• “What are your qualifications in youth athletic development?”

• “How do you adapt your coaching for athletes going through growth spurts?”

• “What is your philosophy on long-term athlete development?”

• “Which LTAD models do you follow in your coaching?”

• “How do you identify and prevent growth-related injuries?”

IF THEY CAN’T ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, IT’S A MAJOR RED FLAG.

Look for coaches and clubs that prioritize education and understand the unique needs of young athletes. Seek programs that focus on individual development rather than just team results. Your child’s athletic journey should be about building confidence, developing skills, and creating lifelong healthy habits.

THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN YOUTH SPORTS COACHES ARE EXPERTS WHO UNDERSTAND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT.

The Bottom Line

We wouldn’t accept unqualified and inexperienced teachers in our schools. WHY DO WE ACCEPT UNQUALIFIED AND INEXPERIENCED COACHES IN OUR SPORTS CLUBS? By demanding higher standards, asking the right questions, and choosing coaches who are truly educated in youth athletic development, we can create a better future for our children.

YOUR CHILD DESERVES A COACH WHO IS AN EXPERT, NOT JUST SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HOW TO BLOW A WHISTLE.

A NEW VERSION OF YOUR CHILD STARTS HERE

At The Athlete Academy, we are well versed in youth athletic development. Our programs are built on a deep understanding of youth athletic development. We don’t just train kids; we educate them, empower them, and set them on a path to lifelong athletic success.

Ready to give your child the expert coaching they deserve?

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This is Part 1 of a 4-part series on Broken Paradigms in Youth Sports. Stay tuned for the next installment where we’ll explore another critical issue affecting your child’s athletic development.