In education, we have long recognized the importance of specialized expertise at each stage of a child’s development. We don’t expect primary school teachers to progress to stepping into a university lecture hall, nor do we assume that a secondary school teachers are equipped to teach early childhood education. Each stage—primary, secondary, and university—requires its own unique set of skills and knowledge. Because at each stage of a child’s growth, their cognitive, emotional, and developmental needs change, and we entrust teachers with the appropriate training in that particular phase of development to guide them at that appropriate point in time.
However, in the world of sport coaching, this thoughtful progression of appropriate expertise is often turned on its head. Rather than experienced and qualified coaches working with youth athletes, it is typically the most inexperienced coaches who are tasked with the job. And instead of valuing youth coaching as a specialized and highly important role like teaching, the prevailing mindset is that the ultimate goal for coaches is to “progress up the chain” to work with elite senior athletes.
This is a stark contrast to how we view education, and it raises the question: Why is coaching youth athletes often seen as a stepping stone to more prestigious roles, rather than as a critical role that requires its own expertise?
The Current Paradigm in Sport Coaching
In the current sport coaching landscape, the common trajectory for coaches is to start at the youth level and aim to “graduate” to coaching senior, elite-level athletes. For many, working with young athletes is simply a necessary evil to gain experience before moving on to what’s perceived as the more glamorous side of coaching—working with elite professionals or national teams. The irony here is that youth athletes are the most in need of expert guidance during the crucial, formative years of their development, not just cognitively but physically!
Coaches at the youth level are often inexperienced, underqualified, and lacking in the youth specific knowledge required to teach children effectively. Rather than seeing youth coaching as a specialization requiring deep expertise in physiology, motor skill development, psychology, and long-term athletic development, it is frequently viewed as an entry-level position. This would be equivalent to putting a first-year teaching student in charge of educating young children —a scenario we would never accept in an academic setting.
The Educational Approach: Specialized Expertise at Every Stage
When we look at how we structure education, the stark contrast is clear. Teachers undergo rigorous training and inspections to work with specific age groups, and the expectation is not that they will “progress” to higher levels of education but rather that they will master the skills and knowledge needed to help children thrive at their particular developmental stage.
- Primary School Teachers: Focus on the foundational skills—literacy, numeracy, and social development—essential for young children. They understand how children learn and grow during these formative years.
- Secondary School Teachers: Specialize in their subject areas, but also understand the challenges of adolescence, helping students navigate not only academic challenges but also social and emotional ones.
- University Lecturers: Focus on deeper, more specialized content and research, working with young adults who are capable of independent thought and analysis.
We recognize that each stage of a child’s education requires a different set of skills, and we don’t expect a university professor to teach in a primary school classroom, or vice versa. Yet, in sport, we often assume that a coach who is qualified to work with elite-level adults should naturally be able to coach youth athletes—and that youth coaching is simply a step on the way to bigger things.
Why This Needs to Change in Sport Coaching
The truth is, coaching young athletes requires as much expertise—if not more—than coaching adults. Youth athletes are not miniature adults; they are constantly growing, both physically and mentally, and they need coaches who understand the complexities of their development. A coach working with youth athletes should be an expert in:
- Motor skill development: Knowing how to teach proper movement patterns that will form the foundation of athleticism.
- Long-term athletic development (LTAD): Creating developmentally appropriate training plans that build a solid base without pushing athletes too hard, too fast.
- Psychology and motivation: Understanding how to encourage young athletes to enjoy the process of learning and improving.
- Growth and maturation: Recognizing the physiological changes happening at different ages, growth related injuries such as Sever’s/Osgoods, associated risk factors and adjusting training accordingly to prevent injury and burnout.
Yet, too often, inexperienced coaches are put in charge of these critical stages of development, while the most experienced coaches are reserved for the elite levels of sport. This creates a situation where young athletes may never reach their potential because they aren’t given the expert guidance they need during their most important years of development.
Reframing Youth Coaching as a Specialty
Just as we don’t expect teachers to “move up the chain” from primary to secondary to university, we shouldn’t expect coaches to follow this trajectory in sport. Youth coaching should be recognized as a specialized, expert role—one that is vital for the future of sport. In fact, some of the most accomplished coaches in the world should be working with youth athletes, ensuring they have the best foundation possible.
By reframing youth coaching as a high-level specialization rather than an entry-level position, we can elevate the quality of training that young athletes receive. This shift will help create a generation of athletes who are better prepared, more skilled, and more resilient—because they had access to the right expertise at the right time.
The Path Forward
It’s time to shift the paradigm in sport coaching. Youth athletes deserve the same level of specialized expertise that we demand in their academic education. We need to invest in the development of coaches who understand the unique needs of young athletes, and we need to recognize that youth coaching is not a stepping stone to something greater—it is the something greater.
By placing our experienced, knowledgable and qualified coaches with youth athletes, we can create a stronger foundation for the future of sport, ensuring that every athlete has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Let’s make coaching youth athletes a prestigious and valued role, just as we do with teaching children at each stage of their education. The future of our children’s health and wellbeing —and our sports—depends on it.
Yours in sport,
Rob Anderson
2024 UKSCA Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year for Youth Sport
