Teaching Sports Skills to Teenagers: A Deep Dive for Coaches
Teaching Sports Skills to Teenagers: A Deep Dive for Coaches Executive Summary: Effective skill teaching for adolescent athletes must align with their developmental stage and evidence-based motor learning principles. Adolescent growth brings rapid physical changes (strength spurts, flexibility shifts) and evolving cognitive, social and emotional abilities. Coaches should tailor training to these factors, using deliberate, varied practice and structuring sessions to balance skill acquisition with game-like contexts. Research shows random/variable practice (interleaving skills) aids long-term retention, while blocked/constant practice yields quick gains. Splitting complex skills into parts can help when complexity is high. Feedback should be informative but not excessive (to avoid dependence); self-controlled feedback schedules can improve learning retention. Motivational strategies - such as fostering a growth mindset, giving athletes autonomy, and setting process-focused goals - ...