5 Fundamental Skill Categories for Young Athletes

Welcome back to the 1st and Goals blog site! Our goal is to help in the development of young athletes and youth sports coaches. Although our primary focus is football, the information we provide can be used in all sports. Between our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/1st-and-Goals/349015174536, and this blog, it is our intention to provide information for the physical and mental improvement of both athletes and coaches.

This initial post outlines what we believe to be the 5 fundamental skill categories for young athletes:

1. Physical--Teaching athletes how to prepare their bodies for competition. Development of speed, power, agility, flexibility and endurance. Off-season/In-season training programs.
2. Mental--Teaching athletes how to prepare their minds for competition. Development of focus, confidence and motivation. Addressing mental blocks: fear, stress, pressure. Teaching visualization techniques and pre-game routines. Simulating game conditions.
3. Relational--Teaching athletes how to prepare as a team for competition. Teambuilding activities. Building positive relationships: the art of communication. Setting and achieving goals: individual/team.
4. Mechanical--Teaching athletes how to use their bodies in competition. Starts with teaching solid fundamentals: blocking, tackling, running, catching, throwing. Footwork, hip rotation, upper body mechanics. Developing drills that are specific to the needs of each position. 
5. Strategical--Teaching athletes how to think during competition. Knowledge of the game: reading defenses, recognizing fronts, blitzes, formations, coverages, running lanes, etc. This is where you can help athletes attain a higher level of understanding the game: the difference between teaching them how to play football and how to be a football player.

Every other day on Facebook we will cover each of these topics individually, beginning with the development of Physical Skills. Please feel free to ask questions or provide feedback as we discuss these different categories.

Thank You,
Coach Phil