The challenges of athletic preparation for the U14 to U19

U14–U15: Coordination and Motor Skills — The Foundation for Technical Development

The first point to bear in mind is the specific nature of this age group: these are adolescents whose growth has only just begun and who therefore need to be protected from growth-related conditions such as Osgood-Schlatter disease (pain affecting the patellar tendon) or Sever’s disease (inflammation of the growth plates in the heel). As a result, whether in amateur clubs or elite youth development centres, some young players who have suffered from these conditions may have been unable to train for six months — and sometimes even longer — just as the return to training approaches.