For Coaches: Coaching Teens and Young Athletes
Updated: 23 hours ago
When I was growing up in the Philippines, most of my training happened in a pool or on a volleyball court. Looking back, the coaching that served me best wasn't the hardest. It was the coaching that made me want to come back the next day, taught me to move well, and never rushed me toward something my body wasn't ready for. Those lessons stayed with me long after I found CrossFit.
Coaching teens and young athletes brings that memory back every time. Young people can be quick learners, energetic and fearless. They can also be self-conscious, growing unevenly, and eager to copy whatever the strongest adult in the room is doing. Our job as coaches is to channel all of that into a long, healthy relationship with training.
I'm still a growing coach, and coaches who've run youth programs for years will know more about this than I do. What follows are the principles I lean on with younger athletes so far, many learned from more experienced coaches and courses, and then a sample session that shows how they come together. Take what fits your gym and leave the rest.
IN THIS ARTICLE
Supervision, Consent and the Basics of Safeguarding
Before anything about movement, get the structure right. Young athletes should train under qualified supervision, with written consent from a parent or guardian, and within your gym's policies and local regulations. Keep communication with minors transparent: involve parents in scheduling and goal-setting, keep conversations in group or visible settings, and follow any safeguarding training your gym or region requires. These practices protect the athlete, the coach and the gym.
Ask about health history, previous sports and injuries at the start, just as you would with an adult. If a young athlete reports ongoing pain, especially around the knees, heels, lower back or growth areas, pause the aggravating movements and recommend they see a doctor or physio.
Skill Before Load
Major strength and conditioning organizations support well-supervised resistance training for young people, provided it's age-appropriate and technique-focused. The priority is movement quality. Loads come later and follow skill, not the other way around.
That means spending real time on the foundations: squatting, hinging, pressing, pulling, jumping and landing, carrying and bracing. Teach each with a PVC pipe, an empty bar or bodyweight, and add load only when the athlete can repeat the pattern consistently, including when a little tired. Maximal lifts and heavy singles aren't necessary for most young athletes and can wait until technique and training age support them.
Expect some pushback. Teens see the adults loading bars across the gym and want in. I tell them the truth: the athletes they're watching spent years with light weight first, and the ones who skipped that part usually end up going back to it anyway.
Coach's cue: Skill before load, every time.
Growth Changes Everything, Temporarily
During growth spurts, limbs can lengthen quickly, and coordination sometimes lags behind. An athlete who moved beautifully last season can suddenly look clumsy in a squat or a jump. That's normal. I remember going through a stretch on the volleyball court where my timing on the approach just disappeared for a while, and nobody could tell me why. It came back. It isn't a reason for frustration, and it's a good reason to reduce load and complexity for a while and revisit fundamentals.
Growth also means young athletes differ enormously from one another, even at the same age. Two 14-year-olds can be years apart physically. Coach the individual in front of you, not the age on the form, and avoid comparing athletes against each other on strength or speed.
Keep It Varied and Keep It Fun
Young people benefit from broad movement experience. Many coaches and youth sport organizations encourage variety, including participation in multiple sports, rather than early specialization in one. Games, relays, agility work, gymnastics and throwing all build athleticism that'll serve them in any sport they choose. I'm a good example of that. Swimming and volleyball gave me a feel for breathing, timing and jumping that I still lean on in CrossFit.
Fun isn't a distraction from training. It's what keeps a young athlete in the habit long enough for training to matter. Competition can be part of it, but frame it around effort, improvement and good movement rather than rankings. Avoid using exercise as punishment. Burpees for being late teaches young people that training is something to fear.
Language, Recovery and Life Outside the Gym
The way you talk to young athletes shapes how they see their bodies. Focus on what their bodies can do, not how they look. Avoid comments about weight or appearance, and don't give diet advice. If a young athlete asks about nutrition, keep it general (regular meals, enough food to fuel their activity, water) and point families toward a registered dietitian or doctor for individual guidance. Supplements are generally unnecessary for young athletes, and any decision about them belongs with parents and a medical professional.
Recovery matters as much as training. Young athletes are often juggling school, other sports and busy schedules, and they need plenty of sleep. Watch for signs of overload: lingering soreness, fatigue, declining interest or a sudden drop in performance. Encourage rest days and time away from structured training.
A Sample 60-Minute Teen Session
Here's a composite example of how I might structure a session for a small group of teenagers, combining the principles above.
Welcome and game (10 minutes): a tag game or relay that gets everyone moving and laughing, followed by a quick mobility flow.
Jump and land (8 minutes): low box jumps and stick landings, focusing on soft knees and quiet feet.
Skill block (15 minutes): front squat with a PVC pipe or empty bar, working on positions in small sets with coaching between each.
Gymnastics (10 minutes): hollow holds, ring rows and handstand wall work at each athlete's level.
Short workout (10 minutes): a light, moderate-intensity team format with rowing, air squats and bear crawls, scored for teamwork and movement standards.
Cooldown and check-in (7 minutes): easy stretching and a brief chat about what each athlete felt went well.
Notice what the session prioritizes: movement quality, variety, coaching time and enjoyment. Intensity is present but moderate. Everyone leaves wanting to come back.
Don't underestimate that opening game. The quiet teen who hangs at the back during the warm-up is often the one laughing hardest by the end of a relay, and once they've laughed in front of the group, they're far more willing to try a new skill in front of it.
Adjust the plan to the group in front of you. Younger or newer athletes may need more game time and shorter skill blocks, while older teens with a few years of training can handle more structured strength work. Whatever the mix, keep the coach-to-athlete ratio small enough that you can see every rep, and keep the loads conservative enough that nobody's grinding.
Build Athletes for the Long Run
The young athletes you coach today may still be training in twenty or thirty years. The habits and attitudes you help shape now will outlast any number on a whiteboard. Teach them to move well, keep them safe, make them feel welcome, and let progress come in its own time. I'm still learning how to do that better with every group.
If you're building a youth program, or you want to talk through how to structure training for young athletes in your gym, reach out to me here and we can talk it through.
Your turn. I'm still learning as a coach too. If you run this differently in your gym, share it in the comments below. I read every one and would love to learn from you. If it was useful, tap the heart so more coaches find it.
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Further reading: American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
Coach Fritz Bautista · Head Coach, ATHLETESPHERE
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2) ✓ · CrossFit Programming Certificate · MBA · Digital Marketing Certified · Coaching athletes from all walks of life online
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