“4 Training Mistakes Young Athletes Mak”
The Biggest Mistakes Young Athletes Make in Training (and How to Fix Them)
For young athletes, the right training can be life-changing. It builds strength, confidence, resilience, and sets the foundation for long-term performance. But when training is unstructured or unbalanced, it can just as easily lead to burnout, injury, or stalled progress.
At On Track Online Training, we’ve seen the most common mistakes youth athletes make — and more importantly, we know how to fix them.
Mistake #1: Training Without Structure
A lot of young athletes head into the gym or field without a clear plan. They jump between random workouts they see online or copy what their friends are doing. The problem? Without structure, there’s no long-term progress.
The Fix: Follow a progressive program that builds strength, conditioning, and mobility in a balanced way. Our Youth Athlete Program provides exactly that — a simple, step-by-step plan to follow each week.
Mistake #2: Ignoring Mobility and Recovery
Youth athletes often push hard in the gym or at practice but skip stretching, mobility, and recovery. Over time, this leads to tight muscles, poor movement patterns, and injuries that could have been prevented.
The Fix: Build in short, consistent mobility sessions and active recovery. Just 5–10 minutes a day can make a huge difference in flexibility, movement quality, and overall performance.
Mistake #3: Doing Too Much, Too Soon
Motivated athletes sometimes train every day, lifting heavy weights or stacking multiple sports without enough rest. While the drive is admirable, overtraining is one of the biggest risks for young athletes.
The Fix: Train smarter, not harder. Our Youth Athlete Program uses 2 days of strength training and 2 days of conditioning each week — enough to build fitness and strength, but balanced with recovery so athletes can keep improving long-term.
Mistake #4: Neglecting Injury Prevention
Most young athletes only think about injuries after they happen. But by then, it’s too late. Skipping stabilisation, prehab, and corrective work makes athletes more vulnerable to setbacks.
The Fix: Add injury prevention and rehab exercises designed by a professional. At On Track, Kaveh — our Physiotherapist and Exercise Physiologist with over 20 years of experience — has built youth-friendly programs that reduce risk and support recovery if injuries do occur.
Setting Young Athletes Up for Success
The difference between good athletes and great athletes often comes down to consistency. By avoiding these mistakes and following a structured, expert-designed program, young athletes can build the strength, speed, and resilience they need to excel — both now and in the future.
⚡ Give your athlete the edge. Start your 7-day free trial today and access our 2-day strength + 2-day conditioning Youth Athlete Program for just $27/month.
