Coaching Hurdles with Under-13 Athletes: Holistic Long-Term Development

Hurdling is a complex blend of speed, coordination, flexibility, and rhythm. Introducing this track and field event group to young athletes requires careful consideration, patience, and time.

Coaching hurdling is not just about teaching technicalities. It involves coaching the whole athlete. Perhaps more than any other track and field event, the coach-athlete relationship must be one built on a foundation of trust. Hurdles are daunting for a young athlete and your primary purpose as a coach is to make them less intimidating and more of a fun challenge.

Furthermore, as a responsible coach, you must respect the ongoing physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of those in the U13 age group. Ignore any of this and you increase the risk of injury, knock a child’s confidence, and potentially contribute to athlete burnout and dropout from the sport.

What We’ll Cover

To help you coach U13 hurdlers (ages 9-12) effectively, we first need to look at the big picture. This means understanding basic youth coaching ideas, seeing how Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) fits this age group, breaking down hurdle technique into simple steps, and using the right drills and progressions.

We’ll also cover the safety rules you can’t ignore, look at common mistakes children make and how to fix them, stress the importance of fun and positive feedback, and tackle a big question: should kids specialise early or do lots of different events?

Putting all this together will give you a solid, practical way to teach hurdling based on what works best for young athletes.

Getting to Know your U13 Athletes

To coach well, you first need to understand what makes kids this age tick. U13 athletes are changing fast, and this affects how they learn and train.

• Physically: They’re still growing, but everyone grows at different speeds. Their coordination and balance are getting better, but tricky moves are still hard. Importantly, their bones have growth plates that are easily injured by too much stress or repetitive impact – so you must avoid high-volume, heavy-impact training. Their aerobic fitness is developing well, but their anaerobic system (for short bursts of intense effort) isn’t fully developed yet, making lots of hard, anaerobic work less useful and potentially harmful. They also overheat faster and cool down quicker than adults and sweat less, so be careful in hot or cold weather. Strength training should focus on bodyweight exercises and good technique, not heavy weights.

   

• Cognitively: Kids this age are getting better at understanding instructions, but they learn best with clear, simple cues and step-by-step guides. They tend to focus on what’s happening now, so complex long-term plans don’t mean much yet. Keep instructions direct and focused on the task at hand.

   

• Socially & Emotionally: This is a key time to build a love for sport. Fun, enjoyment, and hanging out with friends are huge motivators. Positive encouragement from you and their parents really boosts their confidence. Ideas like trying hard and believing in themselves are just starting to form, so nurture these. Focus on personal effort, getting better, and achieving their own goals, not just on winning or being better than others. Team activities and relays make things more fun and teach teamwork.

The Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Framework

The LTAD framework gives you a vital structure, based on research, for coaching young athletes. It helps make sure what you’re doing matches their stage of development.

• The Main Idea: LTAD is about helping athletes develop properly over time, step-by-step, based on their age and physical maturity. It’s about doing the “right things at the right time” for their future, not just chasing quick wins now that might hurt them later. A key idea, especially for track and field, is late specialisation. Peak performance usually happens much later in life, so focusing intensely on just one event too early often backfires.
  
  
• Stages for U13s: For kids around 9-12, they’re typically moving from the ‘FUNdamentals’ stage into the ‘Learn to Train’ stage.
  
  
  • FUNdamentals (roughly 6-9 years): The main aim here is developing basic movement skills – Agility, Balance, Coordination, and Speed (the ABCs) – through lots of fun games. It’s also about introducing basic running, jumping, and throwing (RJT) in a playful way.
    
    
  • Learn to Train (roughly 8/9-11/12 years): Now, they start learning basic sports skills. You teach them the fundamentals of running, jumping, and throwing specific to athletics, but keep the focus broad across different event types. This is the right time to introduce the basic movements and rhythm of hurdling, but as part of varied training, not as a separate specialty. Training and skill practice should still dominate over competing – aim for about 70% training, 30% competition.
    
    
• The Important Transition (around 8-10 years): Moving from FUNdamentals to Learn to Train needs careful handling. Kids need a good grounding in the ABCs before tackling more complex techniques like hurdling. Rushing into technique without this foundation can lead to bad habits that are hard to fix. But waiting too long to introduce basic sports skills, including simple hurdle concepts like stepping over things and finding rhythm, might bore them or mean you miss a good window for learning. LTAD suggests weaving hurdle ideas and simple drills into varied sessions that still build overall athletic skills, rather than treating hurdles as a specialist subject at this age.

Multi-Event Philosophy: Build Athletes First, Specialists Later

LTAD tells us loud and clear: go for a multi-event or multi-sport approach for kids and young teens, especially in sports like track and field where athletes peak later.

• Why Avoid Early Specialisation? Focusing intensely on just one sport or event year-round, cutting out others, is a bad idea before age 15 or 16 in athletics. Pressure to specialise often comes from wanting quick results or from ambitious parents or coaches, but it’s usually misguided.
  
  
• Benefits of Variety: Doing different activities is great for developing athletes. It cuts the risk of overuse injuries caused by repeating the same movements on young bodies. It helps stop them from getting bored or burning out mentally and physically. Doing multiple sports or events builds a wider range of basic skills, making them more adaptable athletes whose skills can transfer. It’s better for their mental health and keeps their passion for being active alive. Research even suggests multi-sport kids might end up being more successful long-term in their main sport. You should actively encourage your U13 athletes to try running, jumping, and throwing within track and field, and also play other sports.
  
  
• Hurdling’s Place: Within this approach, hurdling is just one piece of a well-rounded track and field program. Your sessions should also include activities that build sprint speed, jumping ability (like basic long jump or high jump scissor kicks), and throwing skills (using things like softballs or mini javelins). Hurdle drills should add to, not replace, these other vital parts of development.
  
  
• Watch the Overall Load: While playing multiple sports is good, be aware that doing too much overall can still lead to problems. An athlete juggling intense soccer, basketball, and track might be more at risk of injury or burnout than one doing a moderate amount of just track. The key principle is managing the total load appropriately for their development. You, and their parents, need to keep an eye on how much activity they’re doing across all sports, making sure there’s enough time for rest, recovery, and just playing. Talking to coaches from other sports, though sometimes tricky, is really helpful for managing the young athlete’s total workload.

Teaching Hurdling Technique to Young Athletes

The Core Idea: Run Over Them, Don’t Jump Them

A basic rule when coaching hurdles, especially to beginners, is hammering home the idea that it’s a sprint race with obstacles, not a jumping contest. You want them to keep their speed up, spend as little time in the air as possible, and clear the hurdle with minimal disruption to their sprinting. Stressing this continuous running motion right from the start helps stop them from developing a ‘jumping’ habit that kills speed.

Key Techniques (Simplified for U13s)

With U13s, focus on building basic coordination, rhythm, and simple ways to get over the hurdle. Don’t bog them down with complicated details meant for elite athletes – that will just confuse them. Aim for safe, efficient movements they can build on later.

• The Run-Up (Approach): The goal is a steady rhythm and fast, confident run towards the first hurdle. Experienced hurdlers might use a precise 8-step pattern, but that’s something kids grow into, not where they start. Young athletes might naturally take more steps or vary. Your priority is getting them to attack the hurdle with speed and confidence, not forcing a step count that makes them hesitate or reach. Encourage them to run tall. Address the common mistake of wanting to jump straight up and accelerate late; teach a patient but strong drive towards the hurdle.
  
  
• Take-off: Taking a slightly shorter last step helps set up the body. Beginners often take off too close, which sends them upwards, not forwards. Guide them towards taking off a bit further back. Stress pushing forwards through the take-off step, getting their hips moving over their take-off foot towards the hurdle.
  
  
• Lead Leg: The simple cue is: Lead with the knee. Drive the knee hard towards the hurdle, keeping the lower leg folded at first. As the knee gets near hurdle height, the lower leg swings forward to clear it. Keep the knee slightly bent – locking it straight is slow and inefficient. After clearing, actively pull the foot down (‘snap down’) to land under the body, ready to sprint again immediately.
  
  
• Trail Leg: The idea is to pull this leg through quickly and tightly. Keep the heel fairly close to the hip (like a short lever). As the leg comes over, the knee should stay higher than the foot, and keep the toes pulled up (dorsiflexed) so they don’t clip the hurdle. After clearing, drive the knee high and rotate it around towards the front before stepping down. Letting the leg dangle or swing too wide are common faults to watch for.
  
  
• Arm Action: Arms work opposite the legs to keep balance. The arm opposite the lead leg drives forward – think “reach towards the lead knee” or sometimes “check the watch” (but be careful this doesn’t make them swing across their body). The other arm swings back naturally like in sprinting. Avoid wild swings or crossing the arms way over the body – this messes up balance. Keep arms coordinated with the sprinting action.
  
  
• Running Between Hurdles: The aim is to get back into a sprint rhythm as fast as possible after landing. Strides between hurdles are usually quicker and a bit shorter than in a normal sprint. Getting a consistent three-step pattern is a long-term goal, but for U13s, achieving any consistent pattern (even four or five steps at first) while keeping momentum is more important than forcing three steps before they’re ready.
  
  
• Focus on Rhythm First: Hurdling is all about rhythm – that steady pattern of strides and clearances. Young kids learn best by doing (kinesthetically). So, getting them to feel this rhythm and move smoothly over low obstacles is arguably the most important thing at the start, even more than perfect leg angles. Drills focusing only on one leg part can sometimes make them look robotic if they aren’t also doing drills that flow. Therefore, start with lots of running over evenly spaced, low things (cones, mini-hurdles). This lets them internalise the run-clear-run pattern and builds confidence. You can fine-tune the technique details later, once they have this basic rhythm, fitting perfectly with the LTAD idea of mastering basic patterns before getting too technical.

Drills That Build Skills Step-by-Step

You need a plan for introducing drills safely and effectively. Start simple, focusing on getting comfortable and basic movements. Gradually make things harder – adding speed, height, or complexity – as they show they’re ready and confident. And make sure they practice leading with both legs for balanced development.

Phase 1: Getting Comfortable & Finding Rhythm (Low stuff/No hurdles):

• • Run Over Lines: Simple running over track lines at different distances helps them think about stride patterns.
  • Run Over Random Low Stuff: Use cones, foam blocks, or pool noodles scattered randomly. They run over them without stopping, learning to adapt while keeping momentum.
  • Run Over Evenly Spaced Low Stuff: Now space the objects evenly to introduce rhythm and steady striding.
  • Mini-Hurdle Runs: Use very low hurdles (e.g., 6 inches). Drills like 1-step, 2-step, and 3-step runs focus on quick feet and coordination. Sideways or crossover drills over mini-hurdles build agility.
    
    

Phase 2: Basic Hurdle Movements (Low hurdles/Specific drills):

• • Walk-overs: Walk over a line of low hurdles (maybe 30-33 inches, placed close) focusing on lifting knees high, keeping hips facing forward, and staying balanced. Builds hip mobility and teaches the basic pattern slowly.
  • Fence/Wall Drills (Stationary): These isolate leg actions. Stand facing a wall or fence:
    • Lead Leg Lifts: Practice lifting the lead knee, then extending the lower leg towards the wall.
    • Trail Leg Circles: Put a low hurdle beside them. They circle the trail leg up, over, and around it while holding the wall. Develops trail leg path and hip mobility.
    • Wall Attacks: Step towards the wall and practice the takeoff – driving the lead knee up and pushing hips forward as hands touch the wall. Teaches that crucial forward hip movement.
  • Isolated Leg Drills (Running): Jog or skip towards low hurdles (spaced further apart) and clear them focusing only on the lead leg action, or only on the trail leg action. Helps feel each leg’s job separately.
  • Trail Leg Focus Drills:
    • Step Over and Run: Step over a low hurdle focusing on pulling the trail leg high and around to the front, then sprint away immediately.
    • Trail Chase: Step lead leg over, then quickly cycle the trail leg around, trying to land both feet almost together.
    • Guided Trail Slides: Gently slide the ankle along the hurdle bar to feel the right path and hip rotation.

Phase 3: Putting it Together (Lowered hurdles, more speed, rhythm focus):

• • Run Over 2-4 Hurdles: Run over a short set of low hurdles at suitable spacing (maybe closer at first). Focus on keeping speed and moving continuously.
  • One-Step Drill: Hurdles very close (5-7 walking steps apart). Take one step between, focusing on the quick takeoff-clear-land rhythm (“ba-dum”). Keep hurdles low!
  • Three-Step Drill: Hurdles further apart (start with maybe 12-15 walking steps) so they can practice three running steps between. Keep speed moderate and hurdles low to focus on rhythm.
  • Cut Step Drill: Focus just on getting the last two steps before the hurdle right. You might mark the ideal take-off spot.
    
    

Explain Why You Do Drills: It’s not enough just to tell them to do a drill. A young athlete needs to know why. Otherwise, walk-overs become just walking, fence drills become mindless leg swinging. You have to keep reminding them what the drill is for (“Drive your knee towards the hurdle,” “Keep your trail heel close to your bum”). Give specific feedback. Show them how the drill helps their actual hurdling. While turning drills into fun games boosts motivation, make sure they’re still learning the skill you intended amidst the fun.

Planning Safe and Enjoyable Training Sessions

A good session plan helps kids learn effectively and have fun. For U13s, follow a logical flow:

1. Warm-up: Always start here to prevent injuries and get ready. Include light jogging, dynamic stretches (like leg swings, twisting), exercises to ‘wake up’ key muscles, and drills reinforcing basic movement skills (Agility, Balance, Coordination – ABCs). Hurdle-specific mobility like walk-overs or leg swings over low hurdles fits well here too.
   
   
2. Skill Focus: This is where you teach and practice specific hurdle techniques. Use the progressive drills we talked about. Focus on just one or two key things per session so you don’t overload them. Repeat with feedback.
   
   
3. Integration/Rhythm Work: Here they practice putting skills together, running over several low hurdles, focusing on flow and rhythm. It connects the isolated drills to more race-like movement.
   
   
4. Fun Activities/Games: Absolutely vital for keeping them interested! Hurdle relays, obstacle courses using different skills, or team challenges work great. It reinforces skills in a fun, low-pressure way.
   
   
5. Cool-down: Helps the body settle down. Usually light jogging then static stretching of the main muscles used.

Equipment and Training Facilities

The equioment you use and the training area massively impact safety and learning.

• Hurdles: For beginners and U13s, always start with modified hurdles. Use hurdles set lower than regulation, made of lighter plastic, or with soft tops (foam padding, ‘soft-top’ hurdles). This makes kids less scared of hitting them and reduces injury risk, letting them focus on technique. As they get better and more confident, you can slowly introduce standard hurdles set at the correct U13 height (see table below). Make sure hurdles are set up correctly on the track lines and designed to tip over easily only in the running direction. Never let athletes hurdle from the wrong direction – it’s dangerous.
  
  
• Spacing: Official race distances are the goal eventually, but drills often work better with different spacing. Closer spacing (like in One-Step or early Three-Step drills) helps them find rhythm and practice clearing without needing top speed. Introduce regulation spacing gradually as they develop the speed and technique for it.
  
  
• Surface: Train on a stable, non-slip surface. Starting drills like walk-overs on grass might be okay initially if falls are likely, but you need to move to a synthetic track to develop proper rhythm, timing, and speed for racing.

Official U13 Hurdle Specs

You need to know the official hurdle rules for the U13 age group so you can prepare athletes for competitions and make sure your training is heading towards those standards. Rules can vary slightly (e.g., UK Athletics vs. USATF) and between indoor/outdoor. This table gives typical specs based on common rules:

Table 1: U13 Hurdle Specifications (UKA & USATF Examples)

Feature	UKA U13 Boys	UKA U13 Girls	USATF 11-12 Boys	USATF 11-12 Girls
Race Distance	75m	70m	80m	80m
Hurdle Height	76.2cm (2’6″)	68.6cm (2’3″)	76.2cm (30″)	76.2cm (30″)
No. of Hurdles	8	8	8	8
Dist. to H1	11.5m	11.0m	12m	12m
Dist. Between Hurdles	7.5m	7.0m	7.5m	7.5m
Dist. H8 to Finish	11.0m	10.0m	15.5m	15.5m
Indoor Notes	60m/5H often used	60m/5H often used	55m/60m often used	55m/60m often used
Indoor Specifics	Ht:76.2cm, 11.5m to H1, 7.5m between	Ht:68.5cm, 11m to H1, 7m between	Specs vary	Specs vary

*Note: UK Athletics age groups are changing (U13 becomes U14 from Apr 2026); these are current U13 rules. USATF uses 11-12 age band, similar to U13. Always check the latest rules for your area and competitions.

Safety and Managing Risks

Keeping training safe is your number one job, especially with a technical event like hurdles.

• Check for Risks: Before every session, look for hazards: hurdles set up wrong, slippery track, not enough space between kids, damaged gear. Think about how likely something could go wrong and how bad it could be. Fix things to make the risk low before you start.
  
  
• Prevent Injuries: Remember their growing bodies. Avoid too much repetitive impact to protect growth plates. Always do proper warm-ups and cool-downs. Teach good technique from the start to avoid strain. Make sure they wear supportive shoes or spikes. Ensure they drink enough, especially when it’s warm, as kids don’t regulate temperature as well.
  
  
• Supervision: Have enough coaches for the group size. Make sure athletes know and follow safety rules, like always hurdling in the right direction and staying in their lane.
  
  
• First Aid: Know basic first aid and have a kit handy. Have a plan for emergencies.

Spotting and Fixing Common Beginner Mistakes

Young hurdlers will make mistakes. Your job as a coach is to observe them, figure out why, and encourage the athlete to use the right fixes.

• Hesitating/Stuttering Before the Hurdle: Small, choppy steps, losing speed. Usually caused by fear, misjudging distance, or lack of confidence.
  • Fix: Use lower, softer hurdles to build confidence. Adjust spacing in drills so they succeed more often. Practice running over very low things (noodles) without stopping. Encourage an aggressive “attack the hurdle” mindset. Run alongside sprinters sometimes to create urgency. Praise attacking the hurdle, not just clearing it perfectly. Reassure them.
    
    
• Jumping Too High (“Floating”/”Sailing”): Too much upward movement, spending too long in the air. Often caused by taking off too close, not driving forward enough, or subconscious fear making them jump high.
  • Fix: Stress taking off further back. Use markers if needed. Reinforce a strong forward knee drive. Use lower hurdles. Tell them to actively “snap” the lead leg down fast after clearing. Use cues like “step over,” not “jump over.”
    
    
• Poor Trail Leg (Swinging wide, tucked under, slow): Leg might swing way out, get stuck underneath, or just lag behind. Caused by tight hips, bad takeoff (not enough forward push), or poor coordination.
  • Fix: Do regular hip flexibility exercises. Use trail leg drills like fence circles, Trail Chase, and Guided Trail Slides. Emphasise getting hips forward at takeoff (“feel your trail leg behind you”). Use things like pool noodles standing up beside the hurdle to stop wide swings. Practice the trail leg action slowly. Cue the knee to drive high towards the chest after clearing.
    
    
• Stopping/Pausing After Landing: A clear stop or braking action after clearing, breaking the flow. Caused by focusing too much on the hurdle itself, or landing off-balance.
  • Fix: Constantly remind them to run through the hurdle and sprint immediately to the next. Use drills where they just run away after clearing one hurdle. Practice rhythm drills over multiple hurdles. Make sure they land with their foot underneath them, ready for the next step.
    
    
• Wrong Arm Action (Crossing body, floppy): Arms flailing, swinging across the body, or not doing much. Often a reaction to balance problems from the legs/hips, or just bad sprint arm habits.
  • Fix: Check and fix any basic balance or posture issues first (like hip alignment). Reinforce good sprint arm action (forward and back, not across). Cue the arm opposite the lead leg to drive forward towards the lead knee (elbow bent). Keep arms active.
    
    
• Find the Real Problem: Don’t just fix what you see first. Many errors (like a slow trail leg or wild arms) are often symptoms of a bigger problem happening earlier, usually at takeoff. If they take off too close, they can’t get their hips forward properly. This means the trail leg hip flexors don’t get stretched right, so the trail leg action will be weak and slow, no matter how much you yell “pull it through!” Wild arms often try to fix instability caused by bad posture (bending too much at the waist) or taking off off-centre. So, be a detective. Watch the whole action, find the likely root cause (takeoff distance? takeoff push? posture?), and fix that first. Fixing the foundation often clears up the symptoms naturally.

Making Hurdles Fun: Games and Challenges

Keeping it fun is key to keeping young athletes hooked, especially with something tricky like hurdles. Mix fun activities into your sessions.

• Why Fun Matters: Fun is always listed as a top reason kids play and stick with sports. Games add variety, stop boredom, and let kids practice skills in a more relaxed way.
  
  
• Ideas:
  • Hurdle Relays: Simple team races over a few low hurdles are always a hit. Mix it up with different starts or carrying a baton.
    
    
  • Obstacle Courses: Create courses combining hurdles (low/mini) with other skills like weaving cones, agility ladders, or crawling under things. Fun themes (“spy mission,” “escape route”) add to the excitement.
    
    
  • Team Challenges: Set team goals (e.g., most clean hurdles in a time limit) to build teamwork.
    
    
  • Modified Games: Adapt running games. “Wacky Laps” might include stepping over mini-hurdles. Agility games like tag help with quick direction changes needed in races.
    
    
  • Focus on Personal Bests: Frame activities around beating their own best time or number of clean hurdles. Celebrate effort and getting better, not just winning.

Building Confidence and Keeping Them Motivated

Beyond fun games, you need to create a positive atmosphere to build confidence and keep kids coming back long-term.

• Positive Feedback: Actively look for chances to give specific praise. Focus on their effort, improvement, and doing specific things correctly. Don’t just say, “good job.”
  
  
• Right Level of Challenge: Drills should get harder gradually but still be achievable. Too hard leads to frustration; too easy leads to boredom. Gradual steps are key. Importantly, don’t put beginners in races before they feel ready, technically and mentally.
  
  
• Focus on the Athlete: Understand the challenge of hurdles from their point of view. Listen to them. Ask questions like “How did that feel?” or “What were you thinking about?” to see how they’re doing and feeling. Adjust your coaching based on their feedback.
  
  
• Build Confidence & Grit: Treat mistakes and difficulties as normal parts of learning, not failures. Encourage them to keep trying when it’s tough and celebrate the small wins.
  
  
• Involve Parents: Parents are crucial. Explain your long-term approach to them. Stress the importance of patience, support, and focusing on effort and fun, not just results or comparing kids. Gently discourage pressure for early specialisation. Encourage them to help with the basics (food, sleep, transport) and offer positive support.

Putting it All Together

The best way to introduce and coach hurdles to U13 athletes is by following the principles of Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD). This means looking at the whole child, mixing physical and mental development with good teaching.

You need to move away from specialising early and focus instead on building basic movement skills through lots of different activities. Good coaching here involves using modified equipment and drills that build step-by-step, always putting safety first, making it fun, and understanding how each young athlete develops differently.

The aim isn’t instant perfect technique, but building a solid foundation, a good attitude towards hurdles, and a desire to stay in athletics.

Key Advice for Coaching Hurdles

Based on everything we’ve covered, here’s the key advice for coaching U13 hurdlers:

1. Use LTAD: Understand and use LTAD ideas. Know that U13s are mainly in the ‘FUNdamentals’ and ‘Learn to Train’ stages. Match activities to where they are developmentally, focusing on skills, not just results.
   
   
2. Prioritise Multi-Skills: Run varied sessions including sprinting, jumping, and throwing alongside hurdles. Actively discourage specialising just in hurdles and encourage playing other sports.
   
   
3. Focus on Rhythm First: Make continuous running and basic rhythm over low obstacles the first priority. Use drills that encourage smooth movement before worrying about tiny technique details.
   
   
4. Use Progressive Drills & Modified Gear: Introduce skills step-by-step, starting simple. Always use low, light, or soft hurdles first. Only increase height and spacing when they are confident and ready.
   
   
5. Be Safe: Make safety number one. Use proper gear, safe surfaces, watch them closely, and always do warm-ups/cool-downs. Be aware of risks related to growth spurts.
   
   
6. Diagnose Faults Properly: When fixing mistakes, look for the root cause (often takeoff or posture), not just the obvious symptom. Fixing the foundation works better.
   
   
7. Make it Fun: Use games, relays, and challenges to keep them engaged and loving it. Use positive feedback often.
   
   
8. Talk to Parents: Explain your LTAD approach to parents. Manage their expectations about quick success. Emphasise the long-term benefits of patience and multi-skills. Work together supportively.

Final Thoughts

Coaching U13 hurdlers is a big responsibility, but can be very rewarding. The confidence that comes from progressing hurdling technique for athlete and coach is invaluable.

Success for athletes at this age shouldn’t be measured in race times, positions, or perfect form. It’s about enjoying athletics, building strong basic movement skills, and learning hurdle techniques in a way that’s safe, effective, and fosters a life-long love of the sport.

Links to Learn More

1. Coaching Young Athletes (children), https://www.brianmac.co.uk/children.htm
2. LTAD & Athlete Pathways – Valley Royals, https://www.valleyroyals.ca/ltad-long-term-athlete-development-and-athlete-pathways/
3. Early Specialization vs. Multi-Sport Participation: What’s the Best Approach for Long-Term Athletic Success and Injury Prevention?, https://www.betteryouthcoaching.com/post/early-specialization-vs-multi-sport-participation-what-s-the-best-approach-for-long-term-athletic
4. Consequences of Early Specialization in Children and Youth Sports – Part 3B, https://www.coachingbest.com/blog/consequences-of-early-specialization2
5. Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) – BrianMac Sports Coach, https://www.brianmac.co.uk/ltad.htm
6. The UKA “Development Pathway” – YATE & DISTRICT ATHLETIC CLUB, https://yateac.co.uk/the-uka-development-pathway/
7. Coaching Young Endurance Runners | Race CONNECTIONS, https://raceconnections.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Coaching-Young-Endurance-Runners.pdf
8. How To Coach Hurdles to Beginners and Make Them Great – ACE Method Coaching, https://acemethodcoaching.com/how-to-coach-hurdles-to-beginners-and-make-them-great/
9. Athletics Development Stage 1 Teaching the Basics, https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/teachingthebasicsepack_aug2013_.pdf
10. Long Term Athlete Development – Waltham Track Club, http://www.walthamtrackclub.com/ltad
11. Setting Standards for Athletes in Coaching Sessions, https://athleticperformanceacademy.co.uk/setting-standards-for-athletes-in-coaching-sessions/
12. Understanding LTAD (Long-Term Athlete Development) – D1 Training, https://www.d1training.com/naples/about-us/blog/2024/march/understanding-ltad-long-term-athlete-development/
13. Youth Endurance | Athletics Hub, https://www.athleticshub.co.uk/public/files/ea-youth-endurance-2022-v5.pdf
14. 7 Stages of Long Term Athletic Development – Par4Success, https://par4success.com/7-stages-long-term-athletic-development/
15. Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, https://athletics.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/LTAD_EN.pdf
16. Long Term Athlete Development | Royal City Track & Field Club, https://royalcitytrack.ca/long-term-athlete-development/
17. Long-Term Athlete Development – USA Ultimate, https://usaultimate.org/ltad/
18. Long-Term Athlete Development 2.1 – Sport for Life, https://sportforlife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/LTAD-2.1-EN_web.pdf?x96000
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