Youth Sport Development: Make Them Love the Game, Not Just Play It Well

Why We’re Getting Youth Sport Wrong (And How To Fix It)

I firmly believe that youth sport should first and foremost be about joy. That’s it. Simple, right? You’d think so—but spend five minutes pitchside or poolside and you’ll hear more pressure than passion, coming from coaches and parents alike.

In a world obsessed with creating “the next big thing,” we often forget that the journey starts with how a young person FEELS about their sport. Whether they end up an Olympian, a coach, or just someone who loves a kickabout in the park with their mates, the way we approach youth sport leaves a lasting imprint.

So here’s my take, with a few lessons I’ve learnt from being both the kid with potential and the guy trying to create a system that actually works.

1. Enjoyment comes First—Even for the Gifted Ones

This might ruffle some feathers, but talent doesn’t excuse bad experiences. Just because a kid is clearly ahead of the rest doesn’t mean they’re ready to be pushed like a professional. If they’re not smiling before, during, and after training, we’ve already lost!

Yes, you can begin to prepare a talented young athlete for the next step—but do it in a way that nurtures their love for the sport. Without that, their potential means very little. Worst case scenario is they get so burned out they quit the sport altogether. Or they “make it” to the top, but spend their career hating the very thing they are constantly praised for.

Trust me, I’ve seen it both ways.

🔑 Key takeaways:

• The best performers at the top (mostly) enjoy what they do—even when it’s tough.

• Creating positive early experiences leads to higher retention and better athletes.

• Athletes who love their sport become ambassadors, not cautionary tales.

2. Don’t Skip the Basics—Future You (or other coaches) Will Thank You

Here’s the thing about technical sports like diving: shortcuts will absolutely come back to haunt you. I’ve worked with Olympic medal winning athletes who had no understanding of the correct underwater technique on entry. Impressive? Sure. Sustainable? Not even close.

As a high-performance coach, the most frustrating situation is having to un-teach bad habits in a talented athlete because someone let them skip the “boring” stuff when they were younger.

It’s like building a mansion on quicksand—it looks great until the ground gives way.

🔑 Key takeaways:

• Fundamentals aren’t optional—they’re the foundation of high-level success.

• Speeding through development might get early results but will limit long-term growth.

• Taking time with technique shows athletes that how you do something is just as important as what you do.

3. Coaches: Don’t Stop Learning at the Youth Level

Now one for the coaches. Youth development isn’t a dead-end street—it should be connected to what’s happening at the top of the game. If you’re not keeping up with the elite side of your sport—tactics, tech, training innovations—you’re preparing athletes for a world that’s already moved on.

I’ve met youth coaches who haven’t watched an international event in years. And it shows. Their athletes arrive at the high-performance stage with outdated techniques and no awareness of what the best are doing. That gap can be brutal to fix, if even possible.

Keep evolving, or risk holding your athletes back.

🔑 Key takeaways:

• Youth development must be guided by the standards of elite performance.

• The best youth coaches are lifelong learners, not one-level specialists.

• If your knowledge stagnates, so will your athletes’ potential.

Conclusion: Build the Athlete, But Don’t Break the Person

Youth sports development is a long game. It’s not about early results—it’s about long-term relationships, habits, and self-belief. When we prioritise enjoyment, insist on solid fundamentals, and develop with the future in mind, we create not just stronger athletes, but better people.

Confidence starts here too. Because when a young person is coached with care, consistency, and the right kind of challenge, they begin to believe that they can handle whatever’s next. That’s self-belief in motion.

👉🏾 Share this with a coach, parent or athlete who cares about doing sport the right way.
💬 Drop a comment with your biggest takeaway or what topic you'd like me to tackle next.
👥 Let’s keep this conversation going—because the future of sport depends on how we shape the beginning.