This mini eBook contains AFL fitness drills ideally suited for players between the ages of 11 and 14. These drills have been specifically designed by Groundwork Coaching to develop speed, endurance, recovery, agility, durability, strength, and power as they enter their teenage years. An ideal resource for junior coaches to use for improving fitness for this age group.

This mini eBook contains AFL drills ideally suited for players between the ages of 11 and 14. These drills have been specifically designed by Groundwork Coaching to develop a young players’ skills as they enter their teenage years. An ideal resource for junior coaches to use to improve kicking, handballing, marking, ball handling, ground balls, pressure acts, fitness, game awareness and ball movement for this age group.

Long-Term Athlete Development offers an in-depth explanation of the long-term athlete development model, an approach to athlete-centered sport that combines skill instruction with long-term planning and an understanding of human development to produce athlete growth.

Blending contemporary sports science theory with youth specific coaching practice, this book offers soccer development strategies that are tailored to the needs of young players.

Participation in sports is a major feature of daily living for children and adolescents in many countries of the world. Structures of organized programs vary within and among countries. Likewise, sport offerings and values attached to these sports vary with cultural context. Sport is also a primary source of physical activity for many children and adolescents, and is an arena in which personal and inter-personal values and behaviors are developed and nurtured. Key players in these important functions of sport are peers, coaches and parents. The volume is aimed primarily for students of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, coaches, trainers, parents and others involved in youth sport programs and in the preparation of young athletes . The content s have application to a variety of cultural contexts given the near universality of sport for youth throughout the world. The editors hope that the contributions which comprise this volume will serve to enhance the sport experiences of youth, minimize potential risks , and maximize potential benefits by educating adults who work with them in the context of sport. Robert M Malina This book addresses relevant issues within the scope of organized sports. Chapters are written by distinguished contributors with a comprehensive list of topics that under the coordination, the leadership and expertise of the editors, provided the scientific literature with an unique and in depth analysis of social, biological, cultural and related interactions. This book is published by the renowned University of Coimbra. The same University that only a short time ago began to offer a course in Physical Education and Sport under the intellectual and scientific leadership of Francisco Sobral Leal. His work in Portugal is both unique and pioneering. Here he has been able to be influential. This book, due to its quality and the nature of its topics, is thus a fine tribute to his work and culture of interaction. A tribute of science in the name of knowledge. Luis Bettencourt Sardinha

The Strong Female Athlete is an evidence-based and experience-based text with a fresh, novel approach for youth female athletes to improve speed, reduce injury, and increase strength. In this exuberant body of work, Erica Suter gives a deep understanding of female athlete growth and maturation, anatomy and physiology, nutritional needs, menstrual cycle considerations, and performance training progressions. She presents the science, but in a way that is readable and fun for coaches, parents, and young girls. This is way easier to read than a scientific study! The final chapters discuss mental training and how female athletes can improve confidence, and overcome challenges from sports and life.

The Athletic Skills Model offers an alternative to dominant talent development theories in the form of holistic broad-based movement education, focusing on health and wellbeing. It places the emphasis on ‘physical intelligence’ – including attributes such as agility, flexibility and stability – through adaptable and varied training programmes, creating a skilled athlete before introducing sport specialization. The book sets out the scientific underpinnings of the ASM before going on to offer practical guidance on the content of the programme, how to adapt and vary the programme, and how to apply the approach to different age groups and sports. The ASM’s application in the youth development programme at AFC Ajax is explored in depth, before a future of talent development with an emphasis on athletic, rather than sport-specific, expertise is imagined. The Athletic Skills Model introduces an important and timely challenge to conventional wisdom in talent development and is a fascinating read for any upper-level student or researcher interested in youth development, skill acquisition, motor learning or sports coaching, and any coaches wanting to refresh their approach to talent development.