If you’ve ever watched a coached swim practice, you’ve probably heard someone shout ‘breathe to both sides!’ — and if you’ve ever tried it mid-set, you know how disorienting that can feel. Bilateral breathing (the practice of alternating which side you breathe on during freestyle) is one of those skills that feels counterintuitive at first … [Read More…]
Showing up to a game on an empty stomach — or worse, a stomach full of pizza — can turn a talented young athlete into a sluggish, cramping mess by the second half. What you eat before competition matters just as much as how hard you practice, yet pre-game nutrition is one of the most … [Read More…]
Every lap you swim starts and ends at the wall — and what happens in those first few seconds after you push off can make or break your speed. A tight, well-executed streamline position is the fastest you will ever move in the water, faster than any of the four competitive strokes. Yet most recreational … [Read More…]
A hard game or grueling practice leaves young athletes sore, drained, and ready to collapse — but what happens in the next 24 hours matters just as much as what happened on the field. Recovery is not simply about rest; it is a specific set of actions that help muscles rebuild, energy stores refill, and … [Read More…]
If sit-ups are still the go-to core drill at your athlete’s practice, it’s time for an upgrade. Traditional sit-ups do work the rectus abdominis, but they also heavily recruit the hip flexors and load the lumbar spine with repeated flexion, while doing little to build the anti-rotation stability and power transfer that sport actually demands. … [Read More…]
If your freestyle feels like you’re working hard but not going anywhere, the culprit is almost always the catch — specifically, a dropped elbow during the underwater pull. The high elbow catch (also called the Early Vertical Forearm, or EVF) is the single most impactful technique fix available to recreational and competitive swimmers alike, and … [Read More…]
Young athletes who move with quick, confident footwork tend to stand out on the field or court — and the agility ladder is one of the most effective, low-cost tools for building that edge. This guide covers eight proven ladder drills that coaches and trainers use to improve foot speed, coordination, and body awareness in … [Read More…]
Butterfly is widely considered the hardest competitive swim stroke — and for good reason. It demands simultaneous arm recovery, a coordinated two-beat kick, and a full-body undulating wave, all working together at the same time. Most beginners who try to swim it by brute force end up exhausted after half a length. The good news: … [Read More…]
Of all the competitive swimming strokes, backstroke is widely considered the most beginner-friendly — and for good reason. Because kids swim on their backs the entire time, their face stays out of the water and they can breathe freely from start to finish. There is no breath timing to master and no anxiety about putting … [Read More…]
Breaststroke is widely considered the trickiest stroke for young swimmers to learn, and the kick is usually where things fall apart. Unlike freestyle or backstroke, the frog kick demands a very specific sequence of movements that feels unnatural at first: bend, turn, push, squeeze, glide. Miss any one of those steps and the kick stops … [Read More…]
If you play a sport and want to get stronger, faster, and more resilient, you don’t need a gym membership or a rack of weights. Your own bodyweight is a legitimate training tool — one that major sports medicine organizations have endorsed for young athletes at every level. This guide lays out a practical bodyweight … [Read More…]
Getting out of breath in freestyle is one of the most common frustrations for swimmers of all levels. The water feels choppy, your arms lose rhythm, and suddenly you’re hanging on the lane rope wondering what went wrong. The good news: in most cases, the problem is technique, not fitness. This guide covers the exact … [Read More…]
A freestyle flip turn is one of the most time-saving skills in competitive swimming — but it can feel disorienting and awkward the first time you try it. Done right, it keeps your momentum and shaves seconds off every lap without a wasted breath or clumsy stop at the wall. This guide breaks the flip … [Read More…]
If your young athlete wants to jump higher, sprint faster, and change direction with more confidence, plyometric training is one of the most effective tools in the playbook. Plyometrics — exercises that use fast, explosive movements like jumps, hops, and bounds — train the fast-twitch muscle fibers responsible for exactly those qualities. And unlike heavy … [Read More…]
Speed wins games. Whether your kid plays soccer, football, basketball, or track, being faster than the competition is one of the clearest advantages in youth sports. The good news: speed is a skill, and like any skill, it can be trained — no fancy gym required. These six drills target the core mechanics of fast … [Read More…]
Basketball rebounding fundamentals for kids turn undersized, average-scoring players into the most valuable kid on the floor, because rebounding rewards effort and positioning far more than it rewards height or natural talent. This guide breaks down exactly how to teach youth players ages 8-14 to box out, read the bounce, secure the ball, and outlet … [Read More…]
Swimming starts and turns for youth competitive swimmers are the fastest place to find race-time improvement, because most practice hours go to stroke and conditioning while the start and every wall touch get almost no dedicated attention. A swimmer who dives cleanly, streamlines tight, and turns without hesitation can out-touch a faster swimmer who wastes … [Read More…]
Tennis backhand technique for kids is the difference between a young player who looks comfortable on court and one who runs around every ball to hit forehands. The backhand is the second-most-hit shot in tennis, and a weak one gets exploited fast as kids climb the competitive ladder. The good news: a sound backhand is … [Read More…]
Basketball drills for youth dribbling form the foundation of every great guard, wing, and even modern big. The kids who become confident ball handlers by age 12 are the ones who keep getting playing time at 16. The good news: ball handling is one of the most trainable skills in sport. With ten focused minutes … [Read More…]
Swimming technique for beginners is the single most important factor in learning to move through the water safely, efficiently, and with confidence. Whether you are a parent enrolling your child in swim lessons or an adult who never learned to swim properly, mastering the fundamentals of body position, breathing, and stroke mechanics will transform your … [Read More…]
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