Athleticism for young players - Home

A foundation for physical development

This series helps coaches to develop physical attributes key to player development, using high-value exercises that require minimal equipment. In the first part, Colbert lays out the essential foundations of athleticism that shape dynamic and resilient young footballers.

Part 2

Building more from less

With the foundations in place, Colbert advocates a smart training approach, explaining how to eliminate low-value physical work and integrate high-impact, athletic exercises into compact sessions that complement football training and maximise player development on the pitch.

Part 3

Using dynamic mobility to support athletic development

Colbert turns his attention towards dynamic mobility — the foundation of athleticism. He explains why well-chosen mobility exercises facilitate better movement quality and help young players to express athletic potential more effectively during training and games.

Part 4

Building core strength for better performance

After working on dynamic mobility, Colbert turns to the core, the body’s epicentre for movement, taking us through a series of simple exercises designed to improve core strength and lay solid foundations for dynamic football movement.

Part 5

Creating a powerful lower body to maximise on-pitch performance

Lower-body strength (LBS) creates a stable base to generate and absorb force, aiding sprinting, jumping and quick changes of direction. Here, Colbert guides us through some exercises that build a functionally coordinated lower-body kinetic chain.