Navigating the complex pathway of youth athletic development; Challenges and solutions to managing the training load of youth team sport athletes

The development of a youth team sport athlete is a complex process. This paper outlines challenges which may restrict the optimal balance between training and recovery and provide solutions to help practitioners overcome these challenges. To facilitate positive youth athletic development, training aims must be aligned between stakeholders to synchronise periods of intensified training and recovery. Within- and between-athlete variations in weekly training load must be managed and practitioners should attempt to ensure the intended load of training equals the load perceived by the athlete. Furthermore, practitioners should be cognizant of the athletes’ non-sport related stressors to enable both academic and sporting pursuits. Whilst each of these challenges adds intricacy, they may be overcome through collaboration, monitoring and if necessary, the modification of the athletes’ training load.