Back
, , , , , , ,

Athletic Development and Skill-Specific Training for Athletes

Athletic Development, Skill Training, Sport Specific Training, Fitness, Training Aspects, Movement, Athleticism, Sports

In the world of personal training and athletic performance, two critical components shape an athlete’s journey: athletic development and skill-specific training. While both are essential for enhancing performance, they serve different purposes and require specific approaches to meet the unique needs of the athlete.

What Is Athletic Development?

Athletic development focuses on building a foundation that enhances an athlete’s overall physical abilities. This includes improving stability, speed, coordination, and the ability to execute movements with precision and fluidity. Key aspects of athletic development involve:

  1. Coordination: Refining how the body moves in harmony, which is critical for fluid and efficient motion.
  2. Fast and Slow Twitch Muscle Development: Training both muscle fiber types to maximize explosive power (fast twitch) and endurance (slow twitch).
  3. Improved Stability: Addressing issues like clumsiness and poor balance to create a strong base for advanced athletic skills.
  4. Fluid Movement: Ensuring athletes can control their bodies across a wide range of motions with ease and grace.

Athletic development provides athletes with the tools they need to execute sport-specific skills at a higher level. It forms the foundation in which sport-specific training is built.

Skill Development: Taking It to the Next Level

Skill development, on the other hand, hones in on the specific demands of an athlete’s sport and position. The goal is to refine techniques and improve performance in the athlete’s unique role. Here’s a breakdown of how skill development differs based on sport and position:

  • Basketball:
    • A point guard may focus on passing and dribbling to enhance court vision and ball control.
    • A center might emphasize jumping and rebounding drills to dominate under the basket.
  • Hockey:
    • A goalie works on lateral movements to improve agility and quickness in the crease.
    • A forward trains for hand speed and stick handling to outmaneuver opponents.
  • Football:
    • A cornerback practices backpedaling and drills that teach smooth transitions into sprints for coverage
    • A defensive lineman might incorporate boxing to develop hand-fighting techniques and the ability to shed blockers.

 

Why Athletic and Skill Development Go Hand-in-Hand

Together, these elements prepare athletes not just to perform, but to excel. A basketball player with exceptional stability and coordination will find it easier to perfect their dribbling, while a hockey goalie with well-developed fast twitch muscles will react more quickly to oncoming shots.

By focusing on both athletic development and skill-specific training, athletes can unlock their full potential, becoming more versatile, powerful, and efficient in their chosen sport. Whether you’re a coach, athlete, or personal trainer, integrating both into a training regimen is the key to long-term success.

Written By:

Darrid Watson, CSCS, NSCA-CPT

Take action… Now!

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Training Aspects Personal Training and Sports Performance locations:

Voorhees Flyers Training center. The Hollydell ice arena, in the main building. Ice land hockey rink

Recent posts
  • Train movement not muscles: 3 great athletic training exercises
    Assess Your Goals, Cherry Hill sports performance, Hockey Performance, Sports performance
    Train movement not muscles: 3 great athletic training exercises

    Three great athletic training exercises There are many athletes who want to get faster, stronger, more powerful whatever their goal may be. Often, they see cool exercises on social media and try to replicate them. Now, I’ll always say: there are no single exercises that will develop true movement power and ability but there are…

  • What Boxing Means to Me – Part 4: Life away from Boxing
    Boxing Performance, Fitness, South Jersey, Sports performance, Testimonials
    What Boxing Means to Me – Part 4: Life away from Boxing

    Part 4: Life Lessons from Boxing Boxing had to take a back seat after a wood-shop accident in high school led to surgery. What I thought would be a six-month break turned into years. I didn’t step into a boxing gym again until my junior year of college. I was out of shape, but I…

  • Another Three Reasons Athletes Should Train Year Round for Peak Performance
    Fit and healthy, Fitness, Hockey Performance, Personal trainer tips, Sports performance
    Another Three Reasons Athletes Should Train Year Round for Peak Performance

    Year around training doesn’t just develop the body but it has amazingly underrated mental benefits that come with it. The consistency and structure it brings builds discipline, focus, and confidence, all things vital to high level performance. Here is another three more reasons why athletes benefit from staying committed year around, but this time, from…

Subscribe to our newsletter
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.