Hey everyone,
This week, I want to show you exactly what I mean when I say my athletes go through a movement skill session every day as part of their training.
One of the biggest issues I see in youth club soccer is that most teams simply roll the ball out and start playing. This is a lazy approach to development. It might work at U13 for boys or U12 for girls, but once puberty begins, this method needs to evolve.
Let’s talk about why.
Peak Height Velocity (PHV)
PHV refers to the fastest rate of growth during adolescence—what most people casually call a “growth spurt.”
Seven years ago, I introduced PHV tracking into PTFC’s development model. It gave us an objective way to:
Understand where each athlete is in their growth process
Predict how long that growth will continue
Plan development pathways based on biological age—not just chronological age
This has become a cornerstone of our holistic long-term development model.
Why It Matters
Research shows that athletes are most susceptible to injury during PHV and the six months following it. That makes sense when you think of this period as a time of extreme physical change.
It’s when entropy—or disorder within the system—dramatically increases.
I touched on this idea during the Pillar Prep series, but it’s worth repeating: without intentional structure, growing athletes become more prone to inefficiency, instability, and injury.
And here’s the thing…
Most coaches and parents intuitively recognize this. They see the awkward movement patterns, the nagging injuries, the inconsistency in performance.
But very few programs actually do anything about it.
That’s Where Movement Skill Training Comes In
At our club—from the academy to the first team—schedules vary, but one thing remains consistent: our daily “warm-up” process.
Though honestly, warm-up doesn’t do it justice.
Getting warm is generic. It doesn’t serve a real purpose unless it’s preparing you for the specific demands of that session.
Every part of our training is targeted. From the moment I begin planning a training block—mapping workloads, rest days, and session spacing around the match schedule—I’m also thinking about how to prepare the body for the work ahead.
That starts with Pillar Prep and transitions into our Movement Skill Session at the beginning of training.
If a session demands longer sprints and greater spacing, we’ll start with a speed-focused movement session. If it’s change-of-direction work, we prep accordingly.
Each day has a different focus. These movement sessions rotate to ensure balanced exposure across the week—aligned with training demands.
A True Extension of Training
These sessions are more condensed than what I’d use during rehab, the off-season, or in small group work—but even so, our athletes still get:
4–5 movement exposures per week
60–80 minutes of focused movement training
Progression in complexity, volume, and intensity throughout the week
This is not a box to check. This is not filler.
It’s a true extension of training.
Just like strength or conditioning, this is dedicated time to refine movement quality and build performance capacity.
We start in a controlled environment in the gym, and progress to more dynamic movement on the field—connecting all training phases into one holistic system.
All before “soccer training” even begins.
And when you include Pillar Prep, we’re adding an additional 150 minutes each week focused on improving movement, building durability, and protecting the athlete’s most valuable asset:
Their body.
This Is Bigger Than Soccer
The discipline to care for your body and train with intention is a skill that pays off far beyond the game.
Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most overlooked aspects of athlete development—by both youth clubs and the general population.
Watch It in Action
Take 15 minutes to watch the video above for a look at what a Movement Skill session focused on acceleration looks like—specifically on a Match Day +1 (MD+1) for our reserves.
I incorporated the ball into this session to further prepare players for the specific demands of the day. That said, I want to be very clear: the ball should never distract from the primary goal—improving movement quality. Its inclusion should be purposeful, seamless, and tied to a specific outcome, such as increasing blood flow or getting touches in an action they’ll perform in the training.
There are many philosophies around whether the ball should be included in the “warm-up,” and there’s no universal right or wrong.
But here’s my take: given that so many players today are technical specialists lacking real athleticism—and with most youth in the U.S. overly specialized and unable to move well—I usually leave the ball out to allow for more focused movement work. This is a critical, often overlooked area of development and one of the lowest-hanging fruits that needs to be addressed.
Quick note: If a player logged fewer than 45 minutes in the match and our periodization plan calls for a MD+1 session, they train.
This is essential for maintaining fitness and staying prepared to earn minutes in the next game.
It’s a gut check. But professionals understand: if they aren’t getting minutes, they’re falling behind.
The same principle applies at the youth level.
So what should you do? Put your feelings aside, stay consistent, and outwork your competition.
That’s really all there is to it.
Cheers,
Ian
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