MatchFit Movement & Well-Being

📈 Has your child suddenly shot up over the last 12 months?

While growth is a normal and healthy part of development, periods of rapid growth may be associated with an increased risk of injury.

Recent research in elite youth athletes suggests that injury risk may be influenced not simply by age, but by how quickly children are growing.

During these periods, bones can lengthen rapidly, while strength, coordination and movement skills take time to catch up.

This doesn’t mean children should stop playing sport. In fact, it highlights the importance of developing strength, movement competency and athletic skills throughout adolescence.

Want to know whether your child is approaching their growth spurt?

👇 Use our FREE Peak height velocity (growth spurt) calculator via the link in bio.

Most parents are surprised to learn that two children of the same age can be at very different stages of development.

In fact, differences of 12–24 months in biological maturation are not uncommon during adolescence.

This is one of the reasons why youth training should be guided by movement competency and appropriate progressions, rather than age alone.

Understanding where your child sits in their growth and development journey can help inform training, sport participation, and long-term athletic development.

📊 Curious about your child’s maturation status?

I’ve created a FREE Maturation Calculator that estimates where they are in relation to their growth spurt and provides personalised programme recommendations.

🔗 Visit MatchFitMovement.co.uk to try it.

Have you ever noticed one child in a team looking physically years ahead of the others despite being the same age?

⬇️ Let me know in the comments.

⚡ SUMMER SPEED & AGILITY TRAINING ⚡

Most young athletes spend hours practising their sport, but very little time learning how to run faster, change direction more effectively, and move with greater efficiency.

Our Summer Speed & Agility Programme is designed to help young athletes develop the movement skills that underpin performance across a wide range of sports.

✅ Sprint mechanics
✅ Change of direction technique
✅ Agility and reaction training
✅ Athletic movement skills
✅ Research-informed coaching

Whether your child plays football, rugby, netball, basketball, hockey, or simply wants to become a better all-round athlete, these sessions are designed to help them move better, faster, and with greater confidence.

📍 FitzWimarc School, Rayleigh
📅 Summer Programme
👦👧 Suitable for young athletes across a range of sports

Spaces are limited.

📲 Comment “SPEED” below or visit the link in our bio to secure a place.

🏀 One of the aspects of my work that I am most proud of has been helping to develop the Strength & Conditioning provision within the Basketball England talent pathway.

While frameworks, strategies, and athlete development principles can be designed on paper, their success ultimately depends on the quality of the coaches delivering them. This reel showcases some of the excellent coaches who have helped bring that vision to life through their work with young athletes across the pathway.

The focus has always been about more than physical preparation alone. Developing movement competency, training knowledge, recovery habits, and long-term athletic development has been central to the approach.

Many of these same evidence-informed principles continue to underpin everything we do at MatchFit Movement.

A huge credit to the coaching team for the work they continue to do in supporting the next generation of players. 👏

🏀

⚡ Most sports coaches teach tactics and technical skills.

But how often do young athletes get the opportunity to specifically develop the physical qualities that underpin performance?

At MatchFit Movement, our Summer Speed & Agility Programme is designed to help young athletes:

✅ Move more efficiently
✅ Develop effective change of direction mechanics
✅ Improve speed and agility
✅ React and make decisions under pressure
✅ Build confidence in their movement abilities

We combine structured skill development with fun, game-like activities that challenge athletes to apply their skills in environments that reflect the demands of sport.

No fads. No gimmicks.

Just evidence-informed coaching designed to help young athletes move better and perform at their best.

📍 Limited spaces available.

👉 If you’d like your son or daughter to get faster, move better, and gain an athletic edge heading into next season, visit the link in our bio and secure their place today.

Parents’ question…

⚽🏀🏉🏐 “Isn’t it unsafe for children to lift weights?”

It’s one of the most common questions parents ask.

But here’s the reality:

Young athletes are already exposed to substantial forces every time they run, jump, land, decelerate, and change direction during sport.

Strength and conditioning doesn’t create those forces.

It helps young people develop the movement skills, coordination, strength, and resilience needed to cope with them.

Done appropriately, youth strength training is about preparation, not powerlifting.

It’s about helping young athletes move better, perform better, and stay healthier throughout their sporting journey.

👇 Have you ever been told children shouldn’t do strength training? Let me know in the comments.

📩 If you’d like guidance on where your child should start, get in contact via Messenger or email.

Your child’s sport develops skills.

We develop the athlete. 💥

🏃‍♀️ Plyometrics
⚡ Agility
💪 Power development
🎯 Movement skills

The physical qualities that underpin performance in virtually every sport.

If your son or daughter plays sport, they should be developing these qualities too.

📲 Follow and visit the link in our bio to find the right program for your child.

Can just 6 weeks of training reduce ACL injury risk factors in adolescent girls? 🤔

A study of youth female basketball players found that a short neuromuscular training programme improved movement patterns associated with ACL injury risk.

Why does that matter?

Because ACL injuries are often associated with poor landing mechanics, reduced movement control, and the inability to effectively absorb and redirect force during sport.

The good news? These movement qualities can be developed.

That’s why strength and conditioning for young athletes isn’t just about getting stronger or faster. It’s about helping them move more effectively, perform with confidence, and build resilience for sport.

✅ Better movement
✅ Better performance
✅ Lower injury risk

If your son or daughter participates in sports that involve jumping, landing, sprinting, and changing direction, strength and conditioning should be part of their development.

👇 What sport does your child play? Let me know in the comments.

🔄 Share this with another parent who has a young athlete.

📲 Follow for evidence-based advice on youth athletic development.