Why Playing More Sport Isn’t the Same as Developing Better Athletes

Dave Saunders
3 minutes ago
4 min read

Parents are often faced with two options when it comes to youth sport:

More sport-specific training
Athletic development alongside sport

Both sound positive.

But they are not the same thing, and confusing the two is one of the biggest reasons young athletes plateau, lose confidence, or break down physically.

This blog isn’t about saying sport-specific training is bad.

It’s about explaining what it does well, what it doesn’t do at all, and why athletic development fills the gap.

What Sport-Specific Training Is Actually Good At

Sport-specific training focuses on the technical and tactical demands of a single sport.

In rugby, this might include:

Passing and catching technique
Tackling and contact skills
Team patterns and structures
Game understanding and positioning

This type of training is essential.

It helps young players:

Learn the rules and flow of the game
Understand their role
Build confidence with the ball
Enjoy being part of a team

But sport-specific training has clear limitations when it’s used in isolation.

Where Sport-Specific Training Falls Short

Sport-specific sessions are designed to teach what to do in the game — not to build the body that has to execute those skills.

As a result, many young players:

Know what they want to do, but can’t physically do it
Execute skills well when fresh, but poorly under fatigue
Struggle when the game becomes faster or more physical

This isn’t a skill problem.

It’s a physical capacity problem.

What Athletic Development Actually Trains

Athletic development targets the physical qualities that support every sport, including:

Strength and force production
Speed and acceleration
Coordination and balance
Agility and change of direction
Landing, braking, and deceleration skills

These qualities don’t belong to one sport.

They underpin all of them.

Athletic development doesn’t teach a child how to play rugby.

It teaches them how to move efficiently, safely, and powerfully.

A Simple Comparison

Think of it like this:

Sport-specific training asks:

What decision should I make?
Where should I be on the pitch?
Which skill do I use?

Athletic development prepares the body to:

Get there faster
Stay balanced under pressure
Execute the skill repeatedly
Recover and repeat efforts

One teaches what to do.

The other makes sure the body is capable of doing it.

Why Playing More Sport Doesn’t Close the Gap

Playing more matches or adding extra sport-specific sessions doesn’t automatically improve athletic qualities.

Games are unpredictable.

A child might:

Sprint a handful of times
Avoid contact altogether
Spend long periods standing or jogging

That’s not a criticism of sport — it’s just reality.

Athletic qualities require intentional training.

They don’t develop reliably through games alone.

Short-Term Differences Parents Notice

When athletic development is added alongside sport-specific training, parents often notice:

Improved speed and coordination
Better balance in contact
Cleaner skill execution under pressure
Increased confidence
Fewer minor injuries and niggles

Not because the child is playing less sport — but because their body is better prepared.

Long-Term Differences That Really Matter

As children grow and the demands of sport increase, the gap widens.

Players without athletic foundations often:

Struggle through growth spurts
Break down under higher training loads
Get overtaken by peers who were once behind

Athletically developed players are more likely to:

Progress smoothly through age groups
Stay injury-free
Adapt to faster, more physical competition
Remain confident and motivated

This is why long-term development models prioritise athlete first, sport second in early years.

A Cultural Difference Worth Understanding: UK vs USA

This is where culture plays a huge role in how young athletes develop.

In the UK, we traditionally believe:

A rugby player should play rugby
A footballer should play football
A cricketer should play cricket
A netballer should play netball
A hockey player should stick to hockey

The sport comes first, and physical development is often left to chance.

In the United States, the mindset is very different.

Young athletes commonly:

Play multiple sports across the year
Spend time in the gym learning to lift safely
Train sprinting, jumping, and change of direction on the track
Develop general athletic qualities before specialising

The goal isn’t to be good at one sport early.

It’s to become a high-level athlete who can later be coached into a sport.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Professional environments have already adapted.

Across rugby, football, netball and hockey academies, there’s been a clear shift in recent years.

Clubs are no longer just looking for the kid who is:

The biggest at 13
The most skilful early developer
The one who’s played the most matches

They are actively searching for:

Speed
Power
Coordination
Robust movement
Athletes who can tolerate training loads

In simple terms:

They want athletes they can coach into players.

This mirrors the long-standing American model far more than the traditional UK approach.

It’s Not Either-Or — It’s Both (In the Right Order)

The most effective approach isn’t choosing between sport-specific training or athletic development.

It’s combining them intelligently.

Athletic development builds the engine
Sport-specific training teaches how to drive it

When the engine is weak, no amount of driving lessons fix the problem.

Final Thoughts for Parents

Playing sport is vital.

Sport-specific coaching is important.

But without athletic development, young players are often asked to perform skills their bodies aren’t ready for.

When we develop athleticism alongside sport, children:

Perform better
Stay healthier
Enjoy sport more
Reach higher long-term potential

More sport isn’t the answer.

Better preparation is.

At Junior Sports Academy, we combine athletic development with sport-specific coaching to build capable, confident athletes — not just busy players.