Plyometrics for Young Athletes: A Practical Progression | Starke Industries

Kids jump all the time. Plyometric training takes that natural movement and organizes it: specific jumps, hops, and bounds, progressed over time to build power and coordination.

Done well, it's a great part of youth athletic development. Done poorly, with high box jumps and endless reps, it's a lot of stress on bodies that aren't ready for it. This post covers how we think about progressing plyometrics.

Where plyometrics fit in long-term development

The NSCA position statement on long-term athletic development calls for youth training to be structured, logical, and evidence-based, and to be individualized, holistic, and child-centered [1]. It also notes that many young athletes are physically underprepared for the demands of their sport [1].

The NSCA's updated position statement on youth resistance training adds that resistance training can offer unique benefits for children and adolescents when it's appropriately prescribed and supervised [2]. Plyometrics are a related training method, and the same principle applies: appropriate prescription and supervision come first.

Step 1: Teach landing first

Before an athlete jumps higher, they should land well. Landing is where forces are high, and it's a skill that can be taught.

Good landing basics:

• Land softly and quietly

• Hips back, knees bent, chest up

• Knees tracking roughly in line with the toes

• Feet about hip-width apart

• "Stick" the landing for a second before moving

Early sessions might be mostly landing drills: snap-downs, small drops from a low box, and hop-and-stick drills.

Step 2: Go from low to high intensity

Plyometric exercises vary a lot in intensity. A rough progression:

1. Low intensity: Skipping, jumping rope, pogo hops in place, low line hops. 2. Moderate: Squat jumps, broad jumps with a stick, lateral hops, box jumps onto a low box (landing on the box reduces landing force). 3. Higher: Repeated broad jumps, bounds, single-leg hops. 4. Highest: Drop jumps and depth jumps from a box, reactive single-leg work.

Athletes move up when they consistently show good landing control at the current level, not just because a few weeks have passed. Two athletes the same age can be at very different stages, depending on training history, strength, and growth. Biological maturity varies widely among teenagers.

Step 3: Keep volume reasonable

Plyometrics are about quality. Fewer high-quality reps beat many sloppy ones. Many coaches count "foot contacts" (each time a foot hits the ground) to manage volume. Start low, add gradually, and leave plenty of rest between sets so each rep is done with intent.

Start with low volume and increase foot contacts gradually as landing quality stays solid.

Step 4: Consider the whole week

Young athletes jump a lot in their sports. A volleyball or basketball player may already do hundreds of jumps in practice. Plyometric training needs to account for that, so sessions may be lighter in-season and heavier in the off-season.

Signs to slow down

• Landings getting louder or sloppier

• Knees caving inward on landings

• Persistent soreness in the shins, knees, or heels

• Athlete reports pain

Any persistent pain should be evaluated by a qualified medical professional.

Common mistakes

• Chasing box height. A high box jump often shows hip flexibility more than jumping ability, and it adds risk without much benefit.

• Doing plyos when exhausted. Put them early in a session.

• Copying advanced programs. Depth jumps from a high box aren't a beginner exercise.

• No progression plan. Random jumps every session aren't a program.

How testing helps

Jump testing, such as a countermovement jump on force plates, can show whether an athlete's jumping is changing over a training block. It doesn't replace coaching the landing. A coach watching the movement is still essential.

Questions parents ask

What age can kids start plyometrics? Simple jumping and landing games are appropriate for young children. The question is less about age and more about the type and amount of training, plus supervision.

My child already jumps a lot in their sport. Do they need more? Maybe not more volume. Teaching better landing mechanics and adding variety can still help.

A sample beginner week

General example only:

• Day 1: Snap-downs, low-box drops with a stick, pogo hops. Short sets, full rest.

• Day 2: Skipping variations, broad jump with stick, lateral line hops.

• Day 3: Repeat Day 1 with small additions if landings stayed clean.

Each session might take only 10 to 15 minutes of the workout, at the start, when the athlete is fresh. As landings improve over several weeks, add new exercises one at a time rather than all at once.

The bottom line

Teach landing first, progress from low to high intensity, keep volume under control, and supervise. Plyometrics are a useful tool when they're introduced with patience.

Related reading

• Summer Off-Season Training for High School Athletes: How to Plan the Break
• Training in the Heat: Heat Illness Basics for Summer Workouts
• Squat Jump vs. Countermovement Jump: What the Difference Tells You
• Single-Leg vs. Double-Leg Jumps: Why Test Both
• Sprint Testing 101: 10 m, 20 m, and the 40-Yard Dash
• Back to School: Getting Ready for Fall Sports Tryouts
• The Nordic Hamstring Exercise: What the Research Says
• The Copenhagen Adductor Exercise for Field and Ice Athletes

References

• Lloyd RS, et al. National Strength and Conditioning Association position statement on long-term athletic development. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(6):1491–1509. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001387 (published Jun 2016)
• Faigenbaum AD, et al. Youth resistance training: updated position statement paper from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(5 Suppl):S60–S79. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31819df407 (published Aug 2009)
• Source note: no youth-specific plyometric trial or meta-analysis was verified for this draft, so the progression is presented as coaching practice and is not cited. Recommended: Tyler supplies or approves a verified youth plyometric review before publishing.
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