Elevating Young Athletes’ Basketball Performance: Tips From a Pro Strength Coach
One of Basketball Mentors’ partners is Inner Athlete, specialists in youth strength and conditioning, who support the physical development of basketballers.
In Episode 86 of the Inner Athlete Podcast, they spoke with Melbourne United Head of Strength & Conditioning, Jay Ellis, about how young athletes can improve their performance.
A key insight from Jay is that as players progress through the levels, the difference isn’t just skill, it’s often physical capacity.
Basketball is fast, reactive and more physical than many people realise. As athletes get older, they compete against stronger, more powerful opponents, which can impact their ability to hold position, change direction, stay balanced, and consistently execute skills under pressure.
Another key takeaway is that every athlete develops differently. Rather than training based on position, effective strength and conditioning focuses on the individual, supporting their body type, movement patterns and specific needs.
For young athletes, this can be kept simple, with a focus on:
- Building strength through the lower body and core
- Developing effective jumping and landing mechanics
- Improving balance, coordination and body control
- Supporting joint health (particularly ankles, knees and hips)
Tune into or watch Episode 86 of the Inner Athlete Podcast on Buzzsprout or YouTube.
If you’d like to learn more about how strength and conditioning can support your child’s development alongside their basketball training, you can book a FREE discovery call with the Inner Athlete team.
