In-Season Training for Injury Prevention & Athletic Performance: Why It Matters More Than You Think
September 9, 2026
Fall sports are here. Discover why in-season training prevents injuries and boosts performance for young athletes.
The Reality Check Every Parent Needs to Hear
Fall sports season has just started. Your kid made the team. You're excited. You're also probably thinking: "Is my child prepared for the rigors of the season?"
Maybe? Maybe not? The boogeyman that is always present, but rarely talked about, is injuries. With high demands of the season also comes high demands on your athlete’s body.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most young athletes don't do dedicated in-season training and are rarely fully prepared for the rigors of the season. Their bodies are being asked to perform at peak levels (daily practice, competitions and games every week), recover in 24-48 hours, and repeat - all without the foundational support that keeps them strong and available.
This article breaks down why in-season training matters, how it prevents injuries, and what it actually looks like for your young athlete competing in fall sports.
What Is In-Season Training?
In-season training is specialized training that happens parallel to practice and competition, not in lieu of it. It's designed specifically for athletes who are actively competing.
Here's the key difference between off-season and in-season training:
Off-season training = building the foundation (strength, speed, muscle mass)
In-season training = maintaining that foundation while managing the demands of practice and competition
Think of it this way: your athlete's coach is teaching soccer. A qualified strength and conditioning coach is making sure their body can handle the demands of soccer without breaking down.
In-season training typically includes:
- Maintenance strength work (2-3x per week, 30-45 minutes)
- Sport-specific injury prevention exercises (especially critical areas like ankles, knees, shoulders)
- Recovery protocols (mobility, stretching, activation)
- Movement pattern corrections (fixing imbalances before they become injuries)
- Energy system conditioning (keeping cardiovascular fitness primed)
The volume and intensity are deliberately lower than off-season, but the focus is laser-sharp: keep them healthy, keep them performing.
The Injury Prevention Connection: What Science Shows
Let's talk numbers. Research on youth athletes consistently shows:
- ACL injuries increase 40-60% during in-season play (compared to off-season)
- Ankle sprains are 2-3x more likely during games / competition than practice
- Overuse injuries spike when athletes jump from regular season into playoffs
Why? Competition and games introduce variables that off-season practice doesn't:
- Fatigue – your athlete plays harder in a game than practice, affecting not just their body, but their mind as well
- Reactive movements – games demand quick direction changes that training can't always replicate
- Accumulated microtrauma – repeated high-intensity play without adequate recovery
- Lack of Adequate Rest – with practice occurring 2-5 times a week and competitions at least once per week, athletes are given less than 48 hours per week for proper recovery
Here's the game-changer: young athletes who do in-season training see a 30-50% reduction in injury rates across most sports.
One landmark study in the Journal of Athletic Training followed 200+ youth soccer players. Half did in-season strength / injury prevention work; half didn't. The results:
- Control group (no in-season training): 34 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures
- In-season training group: 18 injuries per 1,000 athlete exposures
That's nearly 50% fewer injuries.
The most common injuries prevented:
- ACL tears (40% reduction)
- Ankle sprains (35% reduction)
- Muscle strains (25% reduction)
- Tendinitis (30% reduction)
The Performance Angle: More Than Just Staying Healthy
Here's another important point that most parents don't realize: in-season training actually improves performance.
It seems counterintuitive. Won't extra training just tire out my athlete?
No - because smart in-season training is designed to:
1. Maintain Neuromuscular Strength
Your athlete's nervous system and muscles naturally fatigue during season. Dedicated strength work keeps the neural connection sharp. The result? Better explosiveness, faster reaction time, more powerful shots / throws / jumps.
2. Fix Movement Patterns in Real-Time
During competition, athletes develop compensatory patterns (limping slightly, favoring one side, poor form under fatigue). In-season training catches and corrects these before they cause injury or performance loss.
3. Sustain Power Output
A 2023 study in Sports Medicine found that youth athletes doing in-season strength training maintained their vertical jump and sprint speed throughout a 16-week season. Athletes without it showed a 6-8% decline.
4. Improve Recovery Speed
Athletes who do structured in-season recovery work recover faster between games. That means:
- Better performance in the 2nd or 3rd game of a tournament weekend
- Fewer "games where they were sore"
- More competitive availability
5. Increase Mental Resilience
An athlete who feels strong and healthy plays more confidently. They're less tentative, less worried about re-injury, and more aggressive. That translates to better performance.
What In-Season Training Actually Looks Like
Let's get specific. Here's a typical in-season training week for a young soccer or football player:
Monday (after competition)
- 20 min light active recovery (mobility, stretching)
- 10 min lower body activation (glute bridges, lateral band walks)
- Rest or very light activity
Tuesday or Wednesday (mid-week)
- 5 min warm-up
- 30 min strength maintenance (4-6 exercises, 2-3 sets each)
- Lower body focus (squats, lunges, deadlifts with lighter weights)
- Core work
- 10 min injury prevention (ankle stability, knee alignment drills, shoulder health)
- 5 min cool-down
Thursday (if team practice light)
- Similar to Tuesday/Wednesday OR full rest depending on team schedule
Friday or Saturday (game day)
- Light activation only (no heavy lifting before competition)
Sunday (before next week's competition)
- Recovery protocols only / rest
Total per week: 60-90 minutes of dedicated in-season training (separate from team practice)
The exercises are purposeful:
- Lower body: emphasis on maintaining strength and explosiveness through all movements
- Core: anti-rotation, rotation, extension, and anti-extension work (builds stability under fatigue)
- Upper body: maintain explosiveness and strength
- Movement patterns: landing mechanics, deceleration control, change-of-direction drills
Why TEST Fitness Should Be Part of the Plan
Here's where we're honest: team coaches can't do this.
They're managing 15-30 athletes, running plays, managing injuries day-to-day. Adding personalized strength and injury prevention work isn't possible.
This is where working with a qualified strength and conditioning coach makes the difference.
A good in-season program includes:
✅ Movement assessment – identifying your athlete's specific weak points
✅ Sport-specific planning – different sports need different injury prevention focus
✅ Progress monitoring – ensuring they're maintaining strength without getting fatigued
✅ Communication with coaches – coordinating so training complements (not conflicts with) team workouts
✅ Adaptation – if your athlete gets injured or has a tough schedule, adjusting on the fly
This is standard practice at the college and professional level. High school athletes are increasingly getting it too. But youth rec and competitive athletes? Many are missing it entirely.
The TEST Fitness Advantage
If your young athlete is competing in fall sports in Somerset or Morris County, now is the perfect time to start.
Most youth athletes don't do in-season training. That means your athlete has an immediate competitive advantage:
- Fewer injuries = more games played
- Better performance = more minutes, more stats, more recruiting visibility (if that matters to you)
- Confidence = playing with less fear
Red Flags: Does Your Athlete Need In-Season Training?
If your young athlete exhibits any of these, in-season training is critical:
- Previous injury history – if they've had any tendon, ligament, or muscular injuries
- Returning from injury – getting cleared by a doctor isn't the same as being ready for competition
- Noticeable fatigue – if they're noticeably sore 3+ days after games, their body is telling you it needs support
- Inconsistent performance – playing great Week 1, struggling Week 3 (could signal fatigue/breakdown)
- Competitive goal – if recruitment or making elite teams is a goal, in-season training is part of the pipeline
- Fall sport specialization – playing the same sport competitively year-round requires year-round smart training
What NOT to Do (Common Mistakes)
Before we wrap up, here are the in-season training mistakes we see:
❌ No training at all – we covered why this leads to injury and performance decline
❌ Training the same way as off-season – high volume, heavy lifting during competition leads to burnout and injuries
❌ Ignoring recovery – in-season training without recovery protocols is worse than no training (it's just added fatigue)
❌ One-size-fits-all programming – every athlete has different weak points and needs different emphasis
❌ No communication with coaches – training in isolation from team coaching can create conflict and isn't optimized
The Bottom Line
In-season training isn't optional for serious young athletes. It's the difference between:
- Staying healthy vs. missing games to injuries
- Maintaining performance vs. declining through the season
- Playing with confidence vs. playing scared
Fall sports are here. Your athlete's body is about to face 15+ weeks of competition-level stress.
Give it the support it needs.
Ready to Give Your Athlete an Edge?
If your young athlete is competing this fall, we'd love to chat about what in-season training could do for them.
We work with youth athletes throughout Somerset and neighboring counties to build injury-proof, performance-boosting training programs tailored to their sport and their goals.
Schedule a free athletic assessment – we'll evaluate your athlete, identify weak points, and show you exactly how in-season training could make a difference. Or reach out to Kevin Coyne with any questions or to schedule your athlete’s complementary assessment: email: kevin.coyne@team-test.com, cell: 908-895-6585
About the Author: Colby Swanson, Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach (CSCS), specializes in youth athletic development and injury prevention at Test Fitness. With 5+ years of experience working with professional and youth athletes across soccer, basketball, football, and other sports, he is passionate about keeping athletes healthy and helping them reach their potential.
Sources & Research
- American Academy of Pediatrics - Strength Training by Children and Adolescents
- American College of Sports Medicine - Youth Resistance Training Guidelines
- NCAA Injury Surveillance Program - Injury Data by Sport
- Journal of Athletic Training - In-Season Training Effects
- Sports Medicine Journal - Neuromuscular Training and In-Season Performance
- Mandelbaum, B. R., et al. (2005). "Effectiveness of a Neuromuscular and Proprioceptive Training Program in Preventing ACL Injuries." American Journal of Sports Medicine, 33(7):1003-1010
- Arendt, E. A., & Dick, R. (1995). "Knee Injury Patterns Among Men and Women in Collegiate Basketball and Soccer." American Journal of Sports Medicine, 23(6):694-701








