Adolescence is a significant period of transition. This is a common time in active adolescents’ lives when many individuals make the decision to strive for excellence & commit to being an athlete, or decide that they will no longer commit the time, energy & resources to achieving excellence in their sport. Sometimes that decision is made for them, through injury, lack of opportunity, or inability to progress. Regardless of which path they choose, the adults in their lives must offer support & encouragement without judgement or conditions.

There is so much going on in the lives of youth during adolescence that it is not surprising many drop out of sport or physical activity. Adolescents who do continue on move on to the next stage, Train To Train, which often starts during their adolescent growth spurt, around age 11–15 in girls & age 12–16 in boys.

Train to Train is critical for the development & retention of athletes. A collaborative, coherent approach among coaches, organizations & system stakeholders is needed to support the Train to Train athlete’s continued development toward excellence, or transfer into ongoing activity for life. When stakeholders understand the issues & show patience in development, more youth will be retained in sport & physical activity.