Can Your Young Athlete Pass These 5 Simple Movement Tests?

By Coach Dad & Dr. Mom | Raising Whole Athletes

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Coach Dad

As a coach, I've worked with young athletes who could shoot from anywhere on the court, is the fastest on the field or who could jump out of this world.

They could dribble through defenders with confidence. They spent countless hours practicing their sport and looked like incredible athletes during a game.

But then I'd ask them to do something much simpler during conditioning or off the court strengthening like:

Stand on one leg.

Perform a bodyweight squat.

Control their core while breathing.

Land from a jump and hold the landing.

Suddenly, many of those same athletes struggled.

That always stood out to me as a coach. These kids worked hard, loved the game, and had impressive skills, yet many lacked the basic movement foundation every athlete depends on. In my experience, those fundamentals can make the difference between an athlete who is constantly battling setbacks and one who stays healthy enough to enjoy the game for years, whether that’s recreationally, through high school and college, or even at the professional level.

That's where I turn to Dr. Mom.

Dr. Mom

As a physical therapist, she sees movement differently than I do. While I'm thinking about shooting mechanics, footwork, and decision-making on the court, she's looking at how an ahtlete moves before they ever touch a basketball.

And that's exactly why this conversation is so important.

I'll let her take it from here....

As a physical therapist, I've learned that skill and movement are not the same thing.

Your child can be incredibly talented at their sport while still lacking the movement foundation needed to perform at their highest level and reduce their risk of injury.

Before we worry about vertical jump, faster sprint times, or making more three-pointers, we should ask a different question:

Can they move well?

Why Movement Matters

Think of your child’s body like a young tree.

When a tree is first planted, you don’t focus on how tall it grows. You focus on its roots.

The deeper and wider the roots grow, the stronger the foundation becomes. Those roots are what allow the tree to support a thick trunk, strong branches, and eventually produce healthy leaves and fruit.

The same is true for young athletes.

Foundational movement skills are the roots.

Before adding more weight, jumping higher, running faster, or mastering advanced skills, children need to develop control over the basic movements their bodies were designed to perform.

When young athletes learn to breathe well, control their core, balance on one leg, squat with good alignment, and land with confidence, they’re building a foundation that supports everything that comes next.

As they grow stronger, taller, and more powerful, those movement roots help their bodies handle greater demands with better control and resilience.

Could a tree grow with shallow roots?

Of course.

But when the winds come, it’s much more likely to bend, break, or fall.

Athletes are no different.

The stronger the foundation, the better prepared they are to handle harder training, more advanced movements, and the physical demands of the sports they love.

At Raising Whole Athletes, we believe great athletes aren’t built from the top down. They’re grown from the roots up.

So what do healthy roots look like in a young athlete?

There are a handful of movement patterns I come back to over and over again. They don’t require fancy equipment, an expensive gym membership, or years of training.

These simple movements tell us a lot about how an athlete controls their body. They can also highlight areas that may need a little more attention before progressing to more advanced skills.

Here are five movement tests every parent can do at home.

1. Dead Bug

If I could choose only one exercise for every young athlete, this would be near the top of my list.

The Dead Bug isn't about having strong abs.

It's about learning how to control the core while breathing normally.

That ability carries over into almost every athletic movement.

Parent's watch for:

• Holding their breath

• Low back arching off the floor

• Ribs flaring upward

• Losing control as the arms and legs move

  
  

Goal: Slow, controlled movement while maintaining steady breathing.

2. Bodyweight Squat

The squat is one of the best windows into how your child moves.

It requires coordination between the ankles, knees, hips, core, and upper body.

Parents watch for:

• Knees collapsing inward

• Heels lifting off the ground

• Excessive forward leaning

• Difficulty reaching a comfortable depth

  
  

A good squat isn't about how low they can go. It's about moving with control.

3. Single-Leg Balance

Most sports happen on one leg.

Running...

Jumping...

Cutting...

Changing direction...

If your child struggles to balance on one leg, their body may have a harder time controlling those movements during sports.

Try this:

Have your child stand on one leg for 30 seconds.

Once they can do that comfortably, try it with their eyes closed.

Parents watch for:

• Excessive wobbling

• Foot constantly touching down

• Leaning their trunk dramatically

• Needing their arms to stay balanced

  
  

Balance is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with practice.

4. Jump and Stick Landing

Jumping gets all the attention.

Landing deserves just as much.

Many sports injuries don't happen when kids jump.

They happen when they come back down.

Ask your child to perform a small jump forward and "freeze" when they land.

Parents watch for:

• Knees collapsing inward

• Loud, heavy landings

• Multiple steps to regain balance

• Loss of control

The goal is a quiet, controlled landing with good alignment.

5. Bird Dog

The Bird Dog challenges coordination, balance, and trunk stability all at once.

It teaches athletes to control movement instead of simply creating movement.

Parents watch for:

• Hips rotating

• Back arching

• Holding their breath

• Rushing through the exercise

Slow, controlled repetitions are much more valuable than fast ones.

A Simple At-Home Movement Check

Use this quick checklist with your young athlete.

Movement Test	Looks Good	Needs Practice
Dead Bug	☐	☐
Bodyweight Squat	☐	☐
Single-Leg Balance	☐	☐
Jump & Stick Landing	☐	☐
Bird Dog	☐	☐

Remember, this isn't a pass-or-fail test.

It's simply a starting point.

If your child struggles with one or more of these movements, don't panic.

Every athlete has areas they can improve.

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is building a stronger foundation.

Building Better Athletes Starts With Better Movement

As parents, it’s easy to focus on the highlight reel. The points scored. The trophies won. The big plays everyone talks about after the game.

But the best athletes don't just have great skills.

• They moved well.

• They controlled their bodies.

• They had a strong foundation that allowed those skills to shine.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children isn’t another private lesson or another tournament.

It’s helping them build a body that can enjoy sports for years to come.

The best part?

• You don’t need fancy equipment.

• You don’t need an expensive gym membership.

• You don’t even need to be a coach.

  
  

You can start today, right in your living room with a yoga mat.

Because at Raising Whole Athletes, we believe we’re not just developing better basketball players, soccer players, baseball players, lacrosse players or football players.

We’re raising healthy, confident, resilient kids.

And every great athlete starts with great movement.

So the next time, you don't have a court or field available but your child has the time and energy to do something... perform these exercises. You can also download our stability guide for young athletes here.

Coach Dad & Dr. Mom

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