Building Better Football Fitness in Children

We’re at the time of year where junior teams will be returning for preseason.

Anyone who played knows this can mean endless sprints, bleep tests and laps

It’s something that is often just accepted as part of preseason…but is it the right thing for young kids in and around their primary school years?

Let’s get into it.

First, kids aren’t mini adults.

Their bodies work differently. And when it comes to fitness, what works for grown-ups doesn’t always help young players.

Here’s what the science tells us (and what we’ve seen first-hand too):

Children recover quicker – they don’t build up lactic acid like adults, which means they’re built for short bursts of movement and rapid recovery.

VO₂ max gains are limited pre-puberty – kids don’t respond well to long endurance runs or bleep tests. Most “fitness” gains come from playing more, better decision-making and improving technique, not from running laps.

Strength isn’t about big muscles – kids get stronger through brain-muscle coordination, balance, and body control. Not push-ups. Not gym sessions.

The “fittest” players aren’t always the ones who run the most.

Smarter players run less by positioning better and making faster decisions.

So, we need to train the brain, not just the body. And in a football context this can only be done by playing football.

So what actually builds football fitness in kids?

Small-sided games

1v1 activities

Dodging/tag-style games with a ball

Movement variety through play

Encouraging smart positioning, pressing, and off-ball runs

Too many of us (myself included) used to start from an adult model and just scale it down.

But research and experience show we need to train the system they have — not the one they’ll grow into.

If you’re coaching kids, especially in primary school…

Please don’t waste that precious time on long runs or isolated fitness drills.

Instead, help them fall in love with football while getting ‘fit’ — through fun, decision-rich training.