5 of the best from 2018

2018 was a big year for Athletic Evolution! We reached 50,000 views and had many fantastic contributions from multiple experts from around the globe! So we thought it appropriate to celebrate the end of the year by reviewing out top 5 most viewed articles of 2018!!!

1.Ask the Expert – Des Ryan (Arsenal FC)

2,572 views

This Ask the Expert interview with Des Ryan proved very popular, ranking as our top post in 2018 with over 2,500 views! Des provided some fantastic resources including the Philosophy on Developing World Class Soccer Players, as published in the NSCA Strength and Conditioning Journal. You can read the full interview here.

2. Growth and Maturation in Academy Footballers- Steve Curnyn (Hibernian FC)

2,119 views

Our second most read article drew over 2,000 views. In the articles Steve dives into how they assess and monitor maturation with the Hibernian FC Academy. He also discusses growth related issues and as well as how early and late maturers may present and affect competition. You can read the full article here.

3. 5 ways Early Specialisation hurts athletes

1,087 views

This is as interesting one as it was actually written in 2016! However it produced over 1,000 views in 2018. We discuss how early specialisation could be a hindrance rather than a help, the risks involved, as well as the psychological stresses involved among others! You can read the full article here!

4. Ask the Expert – Kelvin Giles

837 views

This interview with legendary S&C Coach Kelvin Giles got over 800 views since being published in November. He imparts some fantastic wisdom gathered from his decades of coaching and leadership. You can read the interview here.

5. A 4 stage model to Athletic Development

649 views

In this article, I laid out some key thoughts on what the driving aims should be across learning and development for youth athletes. I discuss how motor learning, variability, force and specificity interplay across the development spectrum. You can read the article in full here. There was also a follow up Part 2 here.

Well that’s it! Those are our top viewed posts of the year! We’d like to thank all of our readers for their support and feedback over 2018! We wish you all a fantastic 2019!

Are you a grassroots youth sport coach or PE teacher who wants to improve the athleticism of your athletes?? Check out our Fundamental series athletic development programs here.