Exploring Learning Styles in Coaching Youth Ages 5 to 13

Coaches of young players—whether you're on the soccer pitch, the basketball court, or in a gymnastics studio—we all hear the buzzword: learning styles. Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and so on. The idea is wonderfully appealing: figure out a child’s “preferred” style, tailor your instruction, and voilà! Learning and skill development will magically follow.

But as the research has matured across developmental psychology, motor learning, and talent development, the picture has become both more complex and, frankly, far more useful than that popular label suggests.

The following are my thoughts on some of the latest peer-reviewed evidence to give you, the coach, program director, or curriculum developer, something to think about on your journey in this space.

Key Takeaways for Busy Coaches

• Ditch the strict "learning style match." The idea of teaching a child only visually or only kinesthetically lacks robust evidence. Instead, use a mixed, multisensory instruction approach in every session.

• Ages 5–13 are not one block. Children in this range undergo major cognitive, motor, and social changes. Your coaching approach must shift—from playful exploration (early years) to structured variability and targeted feedback (later years).

• Focus on movement first. Motor competence and general movement skills are the critical foundation. Early programs should prioritize varied movement experiences over pushing early specialization. With a reminder that there is no one right way that fits for all.

• Talent ID is unreliable before adolescence. Selection systems that favor early maturers are biased and risk excluding late developers. Focus on broad engagement and monitoring progress rather than early exclusion.

• Coach training is a non-negotiable. Evidence shows that investing in coach education improves their knowledge and behaviors, which directly improves youth sport outcomes. Build coach support into your program design.

1. What's the Deal with "Learning Styles" Anyway?

The typical definition of “learning styles” is that individuals have a stable sensory preference (VAK) and that instruction matched to that preference improves their learning. While intuitive, almost every systematic review and large-scale experimental study in education and motor learning has failed to find strong support for the "matching hypothesis." Simply put: matching instruction to a stated learning style doesn't produce better outcomes than just using solid, evidence-based teaching methods.

In motor skill contexts, the research is clear: the primary determinants of learning are task design, practice variability, and feedback—not simple sensory preference matching.

The Implication for You: Don't waste time trying to label a child "visual" or "kinesthetic" and then teaching them only in that format. Instead, use multisensory, varied instruction. Motor learning thrives when information is available in multiple formats (demonstration, guided discovery, verbal cues, tactile guidance) because it helps children link perception to action.

2. Developmental Constraints (Ages 5–13): What Changes and When It Matters

We know children aren't just small adults. Between ages 5 and 13, they undergo dramatic shifts in motor control, cognition, social behavior, and biology. Your coaching must adapt to these shifting developmental "landmarks."

Early Childhood (Roughly 5–7 years)

• Motor: Rapid gains in basic motor competence (running, jumping, catching). Movement is global rather than refined; repetition through play builds coordination.

• Cognition: Executive function (working memory, inhibitory control) is still very much developing. They need short activities, concrete demonstrations, and tasks rooted in play.

• Coaching Focus: Broad exposure to varied movement patterns through short, highly engaging, play-based activities. Use clear demonstrations and guided discovery over long verbal instructions. Feedback should be simple, frequent, and positive for immediate motivation.

Middle Childhood (Roughly 8–10 years)

• Motor: Increasing refinement, improved balance, and coordination. They can handle slightly more complex tasks and sequences.

• Cognition: Better sustained attention and capacity for multi-step instructions, but working memory is still limited compared to adults. They are beginning to link concept pieces within their play. Encourage exploration through task design progressions.

• Coaching Focus: This is the time to introduce a more “structured practice” with more challenge and variability. Start using outcome-focused and process-focused feedback. Expand basic principles (e.g., balance, body position) using hands-on demonstrations and targeted cues linked to the tasks.

Late Childhood / Early Adolescence (Roughly 11–13 years)

• Motor: Some children enter or approach Peak Height Velocity (PHV)—the growth spurt. Motor learning can accelerate, but coordination may also be temporarily disrupted around rapid growth.

• Cognition: Improved abstract reasoning and capacity for reflection. They can finally handle tactical concepts and deeper self-evaluation. Do not underestimate their capacity to engage in exploring larger concepts. Do engage with them in these concepts to help expand their desire to explore them. Simple clarity of messaging and language that links directly with the task design. Transition to Attack - “Can we attack quickly before the defenders are ready?” – In session “Can we go?”

• Coaching Focus: Combine technical-tactical training with a focus on individualized load management. Provide more sophisticated feedback, involve athletes in goal-setting, and be sure to monitor maturation to avoid making unfair selection comparisons.

3. Motor Learning Principles That Actually Matter

If you're looking for practical, evidence-based tools, modern motor learning research offers a powerful toolkit that goes far beyond simple sensory matching:

• Practice Variability and Contextual Interference: Skills practiced in variable contexts (e.g., switching between different types of passes) often leads to better long-term retention and transfer than block repetition (repeating the same pass 100 times). The key is making sure the variability is age-appropriate—too much complexity early on is counterproductive.

• Feedback Frequency and Type: While young children need frequent, simple, positive feedback to build motivation, too much external feedback can create dependence. As children mature, progressively reduce the frequency and shift to summary or self-evaluation prompts (e.g., "How did that throw feel?").

• Task Simplification and Progressive Complexity: Scaling task demands is essential for early success and learning. This means smaller playing areas, lower nets, larger balls, or simplified rules. Building on our design to manipulate the constraints within the session (Numbers, Space, Size, Time)

• Perception–Action Coupling: The contemporary, ecological approach argues that learning is about adapting movement to environmental and task constraints. Coaches should manipulate the constraints (size of the field, position of a defender) to guide discovery and adaptability, rather than over-prescribing a perfect movement template. Remember “There is no one way that works for everyone, all the time.”

These principles are directly actionable, supported by robust research, and provide a practical framework far more potent than assigning simple learning-style labels.

4. Talent Identification: Can We Spot a "Future Star" at Age 8?

The short answer, backed by overwhelming research consensus, is no. Identifying long-term elite potential in early childhood is inherently uncertain.

Longitudinal systematic reviews clearly show that early indicators of success are heavily confounded by growth and maturational timing. Programs that select based on current size, speed, or early technical superiority risk favoring early maturers and systematically excluding late developers who may ultimately excel.

Practical Implications for Your Program:

1. Avoid rigid selection funnels at very young ages (e.g., under 12). Favor broad engagement pathways and track developmental trajectories rather than single-timepoint selection.

2. Use multidimensional monitoring (technical, physical, psychological, and contextual factors) and reassess frequently.

3. Implement relative age and maturation-aware practices (like "bio-banding," or grouping by maturation stage for certain sessions) to reduce the bias toward early maturers.

5. Designing Programs: A Practical Blueprint for Ages 5–13

Here is how to translate this evidence into a hands-on plan for your curriculum, communication, and coach support.

5.1 Curriculum & Session Design

• Emphasize Breadth Early: Prioritize general motor competence through diverse activities (fundamental movement skills, object manipulation, balance). Keep specialization minimal before age 12.

• Progressive Complexity: Move from exploratory, play-based sessions (5–7) to structured variability and small-sided games (8–13) designed to increase decision-making practice.

• Incorporate Deliberate Variability: Promote adaptable skill solutions by changing constraints, such as field size, rule tweaks, or the type of equipment used.

• Keep it fun!

5.2 Coaching Communication & Feedback

• Multimodal Instruction: Always combine demonstration (visual), brief verbal cues (auditory), and guided practice (kinesthetic). This naturally supports children with differing cognitive capacities and helps link what they see to what they do.

• Smart Feedback Strategy: Start with frequent, simple, and positive feedback for young children. As they mature, progressively reduce the frequency and shift to prompts that encourage them to self-monitor (e.g., “How did that feel?”).

• Questioning & Reflection: For older children (11–13), use guided questions to build tactical understanding and metacognition (e.g., “Why did that pass work?”). This ties directly into their developing abstract reasoning skills.

5.3 Coach Education & Program Governance

• Invest in Coach Training: Systematic reviews show formal coach education improves coaching behaviors and athlete outcomes. Your program should build time and resources for ongoing coach learning, mentoring, and workshops focused on developmentally appropriate practices.

• Build Flexible Policies: Create policies that prioritize play, multi-sport exposure, and re-entry pathways for late developers. Use monitoring and flexible grouping instead of rigid, age-only selection criteria.

Conclusion: How to Adapt Your Coaching

We can now say with confidence that "learning styles" as a simplistic categorization are not the core lever coaches should use.

The science points us toward developmentally informed, evidence-based coaching: using multisensory, multimodal instruction, manipulating task constraints, varying practice, delivering smart feedback, and keeping selection policies flexible and maturation-aware.

For children aged 5–13 is a critical period for building the foundation of lifelong sport and physical literacy—programs that privilege breadth, adaptability, and supportive coaching will yield the best long-term outcomes.

If you lead a youth program, the research suggests a simple mantra: Prioritize movement variety, scaffold difficulty intelligently, monitor development over time, and invest in coach education.

The result will be more resilient learners, fairer selection, and a stronger generation of athletes and active players for life.

Selected peer-reviewed references (representative, not exhaustive)

• Varghese M. Youth Athlete Development Models: A Narrative Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021. PMC

• Lloyd RS, Oliver JL, Faigenbaum AD, et al. Long-Term Athletic Development, part 1: A pathway for all youth. 2015. eprints.glos.ac.uk

• Shahidi H. Talent Identification and Development in Youth Sports: A Systematic Review. 2023. ResearchGate

• Alali NN. A Pragmatic Approach to Skill Acquisition. Journal. 2024. Taylor & Francis Online

• Sullivan KJ. Motor Learning in Children: Feedback Effects on Skill Acquisition. Physical Therapy. 2008. OUP Academic

• Welsby E, et al. Evaluating the influence of feedback on motor skill learning in children. 2024. PMC

• Shi P, et al. Motor skills and cognitive benefits in children and adolescents. 2022. PMC

• Kelly AL, Special Issue: Talent Identification & Development in Youth Sports. Sports. 2022. PMC

• Till K, et al. Optimising long-term athletic development. 2022. PMC

• Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses on coach education and coach effectiveness. 2024–2025. SAGE Journals+1