Most young athletes know they're supposed to stretch.
But when should they stretch?
Before training?
After?
Both?
And can stretching actually reduce injuries and improve recovery, or is it simply something athletes have always been told to do?
The answer is a little more interesting than "stretch before you play".
For young athletes, the type of stretching and when you do it matters.
Before sport, the priority should generally be preparing the body to move.
After sport, stretching can be used differently as part of cooling down, maintaining flexibility and transitioning into recovery.
Here's what young athletes and parents need to know.
Why should young athletes stretch?
Teenagers who play sport regularly ask a lot from their bodies.
Running.
Sprinting.
Jumping.
Changing direction.
Kicking.
Tackling.
Accelerating.
Decelerating.
And then doing it repeatedly, several times a week.
At the same time, teenagers are growing.
During periods of rapid growth, young athletes can sometimes feel tighter or less coordinated as their bodies change.
Mobility and flexibility therefore deserve a place alongside strength, conditioning, nutrition, hydration and sleep in a young athlete's overall programme.
But stretching shouldn't be viewed as a magic shield against injury.
Stretching alone doesn't guarantee an athlete won't get injured.
Injury risk is influenced by many factors, including training load, strength, previous injuries, fatigue, technique, recovery and the demands of the sport.
The better question is:
How can we use stretching appropriately as part of preparing and caring for a young athlete's body?
Before sport: don't just stand there and stretch
This is probably the biggest thing we want young athletes to understand.
Before a game or training session, the objective isn't simply to become more flexible.
It's to prepare the body for what it's about to do.
If you're about to play football, your body needs to be ready to sprint, turn, jump, kick and rapidly change direction.
That's why a dynamic warm-up generally makes more sense before sport than simply sitting on the ground holding long stretches.
What is dynamic stretching?
Dynamic stretching involves moving muscles and joints through controlled ranges of motion.
Instead of holding one position, you're moving.
Examples include:
- walking lunges
- leg swings
- hip rotations
- arm circles
- walking knee hugs
- controlled high knees
- heel flicks
- lateral movements
- bodyweight squats
- progressive jogging and running drills
The movements can gradually become more specific to the sport you're about to play.
For football, for example, a warm-up might progress from light jogging and mobility into changes of direction, faster running, ball work and eventually short accelerations.
You're essentially telling the body:
We're about to play. Get ready.
Why warm up before sport?
A good warm-up gradually increases the demands being placed on the body.
Rather than going from sitting in a car for 30 minutes to sprinting after a football five minutes later, you're giving the body time to prepare.
An effective warm-up can help prepare muscles and joints for activity and rehearse the types of movements the athlete is about to perform.
Structured neuromuscular warm-up programmes that include elements such as running, strength, balance, jumping and sport-specific movements have also been associated with reduced injury rates in youth sports.
That's important because the injury-prevention benefit isn't simply coming from "stretching".
It's the whole warm-up.
What about static stretching before sport?
Static stretching is what most people traditionally think of as stretching.
You move into a position and hold it.
For example, holding your foot behind you to stretch your quadriceps or sitting and reaching towards your toes.
Static stretching can absolutely have a place in an athlete's programme.
But immediately before explosive activity, long static stretches aren't necessarily the best way to prepare.
Prolonged static stretching immediately before activities requiring maximal strength, power or sprinting may temporarily reduce aspects of performance.
That doesn't mean a footballer can never hold a stretch before playing.
It means the main focus immediately before competition should generally be dynamic movement and a progressive warm-up, rather than spending 15 minutes sitting still stretching every muscle.
A simple rule for young athletes
This is an easy one to remember:
Before sport = move
Think dynamic.
Warm up.
Mobilise.
Gradually increase intensity.
Prepare for the movements you're about to perform.
After sport = recover
Bring the intensity down.
Move gently.
Rehydrate.
Refuel.
Stretch if it feels useful.
Then prioritise the rest of your recovery.
That distinction makes stretching much easier to understand.
Should young athletes stretch after sport?
After training or a game, the objective changes.
You're no longer trying to prepare the body to sprint.
You're transitioning into recovery.
Gentle static stretching can be included here, particularly for athletes who want to maintain or improve flexibility.
It may also simply feel good after hard exercise.
Common areas young athletes might gently stretch include:
- calves
- hamstrings
- quadriceps
- hip flexors
- glutes
- adductors or inner thighs
But there's an important point.
Stretching isn't a magic cure for muscle soreness
A long stretching session isn't going to erase a hard 90-minute football match.
Recovery is much bigger than stretching.
A young athlete still needs adequate:
Food
Fluid
Protein
Carbohydrates
Rest
Sleep
Stretching is one part of the recovery picture, not the entire picture.
Can stretching prevent injuries?
This is where we need to be careful with some of the claims made around stretching.
Simply stretching before or after sport doesn't mean an athlete won't get injured.
Injury prevention is much more complex.
Factors that may influence injury risk include:
- previous injuries
- strength
- conditioning
- sudden changes in training load
- fatigue
- movement demands
- playing surfaces
- contact with other players
- inadequate rehabilitation
- sport-specific factors
What has stronger evidence in many youth sports is the value of structured warm-up programmes incorporating strength, balance, agility, jumping, running and movement control.
For footballers, programmes such as FIFA's 11+ have been developed specifically around this principle.
So rather than telling young athletes:
"Stretch so you don't get injured."
A better message is:
"Prepare your body properly before you play."
Why strength matters too
Flexibility gets a lot of attention when athletes feel tight.
But sometimes the solution isn't simply more stretching.
Young athletes also need strength.
Strong muscles help the body cope with the forces created by sprinting, jumping, landing, kicking and changing direction.
For footballers in particular, appropriate strength work may involve areas such as:
- calves
- hamstrings
- quadriceps
- glutes
- adductors
- core
That's why a well-designed athletic programme shouldn't choose between mobility and strength.
Young athletes can benefit from developing both.
Growing teenagers and tight muscles
Parents sometimes notice their child suddenly looks tight or awkward during a growth spurt.
This isn't necessarily surprising.
Adolescence involves significant changes in height, body proportions, muscle mass and coordination.
A teenager who grows rapidly may temporarily feel different when running, changing direction or performing movements they previously found easy.
This is another reason mobility, strength and movement quality can be useful areas to work on during adolescence.
But persistent pain shouldn't automatically be dismissed as "growing pains" or something that simply needs stretching.
If a young athlete has ongoing pain, significant restriction, swelling, limping or symptoms affecting their ability to play normally, seek assessment from an appropriately qualified health professional.
Should you stretch when you're sore?
Gentle movement or stretching may feel comfortable when muscles are mildly sore after exercise.
But don't adopt the mentality that you need to aggressively stretch soreness away.
If muscles are tender after a hard session, forcing them into painful stretches isn't necessarily helpful.
Keep movements comfortable.
There's an important difference between:
mild muscle tightness after exercise
and
pain associated with an injury.
Sharp pain, significant swelling, bruising, limping or persistent pain needs a different approach.
Don't simply stretch harder and hope it disappears.
How long should young athletes stretch for?
There doesn't need to be a huge stretching session after every training session.
For general flexibility work, stretches can often be held comfortably for around 20-30 seconds and repeated as appropriate.
The key word is comfortably.
Stretching shouldn't become a competition to see who can tolerate the most pain.
A young athlete should generally feel gentle tension rather than sharp pain.
And consistency is more useful than doing one enormous stretching session every few weeks.
A simple pre-game routine
Before football or another running-based sport, think about gradually progressing towards game intensity.
1. Light movement
Jogging or other easy movement to get started.
2. Mobility
Leg swings, hip rotations and controlled movements through a comfortable range.
3. Dynamic movements
Walking lunges, high knees, heel flicks and lateral movements.
4. Sport-specific movement
Changes of direction, ball work and movement patterns used during the game.
5. Build speed
Progressive runs and short accelerations so the first sprint of the day doesn't happen after kick-off.
The exact warm-up should reflect the athlete, sport, age and coaching programme.
A simple post-game recovery routine
After the final whistle, recovery can begin immediately.
1. Cool down
Walk and allow breathing and heart rate to gradually settle.
2. Gentle mobility or stretching
If it feels good, spend a few minutes gently stretching areas that have worked hard.
3. Rehydrate
Start replacing fluids lost during sport.
After long, intense or particularly sweaty sessions, replacing electrolytes may also be appropriate.
4. Refuel
Include carbohydrates to help replenish energy and protein to support growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues.
5. Sleep
Don't underestimate it.
One of the most important recovery tools for a young athlete is still a good night's sleep.
What about foam rollers and massage guns?
They're popular.
And some athletes enjoy using them.
Foam rolling may temporarily improve range of motion and some athletes find it helps them feel less stiff.
Massage guns may also feel good when used appropriately.
But neither should distract from the basics.
A teenager doesn't need a bedroom full of recovery equipment while getting six hours of sleep, skipping meals and barely drinking.
Start with the foundations.
Hydration. Nutrition. Appropriate training. Strength. Recovery. Sleep.
Then consider the extras.
The DYVAL rule: prepare before, recover after
If there's one thing we want young athletes to remember from this article, it's this:
Before sport
Move. Warm up. Prepare.
Use dynamic movements and gradually build towards the intensity of the sport.
After sport
Cool down. Rehydrate. Refuel. Reset. Sleep.
Gentle stretching can form part of that recovery routine.
But recovery isn't one stretch.
It's everything you do between today's final whistle and tomorrow's next session.
Stretching can absolutely have a place in a young athlete's routine.
But when and how you stretch matters.
Before sport, prioritise a dynamic, progressive warm-up that prepares the body for the movements and intensity ahead.
After sport, gentle stretching and mobility can form part of the transition into recovery and can support flexibility.
But don't make the mistake of believing stretching alone will prevent injuries or completely eliminate soreness.
Strong young athletes need more than flexibility.
They need appropriate training.
Strength.
Nutrition.
Hydration.
Rest.
Sleep.
And good recovery habits performed consistently.
Because looking after your body isn't separate from working hard.
It's what allows you to keep working hard.
HARD WORK. CONSISTENCY. NEVER GIVE UP.