“Most high school athletes today can’t pass basic movement benchmarks, yet they’re being pushed into advanced skills training,” states Michele Bond, M.S., whose research in the International Journal of Exercise Science has transformed our understanding of athletic development. As a contributing author to “Fascia, The Tensional Network of the Human Body – 2nd Edition” and a Kinesiologist with over two decades of experience, Bond is sounding the alarm about a critical gap in youth sports.
“There’s a dangerous assumption that young athletes are naturally resilient and don’t need a movement assessment,” Bond explains. Through her proprietary system, The Kinesiogram™, she’s discovered that many varsity athletes lack fundamental movement patterns essential for safe, effective performance.
“Parents and coaches often focus exclusively on sport-specific skills while overlooking basic movement quality,” Bond shares. Her research shows that this oversight can lead to compensatory patterns that limit performance and increase injury risk. “We’re building advanced athletic skills on unstable foundations.”
A recent assessment of a high school basketball team revealed startling results. “Nearly every player showed significant movement pattern deficiencies,” Bond notes. “These weren’t minor issues – they were fundamental problems that affected everything from jumping mechanics to landing stability.”
Through extensive work with young athletes, Bond has identified a concerning trend. “Schools invest heavily in strength training equipment and skills coaching, but rarely assess whether athletes can move properly in the first place,” she explains. “It’s like teaching advanced calculus to someone who hasn’t mastered basic arithmetic.”
The implications of this oversight are serious. Bond’s research shows that poor movement patterns in young athletes can lead to:
premature joint wear, reduced performance potential, increased injury risk, and development of compensatory movements that become harder to correct over time.
“What’s particularly frustrating is how preventable these issues are,” Bond emphasizes. “A proper movement assessment can quickly identify areas needing attention before they become problematic.”
Through The Kinesiogram™ system, Bond evaluates fundamental movement patterns that underpin athletic performance. “We look at things like core timing, fascial tension patterns, joint positioning, and movement symmetry – factors that affect every aspect of athletic performance.”
The solution isn’t complicated, but it requires a shift in approach. “Before advancing to complex skills training, athletes need to demonstrate basic movement competency,” Bond explains. “This creates a solid foundation for athletic development.”
Bond’s experience with high school athletes has shown that addressing movement fundamentals often leads to rapid performance improvements. “When athletes develop proper movement patterns, their skill acquisition accelerates dramatically,” she shares.
This approach represents a significant departure from traditional athletic development models. Instead of focusing solely on sport-specific skills, Bond emphasizes building fundamental movement quality first.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of this work is seeing how quickly young athletes improve when their movement patterns are properly addressed,” Bond reveals. “They become more efficient, more powerful, and less prone to injury.”
The impact extends beyond current performance. Bond’s research indicates that proper movement patterns developed during high school years can significantly influence long-term athletic potential and injury prevention.
Success in this area requires collaboration between coaches, parents, and movement specialists. “We need to prioritize movement quality alongside skill development,” Bond emphasizes. “The two should work together, not compete for attention.”
Ready to ensure your young athlete builds their athletic career on a solid movement foundation? Visit www.michelebond.com and sign up for the mailing list to learn about youth athlete movement assessment and receive notification about the upcoming online training community launching in early 2025. Give your athlete the advantage of proper movement fundamentals.
