Junior development
Notes for parents and coaches of serious juniors: how many hours, how many tournaments, how hard to train, what it costs, and what to do in the weeks around a result.
- 1 October 2026 · Junior development
The week after a bad tournament
No single clock fits every player. Stick to a feedback routine, ask what they saw, keep parents on support and coaches on the plan, then decide the next block.
Read → - 29 September 2026 · Junior development
When the calendar won’t sit still
Periodization for juniors whose tournament weeks keep eating the plan. Protect build blocks, shrink the cue, and treat rest as part of the event.
Read → - 28 September 2026 · Junior development
Two coaches, one plan: who's in charge of a junior's development?
A junior can have more than one coach. They cannot have more than one plan. Who owns the year, the cue, and the calendar.
Read → - 27 September 2026 · Junior development
How many cues should a junior hold?
Even pros struggle to hold more than two or three cues. A junior needs one main cue, maybe one in reserve, and it should point at the ball, not the body.
Read → - 26 September 2026 · Junior development
How many tournaments should a junior play?
The hours piece was about practice. This one is about matches. The useful number is not how many events you entered, it is how many matches you played across the year.
Read → - 20 August 2026 · Junior development
How many hours should a junior player practice?
Part one: sixteen to eighteen year olds. The number I use is ten to twelve hours a week. Here is the working, so you can check it instead of trusting me.
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