Flexibility is actually more correctly mobility, which is the opposite of stability. The correct balance between mobility & stability is what you want to achieve for perfect healthy movement. As a young child your mobility was very good. All we want to do for the rest of your life is preserve that.

   

        In Stage One, traditional flexibility work such as stretching won’t be used. Instead, movements carried out through basic patterns are used to maintain your patterns. Most boys & girls at this age are just fine, if not excessive.  This is the ideal age to allow and move through basic patterns, because it lays the foundation for your flexibility the rest of your sports career and life. And believe me, you don’t want to have to go back and regain it, it’s much easier to preserve it Practicing a basic squat pattern from the bottom up will help to preserve your most basic patterns. No sport specific stretching is really needed in this stage.

   

    In Stage two, preserving and/or correcting movements is ideal at this time because you are still young and developing. Most girls are fine, but some boys begin to tighten up a little. Practicing a basic squat pattern from the bottom up will help to preserve your most basic patterns. Make them fun and progressive and you will want to do them. Static stretching only would be used in specific situations such as extreme tightness or in some specialization situations like dancing.

   

    In Stage three, many boys become extremely tight. This is do to the body developing rapidly and lack of mobility work. To prevent or reverse this, some static stretching can be used, along with basic movement patterns. A little sport specific stretching can begin to be added here, but don’t forget to be even on both sides.

   

    In Stage four, preserving the basic patterns is a must, along with sport specific stretching. By this stage staying healthy is largely determined by your healthy range of motion. Test often using Gray Cook’s Functional Movement Screen to make sure that you maintain the proper stability/mobility balance. If you sacrifice your flexibility in this stage for increased strength and power it will catch up to you. Your not as young as you used to be.

   

    In Stage five, you have pretty much figured your body out and have come full-circle. You now spend a lot of time trying to preserve or regain the flexibility that you took for granted as a kid. You’ve also become smarted though and spend that extra time working on flexibility instead of strength and power. Sport specific stretching is used often, just don’t get uneven or you’ll get hurt for sure.