You have to earn squats

Squats are one of the best strength exercises that an athlete can do to improve their performance, so all athletes should squat all the time, right? Wrong. You need to earn them by demonstrating adequate flexibility and motor control before I will ever consider having you squat. Take the athlete in this video for example:

It would be irresponsible and dangerous to have him squat under load in this condition, but hope isn't lost. As you can see in the video, his squat technique drastically improved with the help of the FAT (Fascial Abrasion Technique) tool and stretching, but I still would not have him squat because he can't maintain a neutral spine throughout the range.

Once we begin the off-season training program, I would expect him to be ready to squat by the end of his General Prep phase. This phase will consist of split squats to open the hips, calf raises to restore ankle range of motion, and lots of stretching.  By the time he can do split squats with proper technique, he will have earned some squats for his next phase.