The world needs stronger kids

The #1 thing you can do to set your young athlete up for better on field or court performance while giving them the foundation they need to be successful in their sports journey.

 
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Dispelling the myths

Myth 1: Lifting weights will stunt my childs growth.

The belief that strength training will stunt a child’s growth is a common misconception. However, it is not supported by scientific evidence. When done properly and under appropriate supervision, strength training can be safe and beneficial for children and adolescents.

A 2020 clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that properly designed resistance training programs have no apparent negative effect on linear growth, growth plate health, or the cardiovascular system of children and adolescents.

Myth 2: Strength training is for teens and older.

If a child is able to begin participating in sports activities at 5 years of age, being able to begin some type of resistance training with body weight movements at that age is acceptable because strength gains can be made in ways other than lifting external loads.

The combination of qualified instruction with technique-driven progression is likely to yield the greatest benefits for youth at any age.

Myth 3: My kids don’t need strength training, they need agility and speed training.

Selling the shortcut or the quick fix is what the industry wants you to believe.  Equating fast feet with fast and quick feet with agility is the problem.  In some cases, fast feet actually makes an athlete slow!

The theory that developing foot speed and agility through ladders and cone drills is not the magic answer.  Instead it is the process of gaining strength and power and learning how to display that power in dynamic and reactive ways that mimic sport specific situations.

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Don't believe the hype

Strength Training is a necessary component of a well-rounded young athlete.

Children and youth are entering competitive sports at younger ages, and their training programs are becoming more complex and can involve the use of private coaching, personal trainers, and sports psychologists in addition to their routine coaches and teams. Possessing adequate strength to keep up with these increased demands on the body is valuable to help reduce the risk of injury and optimize gains in performance.

There are no magic drills

Traditional agility training methods like ladders and cones are not useful because they are so general and non sports-specific. The way our motor system works, our movements are driven by perception of affordances (opportunities) in our environment. This is why cone drills are ineffective, because you are removing the sports-specific information that you need to respond to (which is random and dynamic, and includes both teammates and opposing players), and replacing it with cones, which is something that never appears in a game.

Unfortunately, we need to do it the slow, old-fashioned way. You can play with ladders and bungee cords all you want, but the key is to increase the horsepower, the brakes, and the accelerator. Development of speed, agility and quickness simply comes down to good training. We need to work on lower body strength and lower body power – and we need to do it on one leg.

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Age-appropriate programming

Strength training doesn’t always mean barbells.

Experienced coaches who understand the youth athlete and their physical maturity program resistance based exercises that are appropriate for a child that is 7-10 years old.  These may or may not include barbells, but are focused on the athletes ability to move with integrity and safety.

Exercises that include body-weight movements like pushups and rows are overlooked as excellent exercises when done correctly.  Carrying weighted balls, or kettle bells while moving and changing direction are fantastic exercises to train body control and trunk stability.

The world needs stronger kids

If you’re interested in bringing your youth athete in for a FREE assessment and movement screening to get them into a program that will give them the foundation they need to excel, fill out the form below and we’ll get them started!

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