No matter what Johnny’s dad thinks, he is not a small
adult. This is a significant hurdle each youth coach must
understand and overcome before doing anything beyond general playground effort
level activity “training”. Because of Johnny is not a small adult, he must be
treated differently as several factors need to be taken into account for reduced
injury risk and future performance development.
Prepubescent youth should have the goal of fitness
education placed far a head of physical development.
Techniques and progression taught appropriately can build a foundation for
reduced risk of injury and even enhanced future performance gains.
A coach who understands these principles will be providing a far greater
service to the physical and mental well being of a young athlete than the sole
concentration on immediate performance improvements and team wins.
Dynamic Stretch & Warm Up:
The dynamic stretch & warm up provides many benefits to
athletes of any age. Increased working muscle blood flow
prepares the muscle group for more strenuous work loads. This portion of the
warm up period generally last 5-10 minutes and precedes any form of activity
that may occur anywhere near peak power/strength efforts.
The dynamic stretch as part of warm up
is distinctively different than “static” stretching. Static
stretching is done at the end of an activity and is done with the purpose of
elongating muscle and connective tissue for greater range of motion around a
joint.
Dynamic stretching is done within the normal range of
motion with a goal of increasing blood flow and temperature of the moving
muscles and connective tissue. It best ensures that the body
is prepared to go through activities of greater demand, and does not negatively
impact strength or power production.
Strength & Conditioning:
For the young athlete there are several factors that cause
them to be ill prepared to achieve significant gains in strength & conditioning.
Those factors include elements of kinesiology such as differing growth
rates of various pieces of connective tissue and hormonal quantities that are
insufficient for significant improvements.
Another aspect for the sport coach or strength coach to consider
is the mental and emotional development of the young athlete.
Adolescent immaturity in these areas may not only lead to compliance
failures in program design, but also safety issues during moments of non
directly supervised activity.
Strength & Conditioning for the prepubescent athlete should
include general fitness elements that affect the entire body.
Intensity levels of these strength activities should remain at or below
75% of a perceived 1 rep max (ie repetitions 10 or greater).
Supervision and program focus should be built around core strength, joint
stability, and exercise technique. Deceleration mechanics
are also needed coaching elements for the athletic foundation and appear to be
even more essential in female athletes in the prevention of ACL injury issues.
Movement screening is an effective method for determining
athletic foundational needs that may be addressed through supervised programs
design. It will also highlight potential risks for future injury and performance
plateau, which may also be addressed through proper program design.
Coaches working with young athletes have a great
responsibility. The physical expectations of the child,
their parents, and even the coach themselves must be tempered with a dose of
reality and a view point focused on the future. To provide the greatest
potential for safe injury free activity and future peak performance, youth
coaches should concentrate on core strength & stability (functionality) and
correct exercise & movement techniques.
Parents and coaches should consult a strength &
conditioning specialist or other qualified professional prior to progressing
programs to advanced levels, working at intensities beyond 75% of maximum,
utilizing overhead or Olympic styled power programs or plyometrics.
Consult a physician at least every two years or per significant change to
ensure the young athlete is prepared for sport or exercise programming.
By Tom Bomar, CSCS
