Youth Sports Training: Setting up your young athlete for success
by: Reig McConnell, Youth Training Expert
Youth sports training has many benefits, such as increasing strength, conditioning, coordination, and decreasing the risk of preventable injuries. Specialists operate in each area of sports and fitness, ranging from general training (strength, conditioning, mobility) to coaches for specific sports (football, or soccer, or more specifically quarterback or goalie coaches), and specific skill coaches (think pitching coach in baseball or softball or a lacrosse shooting coach).
One of the more debated topics amongst parents, coaches, and fitness professionals, is the topic of sports specialization. Sports specialization is defined as an athlete playing or training for one sport on a year-round basis. Some feel that this is necessary to reach the elite level in a given sport, while others feel that it silos youth athletes and limits their overall athletic potential and experience.
I’ve coached athletes, ranging from rec sport players up to high school varsity athletes committed to division 1 programs. I see the argument for both sides, but with caveats for each.
I believe that all athletes of all ages should do some type of strength training. This will look very different for a 5-year-old than it will for an 18-year-old, but the benefits of strength training have been proven to create a positive impact time and time again. For younger athletes, building relative strength and learning to support their own body weight will provide long-lasting benefits. With middle school and high school athletes, strength training can give an advantage when properly transferred to the field, mat, or court. Additionally, athletes of all ages will benefit from an injury prevention standpoint. Strength training in youth athletes has been shown to improve blood sugar levels, increase bone density, enhance muscle development, and improve functional movements.
I always encourage young athletes (ages 4-12) to play as many different sports as they can and want. At this age, the most important physical skills for children to develop are coordination/body control, balance, and cardiovascular endurance. Aside from developing a well-rounded baseline athleticism, youth athletes will build their interpersonal skills while they work and play with different teams and coaches. Additionally, playing different sports requires athletes to move differently and in different planes and ranges of motion. This helps avoid overuse injuries created by repeating the same motion over and over. Overall, this is a time for your young athlete to physically and emotionally develop. It’s a time to learn and do what they enjoy with their peers.
As youth athletes get older, the level of competition increases, and as they enter high school, it increases drastically. No longer are they competing only with players within a year of age, in high school the top freshman may be 14 years old and playing with 17- and 18-year-olds. The physical, mental, and emotional differences between some 14-year-olds and some 18-year-olds is DRASTIC. High school is also the time that athletes with aspirations of playing at the college level (or beyond) start the recruiting process. At this age many athletes can majorly benefit from sport specific training.
One of the more important decisions to be made is determining what kind of training your young athlete needs. While there is often crossover between general strength and conditioning and sport specific training, they don’t transfer as many would expect. Let’s take a tennis player, for example. If the player lacks the technical skill to serve the ball with efficiency and control, they will most likely benefit more from a coach who can help them with their serve. If the player is proficient in serving, but lacks power to serve on a competitive level, or, if they don’t have the conditioning to play at a high level through all sets of a match, then a general strength and conditioning coach may be the most helpful. I remind parents and guardians of my youth athletes all the time that if your player isn’t a good (insert any sport you want) player, getting stronger and faster will only make them stronger and faster. They still need to develop the skills in that sport to gain the benefit of the training, and vice versa.
It is extremely important to make your decisions about working with a coach on a case-by-case basis. Each youth athlete is different, and they all develop at different times. Each situation is different, and each coach and program are different. Take your time in deciding which program is best for your young athlete. Ask other parents, speak to multiple coaches, and be informed when making your decisions.