Insights from a Decade of Coaching Youth Athletes
1. Active Early Years Lead to Better Movement and Explosiveness
One of the more striking patterns I've noticed is how an active childhood can lead to superior athletic performance. Active meaning from ages 6-11, life is filled with running, biking, jumping, climbing, and playing multiple sports.
Athletes who had these experiences bring a stronger foundation to the table when they begin structured weight training around 12-14 years old.
These young athletes typically demonstrate:
● Higher levels of body awareness (proprioception)
● Well-developed fascial and nervous systems
● Greater confidence in their abilities
The benefits of this early activity are clear:
● They find good positions quickly
● Move efficiently with minimal cues
● Display excellent starting points for jumping and sprinting
Importantly, these attributes significantly reduce the risk of injury as they progress in their training.
In contrast, athletes with more sedentary early years often struggle with proprioception and show less proficiency in fundamental athletic movements like jumping and sprinting. While progress is possible for these athletes with consistent effort, it tends to be a slower moving process.
2. Consistency in Basics Yields Incredible Returns
When it comes to training youth athletes, simplicity and consistency are key. There's no need for convoluted, flashy exercises in the early years. Instead, focusing on establishing quality movement patterns and loading these movements appropriately over many years works wonders.
For prepubescent athletes, training just twice a week can lay the groundwork that primes the body for the incoming surge of growth hormones. This consistent exposure to proper movement technique with lighter weights teaches young athletes how to move and stabilize their bodies effectively in the weight room.
Once the maturation process begins, we can slowly increase intensity levels. The adaptation process at this stage is often rapid, especially for those who have been consistently training. I've had freshmen in high school outperform juniors and seniors simply because they had a year of consistent training under their belts by the time the older kids got started.
3. Proper Training Reduces Injuries and Keeps Athletes on the Field
There's a common misconception that weight training for youth athletes is dangerous. However, my experience, supported by current data, suggests the opposite: it's more dangerous for a weak athlete to play sports than for a strong, durable athlete to do so.
Athletes who focus primarily on skill development while neglecting regular strength training tend to experience more injuries both on and off the field.
Sport-specific skills often place high force demands on the body. Without an approach to strengthen the joints to handle these forces, the body eventually fails and time away from sport is required.
When we improve stability, strength, and movement awareness, we see a decrease in injury risk and an increase in injury resilience. This approach not only keeps athletes on the field but also enhances their overall performance.
4. Proper Nutrition is Often Overlooked
One of the most common issues I've encountered is that most young athletes simply aren't eating enough. Running a caloric deficit during periods of growth can be problematic for a couple of reasons:
● The body has to work harder than necessary to maintain day-to-day functionality
● Building muscle and performing at desired levels becomes challenging
Also we know, the brain consumes ~20% of the available calories during a day so being in a caloric deficit also restricts cognitive levels. Sport requires high levels of focus and fine motor skills, so when resources are low, it's easy to see how performance would suffer.
I know I personally did not eat enough during my playing career, especially as I got into college ball. I was constantly tired, sore, stressed, anxious. It wasn’t until after my career ended that I understood why that was the case.
When I started fueling myself properly, I finally grasped what it felt like to be properly nourished.
I’ve seen this with my clientele as well. Athletes that refuse to change their eating habits get hurt more often and experience constant fatigue.
Athletes who make an effort to fuel themselves properly see gains in every aspect of their lives, from improved energy levels to better recovery and reduced injury risk.
5. Year-Round Training is Essential
Consistency is key in athletic development, and this applies to training throughout the year, not just during the off-season. Between 7th grade and their senior year in high school, strength training and sprinting should be sustained throughout the year, regardless of the sport season.
Many athletes make the mistake of discontinuing their strength training during their sport season, only to resume after it ends. This approach can be counterproductive:
● The protective benefits gained from training diminish over the course of the season
● The body becomes more susceptible to injury when activity is limited to sport-specific movements
● Growth hormones stimulated by consistent training, which aid in recovery, muscle growth, and bone density, are not optimally utilized
I've had athletes finish seasons stronger and more powerful than when they started, while their teammates who didn't maintain training often experienced injuries and burnout by season's end.
Consistent, year-round strength training during these critical developmental years maximizes athletic potential and creates a robust foundation for lifelong physical health and performance.
The Intangible Benefit: Confidence
Perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of training youth athletes is witnessing the transformation in their demeanor as they progress. As they see improvements in their strength and performance, their confidence grows visibly. They walk taller, take pride in their workouts, push themselves with greater intent, and love sharing on the field triumphs.
This boost in confidence extends beyond the weight room:
● It provides a foundation of self-assurance not solely based on on-field success
● It improves their ability to handle adversity and failure, which is inevitable in sports
● It equips them with valuable tools for life beyond sport
Consistent, well-structured training for youth athletes offers a multitude of benefits that extend far beyond physical performance. It builds stronger, more resilient, and more confident individuals who are better prepared for the challenges of sports and life. As coaches and parents, investing in proper athletic development is one of the most valuable things we can do for our young athletes.
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