Youth Training
One of the most common questions strength and conditioning coaches get is “When should my kid start to train?” Or “Isn’t it too early for a kid to start training?”. Now, getting at a specific age can be a complicated conversation because each person, which includes each kid, is different. Thus, there is no one universal age or approach. However, resistance training isn’t inherently bad. There are many great benefits for youth athletes from training and when done with proper technique under quality instruction it is a great activity.
The key factor is under qualified and proper coaching. A coach that has been trained, certified, and experienced will make sure that a youth athlete is using proper form and technique with each exercise. When this is done, youth athletes will be able to be challenged and growth can occur as they safely move through quality ranges of motion and can build strength and endurance. Beyond the safety aspect, a qualified coach will make sure that each individual youth athlete will progress at a safe and healthy rate (McQuilliam, et al., 2020). A well-coached progressive strength program that utilizes proper form will allow the athlete to gain strength without harmlessly adding unnecessary weights. A qualified coach should also take into account the athletes long-term development. Ultimately, this is what it is all about. With youth athletes and youth training, work that takes into account the athlete’s development over the long-term should be the main focus. It’s not rushing things today but trusting in a progressive program that builds up over time so that the young athlete gets strong through full ranges of motion in all planes of motion.
Within this kind of a well-coached program, a young athlete can develop and grow safely. One thing that a youth program should focus on is technique first. Especially with young individuals, making sure that they move well through full ranges of motion is critical. Basically, this is allowing the athlete to make the most of the strength they do have and then develop more from there. Many coaches want to progress too quickly, when instead they should be focused on developing muscular strength while consistently and constantly refining technique (McQuilliam, et al., 2020). It is through this process that as the youth athlete gets older, that a coach should progressively increase the intensity and resistance. With age and resistance training experience can a qualified coach progress their athletes. Age is relative to this experience and only can this kind of coach work with each individual to determine the proper level and types of training that is proper for each athlete.
Thus, resistance training is not inherently bad for youth athletes. It can be a valuable tool for them to learn new skills as well as positively impact strength, power, and movement. However, it must be done in a safe and supervised environment. This is done with a qualified coach. One that has been trained and certified in how the human body moves and even has experience not only with adults but with developing individuals like youth athletes. These coaches will know what a safe progression is and how to implement that with a young athlete that may have zero experience with resistance training. These coaches are teachers. They can teach a youth athlete how to move and how to train in a safe and effective manner. Youth athletes can train, it just needs to be done in a quality, supervised environment under the watchful eye of a qualified coach.
-Tyler Grisdale, MS, CSCS, RSCC, CES, TPI
References
McQuilliam, S.J., Clark, D.R., Erskine, R.M. et al. Free-Weight Resistance Training in Youth Athletes: A Narrative Review. Sports Med 50, 1567–1580 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01307-7