Having been in this industry for almost 20 years, I have made many mistakes….but have learned so much! Training adults is fun, and challenging and I get great joy in helping others reach their goals. However, nothing comes close to working with kids. Educating and molding kids not only physically but emotionally (not the sappy kind, but the kind that brings excitement to training and working on your physical body to be BETTER).
I carved out a kind of niche in the Return to Sport arena in 2006. You see, there is a disconnect (one of many actually) in the RTS system. When an injury occurs, the athlete will go to therapy or have a surgery to repair what was injured. The medical model is such that it’s VERY DIFFICULT to find a qualified coach to help with movement dysfunction / limitations. Non contact injuries, in my opinion, are almost 100% preventable if coached well. Sports, by definition, is unorganized chaos and that leads to situations that are out of your control. By implementing a sound strength and conditioning system, Kids will get stronger, faster, more robust, and their confidence will shoot through the roof!
My pillars of training are built on a foundation of communication and caring. Being able to convey the message or cue for a given task and understanding that these kids can sense if you are in it or not. I treat my athletes in training like my own kids. I go to their sporting events, text to check up, give advice when warranted; and in return, these young athletes literally turn into putty in my hand. I can get more out of them by building that trust.
CP2 Pillars of Training
- MOVEMENT COMPETENCY
- MOVEMENT PREPARATION
- STRENGTH / POWER TRAINING
- WORK CAPACITY / ESD
- RECOVERY
Using strength and conditioning as a TOOL it increase performance in the sport your athlete plays is vital to their progress in that sport. Like any tool, it is only as good as the person wielding it. When giving yourself or your child to someone, make sure they are qualified. You are giving that coach your most prized possession! Ask questions and don’t hesitate to ask for references. I have only been interviewed TWICE by individuals looking for training.
Movement Competency: Fundamental movement skills that an athlete should possess from which to build their athletic foundation upon.
Movement Preparation: Also known as a “Warm Up.” When planning for the workout at hand, we want to ensure that they are ready for work at hand. Depending on the Movement Competency, you prime the body / nervous system for the workout of the day. I like to blend a mixture of structured movement with unstructured type games for my athletes. An example would be a hip mobility circuit geared on getting the hips loose and ready; some jump / hop progressions (building a foundation for explosive movement), then to a game of cat & mouse to finish it off (Try to catch the person and react to their reactions.)
Strength & Power: Plain and simple; adding strength to their good movement qualities they possess (Squat, Carry, Push, Pull, Hinge, Rotate, Anti-Rotate). Power deals with the speed at which the movement covers. If we have athletes that are super strong but lack the spring from which to use their strength we add more power training. If we are have a very explosive athlete with not a lot of strength, we load them.
Work Capacity / Energy System Development: One of the most misunderstood areas in our field. Train the athlete to be optimal for their work in that sport. For most, It is to add in some deliberate Speed AND acceleration training. Doing top end speed training is very taxing on the body. If we don’t understand and give proper resting periods between bouts, we are no longer training speed, its conditioning. Every sport has its own special work capacity (soccer is unlike football which is unlike softball) so this needs to be specific to the demands of the sport / position. From an injury reduction standpoint, most non contact injuries occur at the end of a sporting event when the athlete is fatigued. By building a better work capacity for that athlete, we minimize the risk of a non contact injury occurring!
Regeneration: By far the MOST IMPORTANT of all the pillars. Educating athletes on the importance of HYDRATION, SLEEP, NUTRITION, & RELAXATION TECHNIQUES will do so much more for the athlete. To keep it simple, I like to call it the 4 R’s of Regeneration. Every kid is different and different strategies are needed to “buy in” for this pillar. I have found that using a scoring system for kids is good to initially get them used to at least looking at these variables and knowing their importance.
The top of the Pillars is Mindset. This basically is the attitude your athlete has when it comes to performance. Giving the athletes knowledge empowers them to own their outcomes. Keeping ideas, goals, and values focused on the positive drives the desired outcome. This is what makes our job so special is not the specific exercise or running drill done, but giving the athlete the tools and ability to do these things in a positive environment that allows them to be successful not only on the field or court but throughout life!
To conclude, strength and conditioning for young athletes should follow the pillars for which you deem important for them to grow. They stay within that framework and as they grow (physically, mentally, and emotionally), You can expand your bandwidth with these athletes. The frame itself of the program should be a mindset conducive to excelling. Focus on the positives, allow the athletes to push themselves in a safe competitive environment, and I always like to ensure they have a smile before they walk out the door!