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One of the big topics in the youth training industry is whether or not kids should train. To me the difference comes down to several things, which I will mention, but one of the big things is the kids actually training hard or just learning to train?
When a youth training program is being organized there are several factors to
consider:
1. Make sure the kids are going to have fun. If they don’t get some enjoyment, you will lose them.
2. The activities, exercises, skills should be at the appropriate developmental level. Don’t make it too hard or they won’t want to do it, or too easy because they will get bored.
3. Control your voice commands. Don’t be so harsh on kids when they get out of control. You can get them back in line in a nice manner. Yelling and screaming at kids only gives a negative
relationship to the activities.
4. There is no need to train kids for long durations. 30 to 60 minutes is plenty. If you go an hour there should be several activities to keep their attention.
5. The goal is to teach them to train, not actually train them hard core. They are not physically or mentally ready for it. And even if they seem mentally ready for it, they will burn out over time. Just give them fundamentals and a positive feeling of training.
Too often I hear coaches say, “Kids shouldn’t start training until they are 13- to 15-years-old.” I totally disagree with this. The problem is that these coaches are talking about real hard training and in that case they are correct. But I am talking about exposing kids to the basics of how to train for proper fitness and athletic skills.
The one thing I try to be careful of is if a youngster is involved in a lot of youth sports which I think is great. If they are playing youth sports, their training should be even more fun-based and limited to one or two days per week.
The one thing that I definitely feel is important is young kids should learn the basics of movement even if they don’t join a formal training program. Coaches, parents, or athletes themselves can practice proper skipping in all directions, lateral and linear acceleration, and proper jump and landing techniques. This can be accomplished in 15-20 minutes a few times a week. I just don’t want young kids to think they will improve their movement ability by simply playing sports. Sports are extremely important for them to play, but to improve all around fundamentals of movement they must practice athletic skills.
The thing I really don’t like to see is the specialization of one sport by young kids. They only develop the specific patterns played in that sport and they end up getting overuse injuries and burned out.
Kids need to learn to train when they are 12 and under and develop the basic skills that will help them when they do train harder as older high athletes. The atmosphere should be fun and inviting so kids want to stick with it. As they develop a stronger mental understanding of hard work, they will be able to handle more intense training. But when they are young and not mentally tough, they will just relate the hard difficult training to no fun. Keep it fun and watch them enjoy it.
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