youth athletes

A never-ending debate in many sports, but especially in weightlifting, concerns when a young athlete should begin training in the discipline. There are two schools of thought in this area and now is a good ... Continue Reading

Youth sports are now big business. That may sound crazy, but it’s true. Every year parents spend exorbitantly to give their children as much opportunity as possible, or at least to keep up with everyone ... Continue Reading

The bulk of youth in the modern era have completely forgotten how to move, and have lost all sense of what their body is doing in space (proprioception). Teaching them to hip hinge can be a daunting task, ... Continue Reading

I was recently contacted by one of the regional managers for Pop Warner football to help them create programs to offer parents. This gentleman had seen a presentation I gave on the challenges of training ... Continue Reading

Years ago, Dan John wrote a very good article on accumulation and intensification. He defines accumulation as, “actively seeking and learning new sports, lifts, moves, ideas, and games.” Intensification, ... Continue Reading

The world of youth sports has been infiltrated by con-men. Not only will they take your money, but they will also leave your son or daughter less powerful and more likely to be injured. While I’ve found ... Continue Reading

The growth in maturity and confidence I have seen in the young athletes I coach has led me to believe all students should have some training in lifting. As I’ve stated before, society should creatively and ... Continue Reading

As a coach and trainer, as well as a parent of youth athletes, I am going to take a deep breath, throw my shoulders back, and yell out the unthinkable, “It’s not always bad for a youth athlete to sit on ... Continue Reading

Weekdays and weekends are finally filled with spring sports for youth athletes, but what happens if a child or teen is not conditioned for the amount of practices and competitions the team has ... Continue Reading

Being a parent is tough. In addition to feeding, clothing, and taking care of the physical needs of a child, you are also responsible for developing their mental strength. In fact, developing mental ... Continue Reading

We have all seen the awkwardness that accompanies a period of growth for youth athletes. Some of us have even experienced it. The fastest runner on the team begins tripping over his or her feet. The once ... Continue Reading

Coupled with good nutrition and good health habits, many youth commit to the accepted sports practice of training hard and playing hard. Yet, in order to reach the demands of new competitive levels and ... Continue Reading

With more and more young athletes specializing in one sport year round, coaches certainly seem to have their pick of talented young players participating in their programs. As talented young athletes ... Continue Reading

Youth sports programs evolved from the success of adult professional leagues. This is an important distinction. The success of professional football in 1892, for example, led to the advent of youth ... Continue Reading

Recent research in Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, assessed a group of female high school track athletes, and their knowledge of menstrual health and bone loss. Researchers investigated ... Continue Reading