The Impact of Adolescent Development on Fitness and Conditioning Age and Stage
Nov 22, 2023
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Rick Howard, an Assistant Professor and Sports Performance Coordinator, discusses the impact of adolescent development on fitness and conditioning in youth sports. Topics include strength training, variety in conditioning activities, energy systems, tailored training for different age groups, and the benefits of strength and conditioning for children and adolescents.
Strength training for youth athletes should focus on improving motor patterns and overall performance, while providing age-appropriate conditioning activities that target speed, agility, and different movement types.
Recognizing growth spurts in children is crucial for tailoring training methods, and incorporating strength and conditioning activities during growth spurts can bring various benefits, including improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, and body composition.
Deep dives
Importance of Fitness and Conditioning for Adolescents
Fitness and conditioning play a crucial role in youth sports but are often overlooked. It is important to consider the relationship between muscle strengthening and motor skill development, as they go hand in hand. Strength training for kids is safe as long as heavy weights are avoided. Strength training helps improve motor patterns and overall performance. Many coaches focus primarily on conditioning, such as running and long-distance efforts, but this limited approach does not address the varied fitness needs of young athletes. It is important to provide age-appropriate conditioning activities that focus on speed, agility, and different types of movements. Inadequate fitness and conditioning can lead to either overtraining or undertraining in youth sports, so finding the right balance is crucial.
Considerations for Conditioning in Youth Sports
Incorporating conditioning activities into sports practices is essential, but it should be done strategically. It is important to avoid punishment-based conditioning, such as suicides, and instead focus on making it enjoyable for the kids. Implementing conditioning drills within practice plans, alongside skill-focused activities, can help engage athletes while improving their fitness. Variety and fun should be prioritized to keep kids motivated and excited about sports and fitness. Games and activities that mimic the stop-start nature of most sports can be effective in developing overall conditioning. Coaches should also be mindful of energy systems and tailor conditioning to match the intermittent nature of youth sports. Overall, conditioning should be integrated into practice in a way that reduces the risk of injury, enhances performance, and fosters a positive experience for young athletes.
Understanding Growth Spurts and Developmental Considerations
Recognizing growth spurts in children is essential for coaches and parents to understand their athletes' physical changes and development. In some countries, regular height and weight measurements are taken to monitor growth patterns. Growth spurts in boys and girls differ in timing and sequence, and this directly impacts their physical abilities and coordination. Coaches and parents should be aware of the stages of growth and development to appropriately tailor training and coaching methods. Strength training remains beneficial during growth spurts, and there is no specific age restriction. However, it is important to ensure that young athletes are physically capable and willing to engage in strength training. Emphasizing proper technique and incorporating a variety of age-appropriate strength and conditioning activities is crucial for overall development during growth spurts.
Benefits and Practical Tips for Strength and Conditioning
Strength and conditioning bring various benefits to children and adolescents. These include improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, strength, power, body composition, and flexibility. Strength and conditioning also help establish positive exercise habits and enhance self-efficacy, leading to long-term sports participation. Practical tips for introducing strength and conditioning include meeting kids where they are and making it fun. Engage young athletes by incorporating their input and allowing them to choose activities, helping them develop leadership skills and enjoy the process. Providing a balance between success and challenge is critical, ensuring that kids have opportunities for success while facing appropriate challenges. Strength and conditioning activities can be seamlessly integrated into warm-ups and practice plans, minimizing additional time requirements while maximizing benefits. By focusing on joy, variety, and age-appropriate activities, coaches and parents can help children and adolescents develop a lifelong love for strength training and fitness.
Long-Term Athlete Development & Coaching Series, part 2/3 Guest: Rick Howard, DSc, CSCS,*D, FNSCA
Dr. Rick Howard, an Assistant Professor, Coaching Minor Advisor, and Sports Performance Coordinator at West Chester University comes to us today from the youth sports landscape of including muscle strength and motor skills along the developmental continuum. We have an outstanding show for you today shining a spotlight on a very important topic of developmentally appropriate youth sports informed by long-term athletic development and the impact of adolescent development on fitness and conditioning age and stage. So, let's jump right in!
