Early sports specialization has been a controversial topic in the field of sports medicine, training, and conditioning. Recent studies report increased sports-related injuries in single-sport specialized athletes compared with multisport specialized athletes.
Personal trainersCoachesExercise ScienceProgram design
The “five Ss” of trainability and performance are critical periods of development that all youth strength and conditioning coaches should consider when creating a training program. Coaches should take advantage of each window to maximize a youth athlete’s potential and help ensure a long athletic career.
Strength and conditioning professionals must be proactive in fighting the challenges associated with time constraints and overtraining with their youth athletes. By applying the strategies explained in this article, a strength and conditioning professional can help a youth athlete perform at a high level when it matters the most.
Strength and conditioning coaches with knowledge of the exercise principles for youth and the specific demands of basketball can design effective integrative neuromuscular training (INT) programs based on the individual needs of youth athletes.
A strength and conditioning coach has the ultimate platform to communicate many lessons that can impact the life of youth athletes. In this 2018 Coaches Conference video, Vernon Griffith goes over how to impact youth athletes in more than just weightlifting, and how to be the coach that they need.
CoachesOrganization and AdministrationProfessional Development
Single-sport specialized training has led to an emerging risk of overuse injury and burnout. Here are nine things coaches and parents can do to minimize the risk of injury in youth athletes.
This article suggests how high school strength and conditioning coaches can not only prepare high school athletes for sports and fitness, but also help with the process of improving fitness and athleticism of all youth.
Coaches can help children and adolescents develop athletic ability by including motor skills training into sports practice and training. This approach is called integrative neuromuscular training.