It is incumbent on all youth coaches to provide youth with the very best opportunities to succeed and develop to the best of their potential. The 10 pillars of long-term athletic development and recommendations provide coaches with the information they need to help all youth reach their potential.
CoachesProgram designOrganization and Administration
Tex McQuilkin, Director of Training for Power Athlete HQ, defines athleticism as a trainable performance variable at the 2019 Coaches Conference. McQuilkin illustrates the four phases of the competitive lifecycle for sport athletes and empowers coaches with strategies to best apply progressive overload and support the long-term trainability of novice athletes.
In this session from the 2015 National Conference, Brian Brabham provides ideas for improving the overall athletic ability of youth athletes, a better understanding of injuries sustained by youth athletes, methods to help prevent those injuries, and practical examples of training programs that can be effective options.
In this 2018 National Conference Video Bill Parisi describes the opportunity in youth sport development, as well as how to expand your personal business and revenue in a fast growing market.
Personal trainersCoachesOrganization and AdministrationProfessional Development
Plyometric training is a series of explosive bodyweight resistance exercises using the stretch-shortening cycle of the muscle fiber to enhance physical capacities, such as speed, strength, and power. These physiological measures translate to improved performance in many sports, including court-based sports, field sports, and water sports.
In order to ensure consistent and accurate results, coaches must take certain steps to ensure proper data collection. It is also important to establish sound protocols prior to testing.
CoachesOrganization and AdministrationTesting and Evaluation
Dietmar Schmidtbleicher, Head and Chair for Sport Sciences at the Institute of Sport Sciences at the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main in Frankfurt, Germany—and one of the world’s leading experts on strength and power training—explains the influencing factors of force production in eccentric muscle actions. Schmidtbleicher made a rare appearance in the United States at the NSCA’s 2015 National Conference.
There are numerous complexities involved in teaching the Olympic-style lifts. This article explains one way to teach the power clean progression and some coaching cues that can be used to teach sport or tactical athletes in a group setting.