WHAT AGE TO START TRAINING YOUTH ATHLETES?

And there’s two totally different ends of the spectrum:

On one hand we have parents who are nervous to see their kids get hurt playing sports,

Or have heard that training stunts growth in children.

And these are really valid concerns for a parent or coach who works with youth athletes.

But a lot of times, they’ll hold them back from playing until high school which means the child misses out on their most important developmental years…

While on the other hand,

We see parents who want their child to have a mean fastball before age 10.

Signing them up for private training,

Getting them a strength coach to develop their arm…

And while the effort doesn’t go unappreciated,

Kids who specialize in one sport are much more likely to sustain a serious injury early on, or even just experience burnout at a young age.

While every athlete is different,

You have the ability to enhance their athletic future simply by preparing them with the following training stages:

Between ages 6-9, we’re really just starting to work on the basics: agility, balance, and coordination.

The idea is to give these young athletes new stimulus through a variety of movements such as:

– Push/Pull

– Twist

– Gait

At this point, you should really only be “training” once a week with the main focus on coordination and stability. 

The other 4-5 days I recommend these athletes go out and recreationally play other sports.

This is where young athletes can really begin to learn things like strength principles, and training technique.

Between ages 9-12, you might start teaching the athlete actual training movements such as:

– Squat (I like to start out modifying this as a goblet squat)

– Lunge

– Push-up/Pull-up

At this stage in the game, the entire focus should be around the sport season, and improving skills both on and off the field or court.

Between ages 12-16, an athlete can train to actually train.

At this point, we’re still refraining from any specialization which is a common mistake when it comes to training youth athletes…

Rather, the focus should be on continuing to improve overall athleticism and develop qualities like:

– Agility

– Linear Speed

– Vertical/Broad Jumps

If you’re looking for your athlete to have a long and enjoyable career, there will be plenty of time for them to work on those specifics.

For now, let them play.

Are you ready to see your child THRIVE on the field or court?

The answer is Youth Performance.

Click the link below:

Holler,

JonBlaze