Training specific for sport at a young age in strength and conditioning is a fallacy. As a parent if you are seeking out help from a professional to improve your young athlete's strength and athleticism... that's fantastic! What you shouldn't get caught up in is whether or not they are "making it sport specific". The truth is that youth and adolescent athletes need to master movements and build a solid foundation strength, regardless of sport. Programs tailored to sport won't come until the latter years of high school when a training level has been developed, or possibly not even until collegiate athletics. Learn to squat. Learn to lunge. Learn to hinge. Learn to jump and land. Learn to accelerate and decelerate. Learn to skip. The list goes on and on, doesn't it. Speaking of list, here is my checklist for the youth strength and conditioning athlete:
Print this off and use it, especially if your athlete isn't getting coached up from a professional in the field. Some progressions I tend to live by when teaching movements: Partial range before full range of motion, slow before fast, bilateral before unilateral, and the big one- body weight full range of motion BEFORE weight bearing. Don't compromise form just to throw some weight on the bar and look cool. Think something is missing from this? You might be right! There are 20 weight room movements and 20 field movements listed, but this is just the beginning. Master your technique!
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