Creating the Total Athlete before Specializing: Return Movement Education to Schools, Advocate Unstructured Play & Multiple Sport Activities

In my posts of the 28^th and 29^th of July I wrote on focusing attention on 1) Developing true “student” athletes (with methods of balancing the lives of teens) and 2) the return to true “play” for pre-adolescents instead of “structured” training revolving around a specific sport. 

In thinking about both topics, it is clear to me that the vacuum that exists in most school systems concerning the lack of movement education & basic fitness and postural development activities in Physical Education has brought about the creation of a lucrative “Club Sport Industry”.

 Parents wishing to engage their children in physical activities for health benefits turn to organized youth sports to provide what the schools are not offering these days. I can understand that. But, there are so many ways to integrate some FMS, fitness and postural strength/ education in the schools that I think parents need to bring these concerns to their respective school boards, principals, etc.

 Also, as my previous posts have advocated, parents need to engage their young children in a WIDE VARIETY of activities that range of Kinder Gym to Martial Arts classes WITH A HEALTHY dose of PLAY. This PLAY should revolve around the local playgrounds with use of Monkey Bars and other apparatus where they can climb, swing, push, pull etc. Providing children with Jump Ropes, Hoola Hoops and other “simple” toys, that will encourage movement exploration in a fun and engaging manner, can AT LEAST split time with video game play.

In thinking of all the activities of my youth, it is hard not to see that un-structured “play” on playgrounds, elementary physical education classes and playing whatever sport was in season with neighborhood kids, gave me a much wider foundation of movement patterns, physical skills and basic levels of fitness than ANY ONE SPORT focus could ever do. School recesses were spent on activities such as jump roping, hop-scotching, jump the brook and chasing-type games.

Hoola Hoops, when introduced, produced an endless variety of moves, skills, etc. when left up to our “competitive” imaginations. Even Yo-Yo’s and Frisbees provided manipulative skills and coordination skills!

Every kid could ride a bike at an early age and roller skates and the invention of the skate-board (yes, I am that old) added balance, coordination and locomotive elements to the wide variety of “kid” activities that were prevalent at the time.

The point that I am trying to make here is that OVERUSE or OVERTRAINING injuries in adolescents (and pre-adolescents) was unheard of outside the Youth Swim Teams where kids started at 5 or 6 years and added volumes of work each year in a very cyclic sport (meaning a few movement patterns practiced repetitively over months and years) that many times ended up with worn out shoulders or worn out enthusiasm for two-a-day workouts.

So, instead of Early Specialization, WHICH BRINGS WITH IT EARLY OVERUSE INJURY, how about participating in multiple sports and integrate biking, jump roping, swimming, skating, climbing, etc. into the lives of our youth?

I recently read about a “competition” that I did not know still existed, but provides a very good example of developing movement skills, coordination, rhythm, speed, explosive strength and stamina. THE RED BULL ROPE MASTER’S TOUR!

This Tour is a competition among teams of 4 people in “Double Dutch” Jump Roping.  One of the events is the SPEED DRILL where two ropes are used. One member of the team has a stopwatch and times and counts every left foot contact of the jumper while the two other members turn two ropes at a time. The jumper has 2 minutes to see how many jumps they can do. Every 30 seconds is called out and the number of left foot contacts is called out. The GOAL is to keep the same PACE for all FOUR thirty-second segments of the 2 minutes.

The Champion (Shaquannah Floyd in the contest I read about) recorded 393 left foot contacts in 2’ with an 97-99 contacts per each 30 second segments.  THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE. The jumper needs advanced levels of elastic and explosive strength, coordination, rhythm, efficiency of movement, power endurance and speed. ALSO, the rope turners need high levels of efficiency, rhythm, coordination, speed strength of arms and shoulder, core stability and endurance.

As a long time Track and Field Coach, my initial thoughts centered on the amount of total foot contacts in 2 minutes (393 lefts = 786 total contacts in 2 minutes!). Given air-time of at least half the time, that would mean ground contacts were around .152 seconds per contact. The goal for Elite athletes in plyometric (jump) training exercises is for ground contact times of less than .20 seconds.

I could not help wondering how many Elite Track and Field athletes could do 786 contacts at that speed ….for TWO MINUTES NON-STOP!  Next thought…GET THAT GIRL OUT FOR LONG JUMP, SPRINTS, TRIPLE JUMP or basketball, volleyball or…(an endless number of transfer of these skills)!!!

TO PREVENT OVERUSE AND OVERTRAINING INJURIES THAT USUALLY SURFACE DURING HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, parents and youth sport coaches (of the volunteer variety) in recreational and seasonal-only sports, CAN do what the ELITE Coaches do in order to enhance the development of their athletes and prevent injuries AND I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT mimicking professional or collegiate team training drills and exercise prescriptions.

 AS many Elite coaches) around the world will attest to ((the following words are those of renowned Scottish Coach Kelvin Giles) “The first goal is to become a better all-around mover. The all-around mover can then become an athlete. Only then does the athlete specialize. The end result is that you then have a specialist in their sport who, FIRST and foremost, is a genuine athlete NOT just an ‘adapted specialist”.

Another point for the INTEGRATION of FMS (fundamental movement skills) and AMSC (athletic movement skill competencies) into the programs at all levels (EVEN ELITE) is to continue the development of the “total athlete” AND to prevent injury. Consider the Study below as one example of this:

“THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EXERCISE INTERVENTION TO PREVENT SPORTS INJURIES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS.  (Lauersen, Bertelsen, and Anderson).

The conclusion of the study authors state > In general, physical activity was shown to effectively reduce sports injuries. Stretching proved no beneficial effect, WHEREAS multiple exposure programs, proprioception training, and strength training, IN THAT ORDER, showed a tendency towards increasing the reduction of injury. We advocate that MULTIPLE exposure interventions in non-sport specific movements. Both acute and overuse injuries could be significantly reduced, overuse injuries by ALMOST HALF.”

World-Renowned Track and Field Coach and Therapist, Dan Pfaff provides another insight into the importance of integrating a variety of FMS and AMSC activities to high-level, Collegiate Track and Field Athletes in his ALTERNATE METHODS FOR DEVELOPING STRENGTH, POWER AND MOBILITY.

In it, Pfaff states, “The enhancement of power’ however can be severely restricted if general strength parameters, mobility, and posture are not addressed. It is the goal of this article to offer some insight into the philosophies used during our training sessions to remedy some of the aforementioned conflicts.

In sport we speak of body mechanics when describing sport posture. This term refers to both the static and functional relationships between body parts and the body as a whole. The concept includes over 200 bones and some 600 muscles not to mention the endless chains of fascia and various connective tissue systems. Efficient body mechanics is a function of balance and poise of the body in all positions possible including standing, lying, sitting, during movements and in a variety of mediums.

Maximum physiological and mechanical function does sometimes serve as a guide for correct postures. These functions can be further evaluated by observing excessive stress on joints, connective tissue, muscles, and coordinative action. In the sport of track and field, “active alerted posture” is the goal of all sportsmen.

This can be defined by the balanced action of muscle groups on both sides of body joints at six fixing levels: (1)ankle joints; (2) knee joints; (3) hip joints; (4) lower back; (5) head and neck; (6) shoulder girdle.

Poor mobility, strength imbalances, overuse injuries, dis-coordination, etc. can often times be traced back to these postural tenets. While specialized training can sometimes lead to postural improvement it is my belief that general activities that enhance posture, joint strength, muscle and joint coordination, and all aspects of mobility are in short supply with today’s youth.!!!!!!

A highly sedentary lifestyle exhibited by today’s society has precluded the acquisition of these general qualities once found in abundance several generations ago. I have found that the introduction of highly specialized, event specific training stimuli can be the source of tremendous frustration and reoccurring injury patterns

If these “foundational items” have not been developed, been given time to stabilize and then in a systematic format undergo actualization in a variety of conditions, thresholds, and environments.

Therefore, our athletes include a great deal of remedial and ancillary work of this type in our training schedules. As the athlete acquires more efficient postures during very simple motor tasks we find the more advanced skills evolve at a quicker rate and that long term repetitive injury patterns lessen or are eliminated.

This template and coping skill that is formulated during the basic skill activity seems to lay large foundations for superior athletic skills.”

So, Pfaff gives his prescription for providing the FMS and AMSC type movements to his collegiate (at the time of this article) the, elite athletes he know trains at the World Athletics Center BELOW:

The repertoire of activities used to enhance functional postural integrity, and as a result, latent power resources is limited only by one’s creativity and knowledge of kinesiological principles. As this integrity is evolved, then more sophisticated and advanced movement skills result. Listed below are select items from the menu of training schemes that we implement at various sessions throughout the training year. 

Volumes, intensities, densities, and rest to work ratios are influenced by training age, time of the season, medical and skill parameters.”

Postural Training Controls
1. Sprint Drills or Exercises
2. Multiple Jumps Series
3. Multiple Throw Series
4. Dynamic Mobility Circuits
5. Hurdle Mobility Circuits
6. General Strength Circuits
7. Medicine Ball Circuits

I took the liberty of enlarging and underling in various parts of emphasis. I would like to add that AT ANY LEVEL OF ATHLETIC TRAINING OR SPORT coaches need to use MOTOR AND POSTURAL EXCELLENCE as the determining factor in planning the volume and intensity level of activities in the WEIGHT ROOM, FIELD, COURT AND TRACK.

We can GO ONE STEP FURTHER and say that IN NO WAY SHOULD ATHLETES WHO DO NOT EXHIBIT POSTURAL INTEGRITY AND MASTERY OF FOUNDATIONAL MOVEMENT SKILLS AND ADEQUATE RANGE OF MOTION IN THESE MOVEMENTS SHOULD EVER BE LOADED WITH WEIGHTED BARS, ETC.

Instead of applying Strength Training Methods of successful College or Pro Sport athletes or teams, high school coaches need to start with FMS and AMSC movement skills and progress to BODY WEIGHT exercises specific to the primary movements each of the athletes will use in their sport position or event. 

 Even when athletes progress to strength training with weights, this should be strictly to address MINIMUM strength qualities needed for their position or event performance WITH the basic skill activities still integrated for injury prevention as Coach Pfaff illustrates in his training plan above.

A great example of this can be seen in the approach of STANFORD FOOTBALL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH Shannon Turley. Below I am highlighting the specifics of a recent Bleacher Report Article that you can access in it’s entirety by clicking here:

Here are excerpts I feel are relevant to this Blog post. 

"I don’t care how much guys can bench squat or power clean," Turley said. "It has nothing to do with playing football. Football is blocking and tackling. It’s creating contact, avoiding contact and gaining separation if you are a skill guy on the perimeter. That’s football."

What they are doing is building one of the most comprehensive and successful player development programs in the country through highly specialized training, personalized by position and player.
Stanford’s player development team focuses its efforts on injury prevention, athletic performance and mental discipline—in that order. Basically, the Stanford weight program doesn’t worry about having the "strongest" guys in college football. It focuses on football strength, technique and making sure the best Cardinal players stay on the field all season.

For those who say numbers in the weight room are important measure of success on the field, Turley would counter with the example of Stanford’s 6’5”, 313-pound All-American guard David Yankey, who Turley says can barely bench his own body weight.

‘‘He’s got to have some pop, I get it,” said Turley. “But isn’t the rate at which you strike more important than moving a bunch of weight around really slow?”

Turely explains that bench press and squat goals don’t even factor into his thinking when he designs a workout for a player. He is concerned only with a player’s ability to move as he needs to on the football field.

For an offensive lineman like Yankey, this means the mobility and stability of his shoulder, the stability of his core and the mobility of his lower body. Optimizing those characteristics allows him to get low and quickly apply force in the direction he intends to move, thus fulfilling his role as a blocker.

Stanford’s focus on injury prevention over athletic performance, along with the absence of the almighty record board in the weight room, sets its program apart from other powerhouse programs (yes, Stanford is a modern-day powerhouse).

“This functional focus, with less emphasis on big muscles and gallons of sweat, is brilliant,” Carroll said. “Each player has a function and certain movements and patterns that help him fulfill that function. Stanford is way ahead of the curve on this.”

“Our numbers are very unimpressive,” said Turley.  “But we’re not chasing numbers. We are chasing lean muscle, reducing body fat and making guys functionally strong for football.”
Stanford football is a year-long commitment. Between the season, spring practice, fall camp and three six- to seven-week offseason training sessions, the Cardinal players are participating in football-related activities for 43 weeks out of the year. Of those weeks, 19 are spent exclusively in the weight room and on the track under Turley’s supervision.
The winter program is focused on recovery from the season, while the spring offseason program is the only time the Cardinal focus on speed and power development.

Things heat up in the summer when conditioning is the main focus. From late June through the first week of August, Turley will run his players through a variety of position-specific exercises that focus on the movements they are going to execute repeatedly in fall practice and throughout the season.

During the season, the Stanford program focuses on recovery and restoring mobility to sore bodies that have performed the same action over and over again on the field.

Specialization
The stated goal of Turley’s strength program is to “develop lean, athletic players that can play with low pads and leverage and exert force in the direction that they intend to move.” Turley builds football players, not weightlifters or track athletes. “We are not training for a 40 because you don’t run a 40 in football,” he said.

All of Stanford’s workouts are grounded in the SAID (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands) principle Turley has carried with him since his days as a student assistant working under Mike Gentry at Virginia Tech.

Turley and his staff start with separate workout templates designed for each of the six player groups (skill, big skill, linemen, quarterbacks, specialists, freshmen) and personalize based on a player’s injury history and predetermined movement patterns, which usually stem from experience playing other sports or previous injury. As the players’ bodies mature throughout their careers, the workouts change.

Isometrics
The most unique aspect of the Stanford strength program is its focus on isometric and eccentric exercises. While other college football programs and weekend warrior weightlifters focus on the force-delivering or concentric aspect of a lift or exercise (rising out of a squat or pushing up the bench press bar), Turley preaches the control of the weight. This increases stability and durability of the muscle.
Concentric-focused training is power-focused and creates great numbers in the gym, but it puts athletes at greater risk of injury.

"While some programs do similar things, it’s seldom the focus," explained Carroll. "It’s secondary or worse. Anyone who’s been in a weight room has done 'negative reps' or 'slo-mo reps,' but this kind of program built around those things is unique."

Turley starts all the players—upperclassmen and freshmen alike—with body weight movements or accentuated eccentrics (the lowering phase of a pull-up) and isometrics (holding a push-up or squat in position for an extended period of time). These exercises teach players how to control their bodies and learn how to have the endurance to do it correctly when they get fatigued.

In their first summer in the program, freshmen work almost exclusively on conditioning, flexibility and core strength through the use of accentuated eccentrics and isometrics. They do your gym teacher’s favorite exercises: pull-ups, push-ups, body weight squats and lunges. They even climb rope “like old-school gym class,” said Turley.
He firmly believes that what Stanford football players “learn first, they are going to learn best,” which makes a player’s buy-in during those trying first three weeks all the more important to his eventual success in the Stanford program.

The first summer is all about getting the newbies “to invest in the process and develop the right habits” in football, training, diet and lifestyle. For Stanford players, investment in the process means consistently making choices that align with a player’s goals for himself and the team. Turley calls this buy-in “fundamentally important.”
Turley uses accountability and personal challenges as the major tools of mental development. He describes his program as “process-focused,” which means he sets effort and improvement goals for his players rather than chasing result-oriented goals. "I don’t care [about] the number," he said. "I care about their ability to improve it."
The team code of conduct is simple: technique, effort, attitude and mental discipline. "Four things you have complete and total control over, that take absolutely no talent and no ability. That’s where we want to invest ourselves," Turley explained. "In every situation they are in with us, they have complete and total control over that."

RELEVANT QUOTES TO THINK ABOUT: 
“it isn’t how big their squat or clean is that determines their success; it is their speed and technique.”---Joel Smith (Cal S&C Coach)

“given youth sports trends, I think Orthopedic surgeon is a recession proof profession”.---David Epstein (author of “The Sports Gene)

HIGH SCHOOL COACHES WISHING TO COPY STRENGTH TRAINING PROGRAMS NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS PHILOSOPHY!

My next Blog post will explore some of the “poor habits” that are easily found in many, if not all, high schools when it comes to LIFESTYLE issues concerning Diet, Sleep and Regenerative Methods.