The Appropriate "What's, When's & Why's" of Training Methods for Children

Before getting into the “controversial” topic of Training young athletes, I thought it best to review some material I posted two blogs ago. I included the information below to explain not only the “what’s” but the “why’s” of a carefully planned YPD (Youth Physical Development) Program that will target the most successful overall development of the “complete” athlete BEFORE beginning any sport specialization. This information appears below:----------------

Basically, adaptation to new skills is mainly neural in boys from the ages of 2-11 and girls 2-9 years of age. From the ages of 10-11  to 21 years for boys and 9-10 to  20 years for girls, adaptations (physical ) are the result of BOTH neural and hormonal factors.

Training Age refers to the number of years that the young athlete has been participating in formalized training programs that are correctly designed to meet the specific needs of the individual.  These types of programs SHOULD be designed according to the present motor skill level of each child with progression to more demanding skills based on mastery of the skills being trained.

All training should begin with FMS activities for 2-8 year old boys and 2-7 year old girls with the primary building block skills for sport specific movement patterns. The three areas of skills are: 1) LOCOMOTIVE; such as running, skipping, jumping, landing, climbing, crawling, rolling, etc., 2) MANIPULATIVE;such as grasping, catching, throwing, slinging and rolling objects, 3) STABILIZING; such single leg stands, hand stands, plank poses, etc.

Children in early to mid-childhood should receive strength training by focusing on development of both strength and the above motor skills (FMS) mastery through fun activities that would include some of the following: monkey bar swings, jump-rope activities/games, tumbling activities (forward &backwards rolls, round-offs), obstacle course runs, tree climbing, martial arts (mixed if possible) classes, indoor rock climbing, dance & yoga basic classes, BMX and Mt. Bike riding, swimming, paddling (paddleboards, rubber rafts), surfing, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, roller skating, roller blading, skate boards, et.

AMSC (Athletic Motor Skill Competencies) can begin somewhere between ages 8-9 years DEPENDING on biological age and mastery of FMS skills prior to starting AMSC training.  AMSC focus on independent movement patterns that can be linked with other movements to form more advanced training movements used in higher-level sport skills. A list of the AMSC skills is presented below.

AMSC SKILLS >1) Lower Body unilateral movements (concentric and eccentric), 2)  Lower Body bi-lateral (concentric and eccentric) 3)  Upper Body Pushing (vertical and horizontal), 4)  Upper Body Pulling (vertical and horizontal),   5) Anti-Rotation & Core Bracing 6)  Jumping, landing, rebounding mechanics), 7) Acceleration, Deceleration and Re-Acceleration,  8)  Throwing, catching and grasping.

WHETHER IMPLEMENTING FMS or AMSC PROGRAMS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE A VARIETY OF TRAINING ENVIROMENTS THAT ARE FULL OF VARIED STIMULI TO PROVIDE CONSTANT & MULTIPLE ADAPTATIVE RESPONSE. -----------------------------------------

Hopefully the above review will jog the memory and provide ideas of types of activities and movements that need to be the primary focus during EACH STAGE of growth and maturation from Early Childhood through Adolescence.

IF young athletes have spent early childhood developing the FMS and AMSC skills through a variety of activities (of which many are listed above as examples) through the ages of 2-8 for boys and 2-7 for girls, at or around the age of 5-6 years they can begin “appropriate” strength training activities. Strength is the first of the Physical Qualities that should be CAREFULLY developed.

Examples of “appropriate” strength activities would include: Body Weight Squat and Lunges (which teach and strengthen hip-hinge movement, gluteal activation, hip mobilization and strengthening), Jump Rope activities and/or “low” box hops (on and off teach both jumping, landing and rebounding mechanics), Shoulder Blade Push Ups (just squeezing shoulder blades together and then relaxing them with body in plank position) can be done and then progressed to Push Ups when ready. Other strength activities should include Monster Band walks (sideways in quarter squat position), Resistance Band Pull Downs and (upper body pulls vertically), Resistance Band Push Press (upper body pushes vertically), Plank positions holds w/variations in leg and arm movement from elbow base and hand based plank and wall or high bench push ups for horizontal pushing movements. 

Martial Arts (preferably mixed) Training is ideal for development of Strength, Balance, Core Strength, Postural Strength, Mobility and Flexibility as is mixing a variety of activities that are suggested in paragraph five above. Keeping activities simple and progressing to more advanced activities (EX: monkey bars to low tree climbing to indoor rock climbing).YOU DO NOT BUILD A HOUSE FROM THE ROOF DOWN.

Once young athletes have acquired the above FMS and AMSC skills AND built up strength levels appropriate to the consistent execution of the these skills, they are ready for Training the Physical Qualities of Speed, Agility, Flexibility and Mobility. IF the early building blocks of FMS and AMSC with a variety of activities to build strength have been taught during ages of 2 years though 7-8 years,  “appropriate” Speed, Agility and Mobility activities can be introduced.  IF FMS AND AMSC skills were introduced early in childhood (2-5 years), then Speed, Agility and Mobility, along with the early strength work described above, can begin at age 5 or so. REMEMBER, chronological age is not as good and indicator for starting the training of these Physical Activities. This is where TRAINING AGE (the number of years participating in FMS and AMSC skills education) and Biological Age (according to growth rate and maturation rate) are the best indicators.

Below are suggested percentages of time to be spent on PRIMARY AGILITY Training skills as recommended by Lloyd and Oliver in Chapter Two of HIGH PERFORMANCE TRAINING FOR SPORTS (edited by D. Joyce and D. Lewindon, 2014).

                                                                                     

Prebubertal Age   /low training age	Circapubertal Age/moderate training age	Postpubertal Age/advanced training age
60% FMS	30% FMS	20% FMS
25% CODS	40% CODS	20% CODS
15% RATS	30% RATS	60% RATS

  

FMS, CODS and RATS in the table above refer to the types of Agility Training Skills and the amount of time to be spent in training for each of these types of agility development for EACH level of young athlete (based on Growth/Maturation Age and/ or Training Age.

FMS Agility Skills are those that are introduced as part of the Fundamental Motor Skills program that includes skipping, running, hopping, etc. BUT used specifically to accelerate, decelerate and re-accelerate within the various FMS Locomotive Skills list.

CODS refers to CHANGE OF DIRECTION SPEED. To successfully develop agility for sport performance there are two qualities of CODS that must be developed. These are:  1) Change of Direction training using specific patterns or courses to be navigated as fast as possible using appropriate COD movements to successfully complete the course run in the least amount of time. 2) Reactive Agility Training (RAT) which serves to develop the cognitive skills associated with the quick decision-making skills required to recognize situational signals for Change of Direction such as coaches instructions on the run or reacting to movements or signals of other athletes, coaches, etc.

 

All CODS provide development of Acceleration, Deceleration and Re-Acceleration . RAT activities develop the important Cognitive Skills required for sport situational reactions that exist in most team sport activities.

Considering the above chart, it should be noted that Lloyd and Oliver recommend that regardless of maturation levels, primary agility training activities should be included in EACH STAGE of development in the YPD Model.

In addition to planning activities for the development of Agility, Speed, Mobility, Strength and Flexibility, attention to the factors listed below will insure that young athletes get the proper sleep, nutrition and dosage of training so as to take advantage of their particular state of Physical and Neural Development.

HOW TO BETTER IMPROVE ATHLETE HEALTH & PERFORMANCE

1.     Improve athletes’ technique in all areas of training.

2.     Improve athletes’ physical preparation with better; Postures, Foundational Movement Skills, Range of Motions and General Strength.

3.     Improve session preparation with specific and functional warm-ups.

4.     Reduce load on athletes by dropping rep and session volumes in favor of better quality work. Use Body Weight before Resistance Bands and only move to Barbells or Dumb Bells when Movement Patterns are mastered with a large Range of Motion for each movment.

5.     Less frequent “hard” sessions with more recovery days between them.

6.     Educate athletes with regards to self-maintenance…nutrition, sleep, regenerative measures, etc.

BELOW is a very important message that I think all parents, athletes and coaches need to hear. With all the hype and marketing of various training movements and methods, it is easy to get sucked into training that can actually be harmful.  What many sport coaches and personal trainers do not realize is the CONNECTIVITY OF ALL THE BODY SYSTEMS (neural, muscular, cardiolovascular, endocrinological—hormonal). The body needs to maintain balance (termed homeostasis) between these systems BECAUSE ALL THESE SYSTEMS WORK SIMULTANEOUSLY, NOT INDEPENDENTLY. Also, the role of Connective Tissue, such as tendons, fascia and ligaments are key elements to the “efficient, explosive” movements of sport and must be targeted along with the appropriate muscles for MOVEMENT patterns specific to various competitive sport movements.

Bottom Line:  Train Movements, not muscles. Use the Minimum Effective Dose (MED) for positive adapatation and pay attention to the Energy System Requirements of the specific sport when developing training plans that meet the requirements for the sport trained for.

Here is Vern Gambetta’s message on what makes a good training environment. Enjoy, Embrace, Employ.

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I have said many times in this blog that mental toughness is in many ways is a myth. In my experience as a coach and athlete the athletes who produce in the competition are the ones who are there everyday physically and mentally in training doing what they are supposed to do with concentration, intensity and effort. They are focused and make each drill and each rep count. So called boot camp workouts made up of mindless repetitions of drills designed to make the athlete tired do exactly that, they make the athlete tired. But training without a purpose will not make an athlete better or mentally tough. What you find that the athletes do in those workouts is that they tune out; they do what they have to do to get through the workout. That is not what you want them to do in competition, you want them to do more than get through it, you want them to excel. As far as Navy Seal training I have the utmost respect for the Navy Seals and their mission, but their mission is to fight and kill if necessary. Sport is not a life or death proposition. What they do has little or no transfer to athletic competition so to imitate or adopt their training is fallacious. I understand that training at times must be hard and sometimes harder than what the athlete will face in competition, but everything has a place and a purpose in a well-designed training program. I want training to be a mindful experience that grows adaptable athletes who are ready to thrive in the competitive arena. Getting tired is easy training is difficult.   ----Vern Gambetta.

MORE ON TRAINING FOR THE DEVELOPING  HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE IN THE NEXT POST----