Archive for “Programming for Young Athletes” Category

Misuse Of Speed and Agility Drills

Posted on: March 27th, 2013 by IYCA No Comments

By Jim Kielbaso

Alot of people in this field call themselves Strength & Conditioning Coaches. I don’t have a problem with the “Strength” part of the title, but the “Conditioning” part could use a little work.

As a former college S & C Coach, I fully understand the time constraints of the collegiate or high school environment. Running a private facility for athletes, I also understand the limitations of this situation. In both cases, it is very difficult to give every athlete the time and instruction they need. Still, there is one area of our profession that I feel is in desperate need of some attention. That area is what I call Movement Training.

Recently, I was asked by a college coach what mistakes I have made in the past and what I would do differently if I could re-live the past 6-10 years of my career. At first, like many coaches, my ego didn’t want to admit to any mistakes, especially to another coach. But, after some thought, I realized that the area in which I have the greatest impact on athletes today, I simply did not understand when I was younger.

A few years ago, I thought the best S & C Coach was the one who most fully brutalized his/her athletes. I thought I was supposed to lift my athletes until they puked and condition them until they couldn’t see straight. Don’t get me wrong, I still think that stuff has its place. I love putting athletes through brutally hard workouts, and I think that kind of hard work can have amazing benefits (it also has terrific entertainment value). But, through time, I have gained a better understanding of how to maximize the “Conditioning” or “Speed and Agility Training” part of my job title.

To a lot of coaches, conditioning means creating running programs that enhance the physiological processes involved in aerobic or anaerobic metabolism. You may not think of it this way, but that is essentially what many conditioning programs are designed to do. I have no problem with this. Conditioning sport-specific energy systems is a vital part ofathletic success.

Speed and Agility drills

Many coaches also implement speed, agility, and plyometric routines into their programs, and I think it’s great to see coaches making an effort to improve the physical abilities of their athletes. Unfortunately, I see way too many mistakes being made in this area, and I think many coaches are doing their athletes an injustice.

Over the years, we have read articles by some great coaches about specificity, but the full message of these wise men is often lost in an effort to use their message to support our own views. I’m sure you’ve done it. You’ve read an article, and thought to yourself “That’s what I’m talkin’ about. That’s why I do what I do. I’m going to use this article to support my training philosophy.”

The articles have been great. They have helped a generation of S & C Coaches formulate their strength training philosophies….strength training philosophies. Why didn’t we see that the same information we’ve applied to strength training can also be used to develop effective speed and agility programs?

In my opinion, a lot of S & C Coaches approach speed and agility training the same way they approach strength training. They find out what other coaches are doing (through reading summer manuals, watching workouts, etc.), and duplicate it in their environments. This has worked out pretty well for strength training because there are a lotof good Strength and Conditioning Coaches to learn from.

Unfortunately, there are a few problems with learning about speed and agility this way. First, there are not nearly as many quality speed and agility coaches to learn from. Second, most of us didn’t learn anything about effective movement patterns in school. Third, proper coaching of speed and agility is highly dependent on coaching prowess, movement analysis, and the ability to understand proper movement patterns. It is more like teaching a sport skill; instructor knowledge is vital, and you can’t just apply a cookie-cutter approach like many coaches do with strength training. Nonetheless, we’ve learned our speed and agility drills from Strength Coaches not Speedand Agility coaches. The best case scenario for many of us was to learn a few drills from a track coach or catch an article outlining a couple of exercises. This kind of coaching just doesn’t cut it. I believe that movement training falls under the “Conditioning” part of our job title, and it’s time we take full responsibility for this important part of our jobs.

I like to call speed and agility work “movement training” because the goal is to train athletes how to move more efficiently. The problem with most movement training is the assumption that if we put some cones or hurdles out in a cool design and have our athletes run through them, we are making an impact on their movement patterns. The truth is, we’re not. All we’re doing is helping them reinforce whatever movement patterns they are using to get through the drill. Take a few minutes to re-read some of those specificity articles, and I think you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about.

I have had the good fortune of working with, observing, and learning from a lot of good sport coaches and instructors. I have never seen a good basketball coach allow players to take hundreds of jump shots with poor shooting technique, and I have never seen a good baseball coach let players pitch and hit with poor mechanics. Unfortunately, I have seen a lot of Strength Coaches allow athletes to perform hours ofagility drills using horrible technique. A lot of coaches assume that if the athletes are going through the drills, their athleticism will improve. But, the benefits of performing speed and agility drills are dramatically reduced if the athletes are not executing them with sound mechanics and learning proper technique. If the coach is unable to analyze the movement and give corrective feedback, what good is he/she doing for the athletes?

There are still a lot of questions about movement training, but there are certainly some answers and a lot of room for us to improve. I look forward to examining this misunderstood aspect of our profession in more detail with you in the future.

Copying a Strength Program Can Be a Mistake

Posted on: March 4th, 2013 by IYCA 2 Comments

By Jim Kielbaso

Strength program by Jim Keilbaso
Trying to copy some big time college program is common mistake made in high schools. I’ve been engaged in a series of e-mails with a coach about his situation at a high school, and I thought it was worth sharing.

He has been asked to implement a strength program for a high school football team, and the coach has started to voice some strong opinions before anything has even begun. The football coach feels like he’s under some pressure to win because the team has been average for the past three years. He has told the new strength coach that he likes Penn State’s program and wants him to implement it. He also wants to make sure that each kid is getting an individualized program.

The member explained the situation to me, asked for some advice, and I here is how I responded:

“First, I would explain to him that you can’t copy a college program because you don’t have the staff, equipment or athletes to do it at the high school level. Second, seeing a 5 minute video doesn’t really give you a complete understanding of a college program. Just say that you’re taking things from several colleges and list the ones he wants to hear – Penn State, LSU, Alabama, etc. And, if he wants you to run it like Penn State, ask if he’s going to give you everything it takes to run it like Penn State?

Will he have 5 more coaches there every day?

Can you demand 100% participation from a kid or he’s kicked off the team?

Can you dog-cuss kids left and right if they’re not doing exactly what you say? Can you train them all in small groups instead of all at once before/after school? Will he stand behind you no matter what? Can he tell the parents not to ever talk to you so you can focus on doing your job? Can you spend $500,000 on equipment? Will there be ATCs present at every conditioning session in case kids go down?

That’s what Penn State has available. I’m guessing you don’t. You’re high school program just isn’t going to be a college program. More importantly, it doesn’t have to be.

Tell him that you’re going to create a team-wide program, then individualize from there. There is no need to create a completely different strength program for every kid.

These are high school athletes. They need BASICS.

So, you create a “workout template” then make adjustments for any kids who need it. Most kids will be just fine with a basic program, but you have to play politics and say the right things.

Instead of doing complete individual assessments on every kid, you might want to start with some basic strength testing. You can get predicted maxes on a couple of lifts, maybe max chin ups, get numbers on vertical or broad jump, 40s, shuttles, etc. so you have baseline numbers. You want to be able to document progress, so you need to test them periodically to show that your program is working.

The reality of a high school program is that you have to get the biggest “bang for your buck” and hope for as much support from your coaches and parents as possible. Anyone who has coached in both college and high school should understand the differences. I hope this helps. Feel free to forward it to your football coach if you think it will help.”

The strength coach had a talk with his football coach, and talked him down from the ledge. It turns out the football coach is stressed because he feels like his job is on the line, and he wants to make sure the kids are getting stronger. The talk this strength coach had with him reassured the football coach that things are going to be OK and that the program is going to work.

Sometimes, we just have to talk stressed out coaches down so they understand we’re on their team, and we want to win just as badly as they do. A conversation like that can go a long way to establishing a relationship with a sport coach, and I think this strength coach has done just that. Once this relationship is established, everyone can work together toward the goal of helping the kids reach their true potential.

Ultimately, that’s what this is all about.

A Quick Guide To Plyometrics

Posted on: February 20th, 2013 by IYCA No Comments

By Wil Fleming

A Quick Guide To Plyometrics

There is a lot of information about plyometrics that goes around. This is another one.

Books, blog posts, etc, most discuss the various (numerous) types of drills that can fall into the category of plyometrics. Plyometrics as a category of exercise can be nearly any “explosive” type exercise so this leads to a LOT of possibilities.

There is however an information shortage when it comes to how to apply and program plyometrics into your athletes program on a progressive scale.

50 contacts?

100 contacts?

What kind of jumps to do?

What about medicine ball drills?

This list can go on and on.

There are a lot of questions that arise when discussing using plyometrics in your program.

Even before we start thinking about the number of contacts to use with a particular athlete there are a couple of things that we need to consider.

Age of the Athlete

Younger athletes are going to be on a steep learning curve, so it is important that the desired outcome of the drill is known and in place. The technical skill that should be executed with the drill should be sufficient. Younger athletes do not need high impact plyometrics, but instead should be focused on grooving the motor patterns that are a part of jumping and throwing.

Type of Plyometric Drill

We program all plyometrics for the beginning of sessions in a period which we call “Dynamic/Explosive”. This can encompass a lot of different drills.

At Force Fitness/AR Bloomington we have 3 broad categories of plyometric drills

Repetitive Effort jumps
These drills are of moderate or low intensity and the focus is on minimal ground contact time. Once the pattern is learned athletes of all ages can benefit from repetitive effort jumps. Progressions of these jumps include adding external resistance in the form of bands, kettlebells or weight vests.

Pogo Jumps Video:

Lateral Hurdle Jumps Video:

Maximum effort Jumps
These drills are high intensity: box jumps, distance jumps (broad jumps) and depth jumps all fall into this category. These drills are more advanced and are not usually prescribed for younger athletes. The focus is on the generating the maximum amount of power in the movement.

Box Jump Video:

Depth Jump Video:

Medicine ball throws
This category can get very broad, and includes rotary throws, chest passes and overhead throws. Divided further these can be maximal effort, repetitive effort, or combined effort throws (Including another skill).

Number of Contacts

When it comes to the number of contacts for these drills the type of movement must be considered. In general the quality of repetitions of each of these explosive movement types will diminish over time, so large volumes are generally not prescribed.

Some general guidelines:
Maximum effort plyos: Repetitive effort Plyos:Medicine Ball Throws:

These numbers reflect programming of the drills as part of a larger program, some more aggressive numbers might be found if programming plyometrics as their own day of programming.

Frequency of training

The recovery time between sessions for plyometrics varies greatly based on the exercise. Maximum effort plyos require a longer recovery time. To account for that an easy way to program plyos is to alternate days on which you do max effort and repetitive effort plyos.

So on a 2 day training schedule one might program Max effort plyos and repetitive effort Medicine ball throws on day 1, repetitive effort plyos and maximum effort medicine ball throws on day 2.

Plyos and medicine ball throws are a great way to increase your athlete’s explosive power. They are essential to successful programs.

Specialization

Posted on: January 25th, 2013 by IYCA No Comments

By Wil Fleming

As coaches we no doubt know about the pitfalls of early specialization when it comes to young athletes.

Despite much evidence that early specialization can lead to higher levels of burnout and dropout, many coaches still believe that the only way athletes can reach 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is to begin specialization at an extremely early age.

Recently several researchers (Moesch, Elbe, Haube and Wikman) published a very interesting article in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Sport Science examining just this theory and has amazing implications for the coaching in your program.

The researchers asked elite athletes and near elite athletes to answer questions about their experiences in athletics regarding their training and practice throughout their career.

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Three Keys for Programming and Coaching Olympic Lifts

Posted on: January 24th, 2013 by IYCA No Comments

By Wil Fleming

A lot of coaches include the Olympic lifts in their program, but few go outside the traditional power clean. Those that due may include a snatch or jerk, but what is next after that?

How can you improve your programming and improve your athletes’ execution of these lifts?

I have outlined three key ways to improve both your programs and your athletes’ performance.

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Resistance Bands and Olympic Lifting

Posted on: January 22nd, 2013 by IYCA No Comments

By Dave Schmitz

Wil Fleming recently wrote a very powerful article on “Why Olympic Lifts” that I found very thought provoking.

I agree with Wil that when you begin to discuss Olympic lifting with coaches, red flags immediately goes up about concerns for proper teaching, concerns for safety, and the stigma that Olympic lifting is only for the highly skilled or older athletes. For those coaches I understand their opinion and will not argue those points. Instead I will pose the question, is there a way to achieve some of the benefits of Olympic lifting without struggling with the teaching challenges or putting athletes at risk for injury.

As I read Wil’s article I continued to see a strong correlation between the benefits of resistance band training and Olympic lift training. Therefore as a follow up to Wil’s outstanding article, I wanted to touch on all 5 of Wil’s key points and relate them back to how resistance bands could assist young athletes and coaches with “improving” Olympic Lifting skill sets.

Please note that I am not suggesting you replicate Olympic lifting with bands but rather that you can get some of the neuromuscular benefits of Olympic Lifting by training with resistance bands. I also feel that performing certain movement with resistance bands will carry over to helping young athletes become better Olympic Lifting candidates.

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Fix your program: 7 movements you can coach better

Posted on: January 18th, 2013 by IYCA 1 Comment

By Wil Fleming

coach better

In the history of man, and of training there have been more than a few training programs that have been passed off as the best thing since sliced bread, and a lot of them have been exposed as bunch of junk as we (coaches and fitness pros) have gotten smarter.

Training programs are starting to include better and better movements. The general public and athletes alike are shying away from the use of machines and moving towards training on their feet, with free weights, and tons of other awesome tools. Unfortunately some great movements are often being done poorly.

When your training program has bad movements in it, your program is broken. When your training program has good movements that are being done poorly, your program is busted.

Even in my gym we have had to break down some of the movements we train regularly and figure out better ways to coach them and teach them. In some situations we have developed a keener eye for the movement itself and in some situations we have taken the advice of smart people and made some corrections to the movements we do.

Lets fix those busted programs. The next 7 movements are awesome to do, but not when they are done poorly.

Hang Snatches

Lets just get this straight first. There is no inherent problem with the movement itself. Hang snatches rock. The biggest problems I see with athletes doing the hang snatch is in the initiation and completion of the lift.

Athletes that need to fix the initiation of their hang snatch slide their knees forward immediately when starting the lift above their knees. This forward weight shift will lead to an incomplete extension of the hips and typically mean a missed lift at higher weights or a forward jump to receive the bar at lower weights.

At the moment of the catch the athlete needs to work on a timely and powerful punch overhead. Catching the bar with poor timing, arms unlocked with a press out following, is going to lead to a ton of missed lifts.

Box Jumps

As a movement in and of itself the box jump is pretty awesome. It gives athletes a target by which they can measure progress and reduces the impact of landing from a jump. That being said there are TWO big problems that need to be fixed when athletes are doing box jumps.

Problem 1: Jumping down from the top of the box. When we get down to it one of our benefits of using a box jump is the reduction of the impact of landing from a maximal effort jump. Why then, may I ask you, does it make any sense to jump down from the box? The answer is it doesn’t. Make your athletes create a path down from the box and step down.

Problem 2: Jumping on a box that is too high. Our goal while training athletes should be to provide them with opportunities to safely improve techniques that are applicable in the field of play. Jumping on boxes that require the athlete to pull their knees to their chest does not accomplish this task. Instead it creates an unsafe movement patterns, and will eventually ruin the athlete’s chances of becoming a shin model in the future.

Rotational MB Throws

For the most part I think that many programs are seriously lacking in work in the transverse plane, there is so much work done in the sagittal plane that athletes are hampered in their ability to move rotationally. There is much to be said about mastering the sagital plane first but for athletes that compete in rotational sports, learning the right way to deliver power rotationally is very important

The problem that I see all too often is rotational power being produced through movement in the lumbar spine. Regardless of what your opinion is about how much movement should come in the lumbar region, it definitely isn’t a region that is made for producing power. Rotational medicine ball throws need to occur through movement that originates in the lower body, and is expressed through the upper body, a stable lumbar region is key to making sure that the most power is transferred. Pay attention to the back foot on rotational movements to ensure that the movement is starting with the lower body.

Chin Ups

Lets all get together and say what we are thinking right now. Chin ups should never again be denoted as “chest to bar chin ups” because really, what’s the point in pulling only your chin past the bar? Chest to bar needs to be the standard from now on.

Doing chin ups, and pull ups for that matter, that go only to chin above the bar miss out on much of the great functional portion of the movement. When doing the partial movement there is little low trap involvement. Going a little functional anatomy on you, low traps are largely responsible for scapular depression, going only to the chin above the bar is primarily a movement dominated by the lats.

Trap Bar Deadlift

The trap bar deadlift is a great movement, but it doesn’t readily fit into the categories of movement that we like to use to create our training programs. Is it a squat pattern or is it a hinge pattern?

My personal preference is to make it a hinging pattern. Quite simply most athletes get plenty of squatting patterns in their training without our assistance. Making the trap bar a hinge pattern can alleviate this issue.

Teach athletes to do the trap bar deadlift just as you would teach them to go to the ground in the power clean. Hinge first (RDL) then squat until their hands are on the handles. Drive through the heels, keeping the knees back on initiation and then finish with hip extension.

Split Squats

Split squats are good right?

To me it all really depends on how you do them. As I have done coached this movement more and more I have realized that the tendency of most athletes while training is to let the knee slide forward very quickly after the getting them set up in the start position.

Cueing athletes out of this movement can correct the problem for many athletes, but we have adopted a solution that can fix this problem for EVERY athlete.

The concept of blocking a movement to prevent the incorrect pattern can be adopted for most any movement, while I was a thrower we would do this to prevent unwanted technical problems in the shot put and hammer throw by placing a physical barrier between myself and the bad pattern.

With the split squat we use a bench or a band stretched across a rack to prevent the knee from moving forward. In the bottom, 90-90 position the athlete’s front knee should be in contact with the bench. Push up and down from that position.

Power Clean starts

The start on the power clean is one of the most commonly butchered movements in the weightroom. Among many pre-lift rituals that can put athletes in terrible positions, the lift-off from the floor is often misunderstood.

While the bar is on the floor it is a distinct unit from the body, meaning that both the body and the bar have their own center of gravity. The bar’s center of gravity is always in front of the lifter’s while the bar is on the floor. The goal when lifting the bar off the ground is to link those two centers of gravity. This means that upon lift-off the bar must move back and up toward the athlete and not vertically (and definitely not forward).

Many athletes don’t get this right and always pull the bar in front of the body, and are unable to reach full hip extension in the final portion of the lift.

Fix these problems and your program might not be perfect but you are on your way to getting the most out of some awesome movements.

Changing Views on Training Concepts

Posted on: October 6th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

By Wil Fleming

Foam Rolling, Aerobic Training, and Ice: What’s right?

We all know that the profession of training and coaching is a constantly evolving process of learning and adapting. Heck that is what training, itself is all about, staying ahead of adaptation to make continued progress.
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Resistance Bands and Olympic Lifting

Posted on: October 2nd, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Olympic Lifting and Resistance Bands

By Dave Schmitz

On September 10th, Wil Fleming wrote a very powerful article on “Olympic Lifting” that I found very thought provoking.

Please note that I am not suggesting you replicate Olympic lifting with bands but rather that you can get some of the neuromuscular benefits of Olympic Lifting by training with resistance bands.

I also feel that performing certain movement with resistance bands will carry over to helping young athletes become better Olympic Lifting candidates.

Type II Muscle Development

Elastic resistance is an ascending resistance that increases as the range of motion increases. As a result a young athlete quickly learns that in order to complete the movement using a resistance band they must accelerate out of their loaded posture. This mind set of acceleration is what not only recruits Type II muscle fibers, as Wil noted, but neuromuscular also teaches young athletes how to accelerate a force which is a key skill set necessary with Olympic Lifts.

Improved Coordination

Resistance band training incorporates the use of compound multi-joint movements like squat to press, hip hinge to high pull, and squat to row. All these compound movements require neuromuscular coordination to effectively complete the movement. Teaching young athletes these compound movements initially using resistance bands will provide them the neuromuscular training to learn how to coordinate movements similar to those required in Olympic Lifting.

Improved Power characteristics

Attaching a band around the hips to create a horizontal or vertical force vector will proprioceptively teach young athletes how to perform full hip and knee extension. Applying the hip attached set-up with bands while performing a dead-weight swing or board jump will reflexively teach the skill set of full hip extension and knee extension with an upper extremity arm swing. Using the band belt system will proprioceptively create a more vertical load while performing some of the band exercises shown in the previous video. In both cases it will allow young athletes to train the Olympic lifting skill of getting full hip extension and knee extension with an upper extremity driver.

View Band Belt System

Band Belt combo training

Improved Force Absorption

Absorbing the force of the bar when receiving it overhead or at the chest requires the core to reactively stabilize in order for the body to maintain its center of gravity over its base of support and avoid excessive lumbar extension which can often be the case with Olympic lifts. This same reactive stabilization is seen when doing any type of horizontal vector upper body band exercise with the individual facing away from the band attachment site. For instance a simple horizontal chest press or overhead tricep press requires the core to reactive stabilize to avoid excessive lumber extension during the initiation of the concentric phase of the movement. Using bands to teach young athletes how to dynamic engage their core while performing an explosive upper body exercise with bands will neuromuscular replicate the core reaction needed with Olympic lifting.

Success Elsewhere

Bands are rarely seen in a high school weight room being used to augment or help train movement skills. Instead they are used to simulate machine based movements or assist with body weight exercises like pull ups. One of the greatest benefits of resistance band training is its impact in proprioceptively teaching young athletes how to feel movement, train movement and ultimately store it into the body’s muscle memory bank. Once permanently embedded into the muscle memory, these movement skills will easily transfer into any other lift or activity that requires that particular movement skill like with Olympic lifting or more field specific foot agility training.

Foot Agility Training Video

Resistance Bands are by no means a replacement for Olympic Lifts. However, incorporating them into a strength and conditioning program will not only allow coaches more training options but will also teach young athletes a skill set that could bring them closer to incorporating many of the movement skills needed to successfully implementing Olympic Lifts into their training program.

Special Thank You needs to go out to Wil Fleming for creating the original article on Olympic Lifting. ~ Dave Schmitz

The ‘Missing Link’ in your HS Long Sprints program?

Posted on: October 1st, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

High School Long Sprints Program Mistakes

By Coach Latif Thomas

The biggest mistake high school long sprints coaches make is wasting time and energy searching for solutions to problems that don’t exist.

You can write the most beautiful annual plan or the most individualized and specific workouts the universe has ever known.

But, if your sprinters secretly hate the 400, fear the 400 and/or don’t possess the level of inner confidence proven to fuel great performances, they’ll still get beat by inferior athletes running inferior workouts who Believe they’re going to run faster.

I’ll be honest:

I don’t excel at writing workouts. I don’t need to. Or try to.

The season is less than three months (and that’s only for your very best runners) of training little kids with low training ages. They don’t need nuanced workout progressions because they’re too inexperienced to absorb or apply that much detail.

The real secret to my High school long sprints program is simple:

I’m good at motivating kids. At developing self confidence. At inspiring them to buy into the program, system and philosophy… hook, line and sinker.

I look at it like this:

Like you, I only have so much time in the day. It means I can’t get to everything I’d like to do.

So I focus on what’s going to get me the most ‘bang for my buck’.

For my money, that’s spending more time studying and applying the ‘Science of Mind’ than the ‘Science of Periodization’.

We all coach for different reasons. But it’s generally a safe bet that near the top of that list is: 1) Help kids, 2) Develop faster long sprinters (200/300/400 runners), 3) Larger numbers of #2

All of which lead to more winning, which, last I checked, is a good time for everyone. So, if you want to experience more of the things I just listed, spend more time refining your system of developing self belief and less time trying to jack workout progressions from coaches whose programs have almost nothing in common with yours.

And remember this:

Since you coach one of the most disrespected and irrelevant sports your school has to offer, you have to think of yourself as a marketer. Because you’re competing against the soccer program, the basketball program, the lacrosse program and the baseball program. Against sports kids have been playing their whole lives.

If you want to grow your numbers, how are you going to compete with the Club Soccer or AAU coach who tells your young athletes that year round soccer or basketball is going to get them noticed by college coaches and scouts?

Or the dad who is reliving his failed baseball career through his son?

Simple. Make their experience on the track team more fun and rewarding. We have a unique opportunity in an individual sport like track and field because each personal best is an individual experience.

The ‘team’ didn’t PR in that 400, ‘I’ PR’d in that 400.

It wasn’t the starting point guard getting the credit while I stood on the wing. I did the work and I got full credit for reaping the full results of that work. It doesn’t matter if that result is winning an All State Championship or breaking 70 for the first time, everyone can take pride in their own individual improvement.

It’s going to take time to cultivate a default ‘I can’ mindset in your young athletes because right now they don’t really believe they can. They might BS you if you ask, but they won’t look you in the eye when they say it. They ‘hope’ to. They ‘want’ to.

But they don’t expect to.

If you want to find the Missing Link to sustained success, improvement and growth in your high school long sprints program, spend the bulk of your energy this season on the Periodization of Expectation.

My process isn’t random. I develop and apply it systematically, the same as I would if teaching acceleration mechanics or an Olympic Lift.

I do and say certain things at certain times in certain ways to certain people based on their current ability to receive and apply the lesson.

It’s a game changer. And the only thing more fun than winning is seeing the look on a kid’s face when you tell them they just achieved their goal time, something they thought was unobtainable just a few months before these changes in your High school long sprints program.

Throw Out Your Scale and Enjoy The Ride

Posted on: September 28th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Youth Fitness: Throw Out Your Scale and Enjoy The Ride

By Kyle Brown

Imagine yourself out in the park, with a basketball in hand, playing an impromptu game with friends. You’re laughing, smiling, and having a good time–not a care in the world. It’s like a form of Tai Chi, meditation in motion.

When do the best athletes in nearly every sport have their best performances? When they’re completely in the moment, acting like a kid, pressure-free, enjoying the process. They are not focusing on the mechanics or the pressure of the game. They’re having fun and everything simply gels. They’re laughing, they’re smiling–they’re remembering why they starting playing the youth sports in the first place.

This philosophy applies to youth fitness and anyone trying to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. Just like when you are on a road trip with your family, you need to enjoy the ride instead of whining, “Are we there yet?” Every aspect of your training and nutrition should feel this way. You eat healthy because it makes you feel good. The food tastes delicious, and when you are done eating you feel full and satisfied, your energy renewed. You’re excited to walk into the gym and lift weights because it makes you feel strong. You’re amped to go to practice because it makes you better at the game you love. You drink water because you feel healthy and energized.

They key is to get to the why.

When you were a really young kid, “Why?” was most likely your favorite question. I’m sure you constantly asked your friends and family why something was the way it was and “Because I said so” was never a good enough answer. The answer to “why” is your purpose. It’s the reason behind your actions, your effort, and your sacrifice.

It’s the reason you do what you do. And your “why” may be different from my “why” or from your friends’ or family’s “why.” One of the big mistakes your athletes make is that their initial “why” gets replaced by the fantasy of becoming rich and famous. Those are potential side benefits of achieving your goals but should not be the reason you’re striving for them in the first place.

Your “why” should be based around improving your quality of life.

You need to throw out your scale and focus on enjoying the ride. A healthy lifestyle needs to become part of your personal culture and who you are at the core. Not approaching your goals in this manner is the problem of nearly every adult. They know what they do and focus on learning how to do what they do, but they forget their purpose. For example, I have seen many young athletes do whatever it takes to become a professional athlete. Yet of these select few who actually make it, the overwhelming majority crash and burn once they get there. This phenomenon happens partially because they don’t set goals for what they’re going to do once they become a professional, but mostly because their “why” has become tainted in the process. They’ve lost their love for the game and stopped striving for greatness. The goal is to be happy but not content. You should always strive to be the best you can be.

And it’s not just young athletes and in youth fitness.

I’ve also seen this happen with people who are trying to lose weight or gain muscle. They focus all their energy on trying to reach a particular number on their scale and follow an approach based solely on temporary sacrifice. As soon as they reach their scale weight goal, they typically start eating poorly again and stop exercising as frequently. It’s disastrous!

For many others, after a week of dieting struggle and sacrifice, they step onto the magic box known as a scale and say, “Oh magic box. Please tell me that I am beautiful, that I am loved, that my program is succeeding.” And if the number that pops up is lower than the last time they checked, the answer to these questions is yes. If not, they’re an epic failure and it is time to find a new diet. Weight loss has little to do with willpower. It’s about developing a mindset and enriching yourself with proper information.

Many people trying to get fit put forth a ton of effort but are misguided by poor information. Instead, you need a game plan that helps create healthy habits and daily rituals that will get you to the top and keep you on top. And the process needs to be fun rather than a miserable sacrifice. Quick fixes are not acceptable, as they are inconsistent with long-term change. Thinking “the diet starts tomorrow” is setting yourself up for failure.

Instead, use my motto: “The healthy lifestyle starts now.” Do this for your own reasons, your own “why” for wanting to improve your quality of life today. And always remember: enjoy the ride, as it will make you emotionally fit and psychology.

Stop the Insanity!

Posted on: September 18th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Young Athletes Sports-Specific Training Insanity

By Mike Mejia

You see the ads all the time. Typically rife with promises of “radical increases” in strength, speed and power, they grab the attention of athletes, parents and coaches alike. Capitalizing on the desire of young athletes to gain any possible advantage over their peers, sports-specific training programs have been popping up all over the place in recent years. Whether it’s a soccer player seeking a more powerful kick, or a basketball player that wants to increase his, or her vertical leap, parents are shelling out big money for training that’s aimed at increasing their child’s physical prowess in a given sport. The question is, though, how specific does a training program really need to be for bodies that are still developing and as such, often have a variety of needs that far outweigh the enhancement of particular sports skills?

The unfortunate reality is that often times these programs do little more than contribute to the rapidly increasing rate of overuse injuries currently seen in youth sports! By replicating the same movement patterns and taxing the same muscle groups that are already being overused during practice and competition, this emphasis on “sports-specific” training is the exact opposite of what young athletes actually need. Rather than seek to enhance overall athleticism and reduce injury risk, many of these programs load kids up with bands, sleds and various other types of resistance, long before their bodies are physically prepared to do so. The thought process being that by overloading specified movement patterns, the athlete will be better able to meet the specific demands of his, or her sport.

Is this really necessary…

Seemingly sound thinking; particularly when applied to young athletes age 16-17 and older, who’ve likely been training longer and as a result, possess a more sound physical foundation to work off of. Even then, however, such athletes should be thoroughly assessed to identify any weak links (i.e. strength and flexibility imbalances) that may serve as potential precursors to injury. For younger kids though, this trend towards sport specificity is an unmitigated mistake- especially when the intent is future sports stardom! As experts in the field of athletic development and sports conditioning continually point out, the vast majority of world class athletes didn’t specialize too early and instead, were exposed to a wide variety of sports that helped them develop more in the way of global athleticism.

In direct contrast to this, nowadays we commonly see kids who despite dominating in a particular sport, lack the ability to run properly, skip, throw a ball, change direction, land from a jump, or execute a host of other basic physical skills that require efficient, coordinated movement.

That’s why I’m imploring parents and coaches alike to stop buying into the hype and subjecting young athletes to this type of approach.

Get your kids working on improving things like mobility, flexibility and systemic strength and resist the temptation to have them mimic specific sports skills through training. If they play tennis, instead of having them try to replicate their swing against rubber resistance tubing, have them work on general core strengthening. If basketball’s their game, forget all of the intensive plyometric drills until they’ve first demonstrated the ankle mobility and knee stability necessary to safely engage in this type of training.

Granted, this may not be the popular approach and is in fact, often the last thing that scholarship obsessed athletes (and their parents) want to hear. I guess it just doesn’t pack the same marketing punch as potential division one success, or lucrative pro contracts. However, with up to half of the 2 million sports injuries suffered each year by middle and high school aged young athletes being attributed to overuse, it’s a message that desperately needs to be heard. It also happens to be where this industry is eventually headed and exactly the tact we need to take if we’re ever really going to get this young athletes injury epidemic under control.

Adventure Themed Programming Ideas For Young Athletes

Posted on: September 18th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Programming Ideas For Young Athletes

By Dave Gleason

Without a doubt, the most popular game amongst our youngest athletes (Discovery 6-9 years) is the Pirate Game. Many Athletic Revolution coaches have successfully adopted and modified this multi-purposed game to meet the needs of their young athletes.

Coordination, systemic strength, cooperation, object manipulation and FUN are all the required elements of the Athletic Revolution programming templates. All of these elements are layered into the Pirate Game and can be duplicated and or expanded on with any other theme.

Themed games or programs are fantastic ways to incorporate several movement-based skills while masking them as fun for your young athletes

The adventure theme is a great variation. The following activities can and should be coached using the part whole method. These are suggestions and the art of coaching will allow you to modify these activities to suit the needs of your young athletes within the confines or your facility and equipment availability.

Climb the Mountain - Use Valslides or just do traditional Mountain Climbers. Cueing on this one is to “look up, don’t look down”.

Cross the River – Using balance pods, low balance beams or agility disks have the athletes cross the river that is already mapped out by you or have them cross the river while bring 2 or three implements with them.

Traverse the Canyon – Have your athletes cross a span of monkey bars, climb a cargo net or pull a battle rope attached to a sled, kettle bell or other weighted implement.

Anaconda – The young athletes must defeat the anaconda by working as a team to press the entire battle rope overhead.

Climb the Vines - Athletes will climb monkey bars, a cargo net or climbing rope.

Avalanche – This activity can be carried out in two ways. 1.) Coaches chase athletes by rolling stability balls 2.) Coaches roll multiple dodge balls (rocks) and athletes attempt to dodge them.

River Rapids – Place a UCS plyosafe box on top of an Airex pad for a bit of instability or utilize a Bosu ball (flat side up). The athletes must stay balanced on the implement in small groups for 8-10 seconds to “Ride the Rapids).

Quick Sand – Utilizing a gymnastics landing pad or “fat” pad, the athletes try to avoid sinking into the quick sand by stomping or running in place with quick feet. If they spend too much time in the quick sand they will surely sink!

If you do not have some of the above equipment at your disposal, be creative and if all else fails…ask one of your high motivation, high skilled young athletes to come up with some ideas.

Any themed game can be used for the game/cooperation portion of your programming, as a reward or for the entire class. Meet them where they are and observe. You will be able to ascertain when the game has run its course with them very quickly by observing attention level, effort and of course verbal cues – “Can we play something else?”

Remember your young athletes will mirror your energy and excitement so put on your Indiana Jones wanna be persona and have a blast!!

Keep changing lives…one at a time.

Dave Gleason

Youth Fitness Resources From The IYCA

Posted on: August 28th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Youth Fitness Resources

By Wil Fleming

I get a lot of questions regarding what IYCA product other coaches should buy. To my inbox, in person, and on facebook the question is always “I am thinking of buying Product X, and also product Y if you had to rank them what would it be?”

Continuing education is one of my favorite things to spend money on. I know that there is a big return coming on the money spent on products that help me improve as a coach. So in truth, any information gleaned from a text or DVD is valuable for me, but if I had to rank them here is how it goes.

Youth Fitness Specialist Level 1

This product really is what sets the IYCA apart. There is no more complete text about youth fitness and training athletes from ages 6-18. This text defined for me what youth athletes need when it comes to training. It underwent a recent update and has been improved even more from the original.

http://youth-fitness-specialist.com/

IYCA High School Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification

This was the first product I was ever involved in creating and is the most practical text I have ever read about training high school athletes. There are dozens of done-for-you high school training programs. If they don’t fit the bill for your training situation, there is a huge text book giving you the tools to replace movements with ideal choices. The fact that it was written by Mike Robertson, Eric Cressey, and Toby Brooks makes it even better. Normal texts talk a lot about theory but this one really does tell you how to apply theory to make great high school athletes.

http://iyca.org/highschool/

The IYCA Youth Speed and Agility Specialist

Written by Dave Jack, Latif Thomas, and Toby Brooks there is not a better text about speed and agility available anywhere. It is required reading for all interns with me, and for all the coaches that work in my facility. The section on lateral speed alone is worth the investment. That being said I have never read a more practical de-construction of the mechanics of acceleration and high speed running than what is provided in this text.

http://youthspeedspecialist.com/

IYCA Kettlebell/Olympic Lifts/Resistance Band Instructor Courses

I grouped these together because there is always a weak point in coaches arsenal that needs to be improved. The IYCA has provided 3 manuals that can help you eliminate those points to become a better coach. There are no better kettlebell instructors than Jason C. Brown and Pamela MacElree at teaching kettlebells in an easy to process way. When it comes to resistance band training, no one surpasses Dave Schmitz in his knowledge, I have seen him train elite football teams with only resistance bands, creating some of the fastest and most explosive athletes I have been around. The Olympic Lifts course is designed by me, and in my honest evaluation, it is the only product that comes from someone with an elite Olympic lifting background that uses the lifts primarily to train young athletes and not competitive Olympic lifters. Each of these products can help make you a better coach in a chosen weak point.

http://iyca.org/kettlebell/

http://iyca.org/olympic-lifts/

http://iyca.org/bands/

There are plenty of other awesome products from the IYCA. The Youth Fitness Specialist Level 2 and Level 3 products can only elevate your knowledge, and are the most thorough texts I have ever seen on a given subject matter.

Give Them What They Need

Posted on: August 20th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Youth Football Training Program: Give Them What They Need

By Dave Gleason

There is often a dichotomy between what we know is the ideal training for young athletes and what parents/coaches want for them. We know through our education and in trenches experience(s) how to devise an athletic development program and implement it to athletes of various abilities and sports interests.

What are we to do when the opportunity presents itself to work with an entire youth league of athletes with a board president and coaches that have a philosophy that doesn’t match our ideals?

Make sure your keep your focus on their needs by asking questions…and a lot of them. You will gain the trust of the coaching staff when they know you are there to help them versus taking control over any aspect of their practice sessions. If you do this with care and patience the outcome can be very beneficial to your business and most importantly to the young athletes involved.

Youth Football Training Program Case Study:

After several conversations with the president of the youth football league and some of his coaches I was able to ascertain the areas they were most concerned with. They were, in their words a.) “Revamping the warm up” to get the kids ready to play b.) “Agility in small spaces” and c.) Injury prevention. Once we narrowed it down to these specifics I could devise a game plan. They did not want the new programming to be intrusive to their practice time or ability to coach football.

Keep in mind the relationship with the president of this youth football league began developing nearly 2 years ago. Be patient when engaging coaches.

The outcome was to implement a pre-written youth football training program for every age group in the youth football league that the coaches would learn and implement for every practice. Exposure to every football player from 1st grade through 8th grade and the buy in of every coach – you just can’t buy that type of exposure for your business.

Upon completion of the last practice session we set a time for the coaches and I to meet in order to trouble shoot any issues they were having.

The nuts and bolts

With the knowledge that the coaches have limited time to learn their new programs, I only had one practice session with each team…and what I know is ideal…the programs had to be prioritized. The youth football training program had to deliver what the president and coaches asked for combined with simple yet effective activities for coaches and players to learn.

Here are all of the youth football training programs that were put into action

(Not included are the descriptions and key points for each age group that were provided for each coach):

Pembroke Titans Football Mighty Mites (1st & 2nd Grade)

Warm up
1.) Reactive Game or Fun Activity
a. Simon Says
b. Tag Variations
c. Movement Mirroring (coach or each other)
d. Rhythm Machine (clapping)
e. Coaches Choice

2.) Monster Walks
3.) Bear Crawls
4.) Dragon Walks
5.) Log Rolls

Speed/Agility/Strength = Coordination Training
1.) Scramble to Balance 2x each leg
2.) Rats/Rabbits
3.) Red light – Green Light (add football themed lights)
4.) Push up hold/High Fives (partners)

Speed and Agility
1.) Dynamic Repeats (run to stop)
2.) Dynamic Repeats with Return (run, stop, return)
3.) 4 x 4 x 4 Drill (survive for 7 seconds)
4.) Bear Crawl to Hand Taps 6:4
5.) Forward Crab Walk to Table Top 6:1

Cool Down
A formal cool down is not necessary from a developmental standpoint and static stretching is not advised for this age group. To acclimate the kids to a structure and expectation for future youth football practices you can put them through the following passive active stretching activities.

1.) Cobra – 2 second hold x 5
2.) Alternating Knee hugs x 5 each
3.) Around the worlds 2x each leg

Pembroke Titans Football Mites (3rd & 4th Grade)

Warm up
1.) Activity – game, laps, etc…coaches choice.
2.) Spiderman 2 x 10
3.) Alternating Supine extension 20 Second Hold
4.) Squat to stand 2 x 5 (squat, knees out, arms up, stand)
5.) Prone Extensions 2 x 8
6.) Lunge with toe touch 1 x 10 each
7.) Dynamic Warm up
a. Skipping Patterns
i. Straight
ii. High
iii. Back
iv. Side
b. Knee Hugs 1 x 10
c. Butt Kicks
d. Straight Leg March 1 x 10
e. Heel Walks/Toe Walks 1 x 10 each
f. Side shuffle/Carioca (tight) 10 yds each x 2

Speed and Agility
6.) Dynamic Repeats (run to stop)
7.) Dynamic Repeats with Return (run, stop, return)
8.) 4 x 4 x 4 Drill (survive for 7 seconds)
9.) Bear Crawl to Hand Taps 6:4
10.) Forward Crab Walk to Table Top 6:1

Cool Down
1.) Static Stretching
a. Hamstrings
b. Inner Thigh
c. ITB/Hips
d. Cobra Stretch
e. Calf Stretch
Choice as needed

Pembroke Titans Football Pee Wees (5th & 6th Grade)

Warm up
8.) Activity – game, laps, etc…coaches choice.
9.) Spiderman/inside elbow to ground 2 x 10
10.) Alternating Supine extension 2 x 8 each side
11.) Squat to stand 2 x 5 (squat, knees out, arms up, stand)
12.) Prone Extensions 2 x 10
13.) Lateral Lunge with toe touch 1 x 10 each
14.) Dynamic Warm up
a. Skipping Patterns
i. Straight
ii. High
iii. Back
iv. Side
b. Knee Hugs 1 x 10
c. Butt Kicks
d. Straight Leg March 1 x 10
e. Heel Walks/Toe Walks 1 x 10 each
f. Side shuffle/Carioca (tight) 10 yds each x 2

Speed and Agility
11.) Pro Agility
a. 5-hold-10
b. 5-10-Hold
c. 5-10-5
12.) 4 x 4 x 4 Drill (survive for 7 seconds)
13.) Bear Crawl to Push Up 6:1
14.) Forward Crab Walk to Table Top 6:1

Cool Down
2.) Static Stretching
a. Hamstrings
b. Inner Thigh
c. ITB/Hips
d. Cobra Stretch
e. Calf Stretch
Choice as needed

Pembroke Titans Football Midgets (7th & 8th Grade)

Warm up
15.) Activity – game, laps, etc…coaches choice.
16.) Spiderman with hip lift 2 x 10
17.) Supine extension with rotation 2 x 8 each side
18.) Squat to stand 2 x 5 (squat, knees out, arms up, stand)
19.) Atlas Stretch 2 x 6 each
20.) Prone Extensions 2 x 10
21.) Alternating Lateral Lunge Walk 1 x 10
22.) Dynamic Warm up
a. Skipping Patterns
i. Straight
ii. High
iii. Back
iv. Side
b. Knee Lift/Heel lift 1 x 10
c. Straight Leg March 1 x 10
d. Cradles
e. Heel Walks/Toe Walks 1 x 10 each

Speed and Agility
15.) Pro Agility
a. 5-hold-10
b. 5-10-Hold
c. 5-10-5
16.) 4 x 4 x 4 Drill (survive for 7 seconds)
17.) Turn and Burn (Hip turn and go)
18.) Bear Crawl to Push Up 6:1
19.) Forward Crab Walk to Table Top 6:1

Cool Down
3.) Static Stretching
a. Hamstrings
b. Inner Thigh
c. ITB/Hips
d. Cobra Stretch
e. Calf Stretch
f. Choice as needed

So there you have some great examples of a Youth Football Training Program and some tips how to deal with coaches to best suit their needs and ideals.

Designing the Right Speed and Agility Training Program

Posted on: August 16th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Speed and Agility Training With Young Athletes

By Wil Fleming

Speed and agility training can be some difficult business with young athletes. Without a plan in mind of how to train a speed session, what can start as a speed session can crumble into a conditioning workout, with no lasting effects on an athlete’s ability to move quickly.

When I am coaching athletes in speed and agility training I find it necessary to first, break it down into the component parts that I would like to train, and second assess the size of the group that I will be working with.

Lets start with what we need to train.

Linear and Lateral Technique
The first thing we should address with any group of any size is the technical components that will make the athletes better and safer. For linear technique we must analyze the most common ways that linear speed are expressed:

Is it from a 3 point stance, 2 point stance, split stance, from a slower pace?

This will guide our use of acceleration training and allow us to coach the athletes on the proper start positions.

Lateral technique will focus on the lateral gait cycle and change of direction body positions. This type of training should be done with any group regardless of age and size of the group.

Linear and Lateral Power
The next phase of training will involve using different implements or tools to create more power for your athletes. Typically we will use sleds, weighted vests, medicine balls, or resistance bands to improve power in both the linear sprinting/acceleration and in lateral deceleration or acceleration

Linear and Lateral Reaction
When training reaction we are trying to improve the athletes ability to perceive the action and make the appropriate reaction. Drills in this category include change of direction with visual or verbal cues and acceleration drills on visual cues

Next lets move onto the size of the group, as this will determine the types of drills and equipment that we can use.

Less than 3 athletes
With less than 3 athletes training the coaching can be very intensive and the athletes can receive direction on technique with any and all drills. Very rarely in this situation will you be limited with the amount of equipment needed to complete a drill. Rest times will have to be accounted for through the training plan to make sure that the athletes get quality repetitions.

Small group- Less than 10-15 athletes
Training in groups smaller than 10 may limit your ability to train the group with equipment that you have on hand. If equipment is to be used it will be necessary to partner up the athletes or go in a rotation. Your ability to instruct will not be limited, but should be planned out in the training program for the day.

Large group- More than 15 athletes
With a group of more than 15 athletes restrictions on equipment become a primary concern, typically with groups this size or larger choices of equipment should be easily transportable (cones, small bands) and be plentiful. Instruction time should be mapped out before hand and should be deliberate. Large groups should be divided into smaller groups, this will allow for instruction between repetitions. Rest intervals in large groups are less necessary to plan because a normal rotation of drills and groups will allow for even, or positive rest periods.

With groups of any size it is important to approach speed and agility training with the same type of deliberate plan that is often reserved for strength training. Doing so will insure that your session will not turn into glorified conditioning work, but will instead develop real, true speed, wow coaches and grow your fitness business.

If you want to learn create your own training programs be sure to check out the Youth Speed Certification from the IYCA here;

Youth Sports Revolution From Over Zealous Parents and Coaches

Posted on: August 9th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Athletic Revolution at Full Throttle Athletics: A Revolution From Over Zealous Parents and Coaches In Youth Sports

By Robert D. Blackford

There are certain times in your life that give you pause to stop and say: WOW…..ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!

You aren’t sure if you should be mad, embarrassed or ashamed…this is one of those times.

Read this article on youth sports from ESPN:

http://espn.go.com

In short, it’s the misdirected rant, spit, grit and drill sergeant-esq pep talk of a football coach…directed at (WAIT FOR IT, WAIT FOR IT) 8 year olds in Frisco, TX. Ugh.

As a 10 year resident of Frisco this article surprised me but wasn’t entirely shocking. Our family has participated in organized team youth sports, playing coaching and supporting from ages 4 on for our two children.

Are we passionate?

Yes.

Do we offer cheers, advice and criticism at practice and games?

Absolutely.

Is it as important to participate, learn, grow, and both lose and win? All equally. But there is a level where it’s beyond too far. The article above is evidence.

A world apart from the ridiculous behavior referenced in the ESPN article is the weekly program our age 10 and 6 children participate in: Athletic Revolution Frisco (AR). Agility, health, strength, fitness, coordination, and flexibility are the byproducts of what the kids think is nothing more than…well FUN.

We joined what appeared to be this professional yet simple, no frills gym at Full Throttle Athletics in Frisco/ Little Elm in 2010-2011. We learned about flexibility, nutrition, strength and endurance. Then we eagerly signed up the kids when the gym launched Athletic Revolution, their youth sports program.

After personally observing the interaction with the AR coaches, I can say it’s a revolution from the rant above. Positive reinforcement, actual hands-on coaching and mentoring are the fundamentals taught to AR Champions.

Results: faster, stronger and smarter to form the foundation of some lifelong habits. Their progressive nature and sound methodology coupled with everyday sporting fun makes for a great combination. Now the kids look at it like a trip to the park!

Want a youth sports revolution from the norm, checkout AR at Full Throttle. You won’t be disappointed.

- Robert D. Blackford

Olympic Lessons For Young Athletes

Posted on: August 6th, 2012 by IYCA No Comments

Olympic Lessons

By Wil Fleming

Well it should go without saying, as a former athlete in an Olympic sport, there is no greater time than the Olympics. So many sports put on display, so many great athletes, and so many years of hard work finally shown on the world stage, means that there isn’t a better sporting event on the planet.

As a coach it is important to relay the messages of the Olympics to the athletes we work with on a daily basis.

1) Hope
The opening ceremony demonstrated this to its full effect. For those who missed the opening ceremonies, typically the host country will choose a famous former Olympian to be the final torch bearer as they light the cauldron that burns throughout the Olympics. Rather than choosing a great athlete from the country’s past, Great Britain decided to have the Olympic flame lit by seven athletes of the country’s future.

This gesture demonstrated hope, one of the greatest things that we can instill in our young athletes. While there are 10,000 athletes participating in the games, not every athlete we work with is destined for that glory, or a college scholarship, but we can instill the hope in each one of them that they can be the best athlete that they can be.

Each day we should aspire to inspire our young athletes. Find out what their REAL goals are, not just the typical. Several months ago I found out that one of my athletes didn’t want a college scholarship, all he wanted to do was score a touchdown for his high school football team. Considering he was playing guard for his team, this was not likely to happen. After consulting with him on his diet (losing 30 lbs and improving his 40 yd time), and even talking to his football coach, he is now a tight end and he is closer to realizing his REAL dream.

2) Skill
There are 28 sports in the Olympics and countless events that divide each of these sports. There will be plenty of jokes made about the merits of badminton and other sports and their inclusion in the Olympic games, but a true coach will seek out the skills necessary to compete at a high level in those sports and learn from these lessons.

Look at the hand-eye coordination of a table tennis player. Look at the lateral movement of the badminton player, think about the cardiovascular endurance of a shooting athlete trying to fire a shot between heart beats. Appreciation of these skills can help lead you to being a better coach, and thinking of new ways to help your athletes improve.

3) Defeat
A big part of reality is that of the 10,000 athletes that go to the Olympic games to compete, not many of them will come home with a medal. A majority of the athletes at the Olympic games will end their Olympic career in a defeat. Does that mean that they are a failure? No, not at all but it does mean that dealing with failure or defeat is part of choosing to be an athlete.

Learning to take defeat, or setbacks in training, is part of being an athletes. Young athletes who learn this lesson can benefit greatly by embracing that each defeat means another opportunity to get better.

So this week as you watch the Olympic games, think about the opportunities that we as coaches can embrace as some of these Olympic lessons can help our athletes get better in the process.

Youth Conditioning Programs Using Ropes & Tires

Posted on: July 30th, 2012 by IYCA 1 Comment

Youth Conditioning Programs With Ropes & Tires The IYCA Way

By Dave Gleason

As long as your programming has developmental justification that points pack to the required elements of the IYCA system…everything is in bounds!

This includes tires and battle ropes. Many of our AR franchise partners are co branded or are also a Fitness Revolution Franchisee as well. That said, many of our trainers and coaches have experience with large tractor tires and battle ropes. With safety mechanisms in place, very effective and fun activities can be implemented in your youth conditioning programs for 6-9 (Discovery) and 10-13 (Exploration) sessions.

Here are a few examples of youth conditioning programs to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Team tire flip. Even with a 500+ pound tire if you orientate your young athletes well and put yourself in a position to effective spot this activity, this is a very safe team building and exercise. Systemic strength, object manipulation, and cooperation are all aspects of this fun drill.

Have your athletes form a semi circle around the backside of the tire. Cue them to keep their toes close to the tire, and keep their eyes up as they place their hands underneath the tire. “On a count of three we all lift and drive the tire forward.”

2. Team tire drag (pull). This systemic strength pulling activity is an adventurous variation of tug o war.

Place a battle rope through the middle of a large tire so there are two equal lengths of rope to pull on. Place your athletes evenly on each length of rope. On your command your athletes will pull and drag the tire to a designated area or length.

You can add variation and problem solving by experimenting with how many athletes you can take off of pulling duties to sit on the tire with the remaining athletes still able to move the tire. Then experiment with different kids on the tire vs. pulling.

3. Angry Monkeys. This super fun exercise is a battle rope wave drill masked by as silly name and animation during the movement. Straight from the brain of Autism Fitness Expert, Eric Chessen, the set up virtually the same depending on the age and size of the athletes. Your 6-9 year old athletes will do well with a single rope wave. A mature 12 or 13 year old will handle a rope end in each hand with no problem. A 40 foot, 1.5 inch in diameter, rope works very well.

Instruct your athletes to act like an angry monkey with the rope end in their hands while making a wave in the rope. Let them make “angry monkey” noises. 10-20 seconds of work is optimal depend on the age of the athletes in your group.

4. Battle rope relay. Object manipulation, cooperation, spatial awareness systemic strength and kinesthetic differentiation are included in the benefits of this game.

Lay out a battle rope in a straight line on the ground. Form two lines of athletes, one line at each end of the rope. The first athlete in each line grabs hold of the end of the rope like a relay baton. On your command the athletes race to opposites ends and hand the rope off to the next person in line.

This is a perpetual race because there is no winner. Give your athletes 2-3 runs each and then give the group a rest.

When ever you can think out of the box and apply some additional fun and adventure into your Youth Conditioning Programs for young athletes you should do so! If something is working well for you please share in in the IYCA Insiders Forum.

Keep changing lives!

Youth Sports Training Program Design Considerations

Posted on: July 25th, 2012 by IYCA 1 Comment

Youth Sports Training Variables

By Art McDermott

The purpose of this article to present some of the key variables required for a successfully designed youth sports training and performance program. This topic always seems to produce some VERY strong opinions about what works, what does not and what the latest and greatest techniques may be.

Once all the sweating, lifting and marketing are done, sometimes it may be difficult to tell the difference between one sports performance facility and another.

With rare exceptions, even a young athlete’s parents do not know the difference between a good program and one that is not so good. As a strength and conditioning professional, it is your job to be able to clarify this.

At the end of the day, there is one thing that cannot be hidden from the light. Results. Physical Testing at the start of a summer program and then a retest at the conclusion of the training will always reveal the answer to the single most important question.

Did the youth sports training program work?

We cannot cover all the facets that go into a complete program in one article. This topic takes an entire semester when I cover it with the physical therapy students at UMass Lowell. However, I will do my best to present to most pressing issues.

There are nearly as many different approaches to youth sports training program design as there are coaches in the industry. However, here some of the factors that should be considered when designing an effective program.

* Time Frame – How long do you have to work with the athlete?
* Sport – What position does the athlete play?
* Gender
* Time of Year – Is this a pre-season program or an off-season program?
* Muscle balances and weaknesses – If any imbalances or weaknesses are present, are these the result of overuse, a lack of training, injury other factors?
* Level of Experience (Training Age) – Has the athlete be training for years or are they just learning to train or lift weights?
* Chronological Age – What level of physical maturity has the athlete reached?

Let’s examine why these elements are important before designing a youth sports training program:

1) Time Frame: This is the first question I ask ANY athlete that comes to our facility. How much time do you have to train (in weeks)? This will determine nearly every aspect of the program. How much corrective work can I do? What kind of strength level can we expect to achieve? Will we have time to properly periodize the program? Basically, can we do our job effectively? We have literally had parents call us and say, “My son has hockey tryouts in two weeks and we would like to get some training in. What can we put together?” Short answer: Not much.

2) Sport: This is a given. Very rarely can two athletes in different sports be on the same program. The physical requirements from sport to sport vary too widely. This is why having “Today’s Workout” posted on a board is a far cry from a properly designed program. A thorough coach should understand the needs of each sport or at least be adept at doing the research to gain this knowledge. The coach must then customize each athlete’s program accordingly.

3) Gender: This one is also fairly obvious. There are particular movements that MUST be in every female’s programs. Among them are: Knee and hip stability, hamstring work and upper body work. ACL injury is epidemic among female athletes but the incidence of ACL tears can be reduced by up to 70% according to some studies, if a proper program is put in place. A disproportionally weak upper body is usually the standard for females and should be addresses as well. As Martin Rooney says, “Who decided it as OK for females to do push ups from their knees?”

4) Muscle Imbalances and Weaknesses: While some imbalances may be genetic, many are a result of the trend towards early specialization in sport at too early an age. Examples are: Hip flexor shortening in hockey players, spine injury in gymnasts and figure skaters, dominant arm hypertrophy in tennis players, etc.

Muscular Weaknesses abound and have multiple sources. Most younger athletes are weak everywhere…unless they are one of those high-end gymnasts. Pinpointing muscular weaknesses allows the coach to correct them. Once the musculature is in balance, the entire “system” will be able to gain strength more effectively overall.

5) Time of Year: This refers back to point #1. The time of year will have a clear impact on exercise selection. Generally, as the competitive season gets closer there is a shift from general work to more transferable strength and power work.

6) Level of Experience: This is an easily overlooked parameter. If I am training a gymnast, she could be in her 8th year of high-end training and still only be 15 years old. On the other hand, you could have a 15 year old male who has ever been in a weight room but wants to try out for baseball in high school. Should these two be on the same routine?

7) Chronological Age: This one varies in a very important way from Training age. Actual chronological age looks purely at the physical maturity of the athlete. Keep in mind that one major factor impacting program design is onset or completion of puberty. If an athlete has significant androgens present in their system, additional intensity and volume options become available.

While not all-inclusive, I hope this article demonstrates the need for a properly designed youth sports training. From the testing procedures used to the energy system program used, making sure each program the right program for your athletes is vital for the athlete’s success as well as yours!