I Need Your Input

The biggest problem I see is over-programming. Many coaches get trapped thinking they are training their kids like adults and think that doing a “fun” drill or game isn’t serious enough to develop their “elite” athletes. Proper program design is critical – but so is letting the kids enjoy themselves. It’s sad that we now have to “program play” for these kids.

~ Kim

beyond the oft mentioned by IYCA results, victory, achievement influenced training, the biggest problem is creating and providing environments and programs in which:
1) kids with a smaller or less gifted movement vocabulary can thrive
2) kids with a more extensive movement vocabulary don’t get jacked up for life (”every injury has it’s first day” says Lenny parracino, and many injuries in adulthood had there first day during some well intended but poorly thought out athletic training as a kid)
3)all kids can embrace the idea of exercise being an enjoyable part of their life, now and beyond, instead of a short term means to an end…

Keep uup the good work, Paddymac

I think the biggest problem is organized games. What happen to the old days when we played British Bulldoag, tag, monkey in the middle and so on.

I drive buy empty schools, parks and tennis courts.

Parents are far too over protective of their children, that they won’t let their kids go to the local playground.

I have lived in Toronto Beach area and in the last 40 years I could count on one finger, the number of children who have gone missing or been assaulted.

I think the biggest problem that I have is the lack of anyone in our area that I can take my son to that knows about this method of training. Fort Wayne, Indiana

I agree…Just last night I had a phone conversation with a father who wants his son to be “pushed harder.” He didn’t like drills in his son’s basketball practice where the athletes had to race after loose balls against one other player. It seemed “too fun.”

After trying to explain the value in having athletes compete in a fun environment like that while working on valuable skills like reactive acceleration we had this little exchange:

Me: How old is your son?
Dad: 12

I’ve had this nearly identical conversation countless times and I used to always get upset with the parent but clearly they are merely a product of the culture that has been created with competitive sports at a young age.

The biggest problem I see is the coaches get the kids at the begining of a season and start running complicated drills that the kids are in no condition to do. There is no proper conditioning done prior to the sports seasons. Knee and shoulder injuries are among the most common that I see.

I spend most of my time coaching swimmmers and treating injured athletes. I agree with Kim, poor Program Design and more specifically coaches teaching strength, power and agility to young athletes with poor posture, motor control and simple mastery of the their own body weight. Influencing young athletes to specialize early without significant saturation of locomotor apparatus from participation in other sports. Young athletes (12-15 y.o.) not having “positive” parent involvement by listening and implementing healthy training and eating habits given by the coach. LTAD model!
Thanks Brett

Although I think these two things feed off of one another, the 2 biggest obstacles I think we face is the mentioned over-programming. But this is fed off of the parents expectations. If they don’t see their child come out of a session drop dead tired and “dripping sweat” then they must not be working or being pushed hard enough. Our work is not only with the kiddos, but even more importantly educating the parents about long term development.

The biggest problem I see is uneducated coaches, and coaches who care more about skill development rather than technique. In order for kids to advance to a higher level in their chosen sports (safely), they need to be able to perform the basic skills with correct technique first. I see many coaches, especially in the acrobatic sports such as gymnastics, trampoline, and tumbling, trying to push their athletes to perform the more difficult skills, without first having the kids successfully, and consistently, perform the necessary basic skills. In my opinion, this is also why we see many kids ending up with injuries that could easily have been prevented.

What I notice the most in my area is parents competing through their kids leading to mistrust among parents. Recently our new high school football coach made a great point to parents when he told them that their kids would not make it to a Div I college in football unless they were freakishly talented and that that was something he was not expecting to see. He told the parents to just enjoy the High School experience for what it was and forget about college. If more coaches set these expectations early with parents it would help parents to enjoyed their kid’ experiences instead of trying to gain an advantage over each other.

Biggest problem I see from parents and too many coaches is an emphasis on winning and an unrealistic expectation of their kids ability. The kids who I see become elite athletes do so because they love the game and it shows in the way they train. The ones who are pushed rarely make it.

What I see in you sports is a lack of education among professionals who work with this population. Many of them are “old school”, working with youth the way they did when they were young. The cognitive structure of the training and sports field has changed and many professionals in the field need a change in their perspective. This is especially true in working with youth with disabilities – a field that is virtually ignored in the professional literature and professional development programs that are out there! These students need and deserve educated professionals who can help them reach their potential.

Great question, Brian; an important one for sure. As I read the question the answer seemingly jumps off the page at me. You ask about the biggest problem in youth fitness AND sports training, which correctly suggests these are separate entities. The problem is that too many parents and decision makers do not realize this difference and thus do not value the importance of both. Oftentimes sports training is thought to adequately address both elements.
Fitness involves so much more than activity itself; it is a lifestyle. It should focus on unstructured activities; dare I say play! Obviously, with far less green-space these days and limited time, structure becomes a necessary part of activity related to fitness, but hopefully is not the focus. There are an infinite number of elements that combine to create fitness, too many to discuss, but especially as it pertains to youth, it should be something that allows the individual to pursue an experience.
On the other hand, sports training is relatively more structured and inherently more heavily influenced by external stimuli (i.e. coaching, teammates, rules, etc.). I refer to sports training as non-individual because all sports, even those with the most individual appearance, require others to invest time and effort into the process. Like fitness, there are also an infinite number of elements and lessons that combine to create sports training as well.
Finally, to get to the point, both youth fitness AND sports training need to be better understood and recognized for the vital roles both play in the development of our youth. The biggest problem we face, which directly impacts our youth and permeates into adulthood, is an overemphasis on one or the other and more tragically the overall de-emphasis of both. Thank you Brian and thanks to the IYCA for providing a singular message that there is a better way and taking action to do something about it.

What I see is that nobody cares about basics anymore. Everybody assumes that kids will “get it” sooner or later, so you end up with kids developing all kinds of bad habits, bad mechanics, are more prone to injuries and might never develop their full potential. Parents need to understand that mastering the basics is where everything starts.

I enjoyed reading all the great responces. The IYCA truly is packed with quality coaches!.

My answer to the question is the lack of knowledge in long term athletic development. Coaches often train kids to perform each season and get better fast rather than taking the nessesary steps to produce sound athletic development.

Brian, you have been raising awareness to this problem and we can only hope that more and more coaches pay attention and begin planning for the long run, even at the cost of the season. It is only fair to the kids that we do what is best for them not us.

Biggest problem I see is a parent pushing a child into a single sport and making them work at that one sport year round and not allowing their child to experience the FUN and relationship building of playing in multiple sports (recreation or competitve). The parent has the misconception that their child must work at one chosen sport if they are to make it to the next level (high school, college, and or professional).
Did I mention the lost art of having FUN, FUN, AND more FUN. Parents are forcing the FUN out of playing sports.

I echo some of the previous comments. I see it all the time where coaches/trainers/parents feel the need to work their young athletes hard and if they are not hurting or sweating buckets at their end of the session, it was a waste of time and money. Hard does not mean effective. It means injury and burnout. That’s not something I want for the athletes I work with. I want them to learn the how’s and why’s so they can learn lifelong skills that they can take with them no matter where they go. But first and foremost, the sessions have to be fun so they want to keep coming back. The key as I see it is to educate, educate, educate; the coaches, trainers and the parents. It’s an ongoing process that we must all do collectively in our markets in order to affect positive change for the benefit of all youth athletes.

As an ex “JackAss” I think it comes down to education, understanding what the youth need and when it’s appropriate. Parents for the most part have little, mostly, no understanding of motor development. I have lots of letters after my name and I think I slept my way thru that course, so the average adult won’t even consider it. Many of the parents I deal with just want little Johnny to have the best chance for success and that’s judged by how the pro’s do it. Thanks to Brian and Kwame I have redirected my focus from elite pro’s to kids who need some direction for a chance at a successful and healthy lifestyle. Now, if I could just surgically extract my 12 yr. old from the X-Box:)

for me it is lack of hardwork and the will of parents to support their childrens.

Adults!

Adult Coaches that don’t want to have anyone else working with their athletes.

Adult Parents that don’t understand that their kids won’t get faster & stronger just by playing their sport all year round.

The biggest problem I see in youth fitness and sports training is the overall disconnect between the two (with coaches and parents alike). Even though the business is growing, the overall number of youth who engage in a formal youth conditioning program is minuscule compared to the number who participate in some manner of organized sport. When the volume is the highest in terms of participation (generally at the bottom of the pyramid when almost all kids are first entering organized athletics – perhaps 7 or the coaching is provided by well-intentioned volunteer mom’s and dad’s who know little if anything about proper coaching or age appropriate developmental activities. Yet these coaches have the greatest reach and opportunity for impact. Other than reaching parents directly, the greatest opportunity lies with the youth sports organizations and with helping them to educate their volunteer coaches. This way we have a chance to reach the overwhelming majority of kids who will never pay an IYCA certified trainer for private coaching. As the owner and operator of a facility that specializes in training youth athletes, my biggest successes lie in my work with the local leagues and educating coaches, as that is how I have reached the greatest number of kids. If you really want to do something great, create a certification for youth leagues to offer their coaches. I will raise my hand right now and say I will champion that cause right along with you and do anything you need to help make it happen.
Thanks for asking the question and for giving us a place to have a voice.

Love every single one of your comments so far and couldn’t agree more. Please…. Keep posting! BG

I love the passion & thought you are all bringing to this discussion! You are all the reason that we are having a positive impact on youth training all over the world – Thank you!

: )

the biggest problem as i see it is an aweful lot of so called coaches with a total lack of understanding about coaching per sae and youth coaching in particular. I am not trying to be arrogant or insulting but these coaches have come through lower levels of the GB’s cerification process (L1)and progress no further, by design I think they are scared of being found out and wanting, but they do more damage to their charges and to the title ‘COACH’

the biggest problem as i see it is an aweful lot of so called coaches with a total lack of understanding about coaching per sae and youth coaching in particular. I am not trying to be arrogant or insulting but these coaches have come through lower levels of the GB’s cerification process (L1)and progress no further, by design. I think they are scared of being found out and wanting, but they do more damage to their charges and to the title ‘COACH’

I agree with the view parents do not think kids have bee worked hard if they are not ready to drop but also a high number of coaches think the same way.

The biggest problem that I see is a lack of education in parents, leading to unrealistic expectations. I am the mother of a 5 yr old, playing in his first year of coach-pitch baseball. I overheard a mother at practice just yesterday commenting that she had heard there were going to be scouts there. And then one of the coaches turned around and said, “You never know, scouts could be in the stands right now.” And both of them were comeletely serious! 5 yr olds! As I look around at the parents of these kids, these people who are now my peers, I see a community that is generally overweight, inactive, and fairly clueless as to how our children should be encouraged and guided in sport. My husband and I have decided that we will have to be involved as coaches in some way in order to protect our son’s best interest and development. Maybe by getting invlved at this “grassroots” level, we can make a difference for some of these kids, but more importantly, their parents.

In youth soccer …
- winning as the primary goal vs player development
- club building vs player development
- inexperienced parents driving the process because they are paying fees

THE PARENTS are the problem. One of two things happen. 1) Either they think little Johnny is already fast or agile enough so he does not need that kind of guidance and they refuse to buy into the fact that they need to learn how to apply and absorb force safely and efficiently or 2) They are just concerned with value. How high will he jump or how much can you shave off his 40 time. Push him till he pukes!

Sport Specific Training BS! These kids need to train to become athletes! Variety of movements, increase mobility, increase coordination, increase strength and stability, increase movement familiarity, and teach these kids to me honest, truthful and hard working!

I know coaches that train the kids like they would college athletes and then talk among them as if they were drinking buddies! What is going on there?

Keep them injury free and improve their movement patterns in an uplifting and empowering atmosphere and you have done the best you can for them!

LIVE IT!

In the area of youth fitness and training,
I believe:
…(Anybody a climber?) that we have are at the crux of the climb, if we don’t get over the top soon we are going to do a “granite overload”, if we haven’t already. The obesity and overweight problem is at an all time high. We need to do something quick.
….that when adults make decisions and childrem pay the price, something is wrong with the decision. Why is it the the “baby boomer generation” is able to extend it’s life expectancy at the same time we have a generation of children who are now being projected to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Adults are supposed to guide children, what are we doing?
….that you don’t train children like they are little adults, remember they are children.
…. that children can do many of the drills and exercises that we do with older athletes as long as we remember they are children and gear down to their level and put a little “fun” into it. Don’t overkill, you are not training a child for a combine, the draft, or a big contract. Let them develope and have some fun doing it.
…. that there are many sports and activities out there. Let children try different sports and find out what they enjoy and are good at. Don’t specialize at a young age.
….that body learns things in sequence. You must learn gross motor skills before fine motor skills, basic movement skills before sport specific skills.

Last year I read an article in a newspaper about a “training facility for kids”. A father took his 9 year old to the facility so the coach could do more defensive end drills and train him to be a defensive end in football in high school and college. How do you project that at the age of 9 years old? What is wrong with this picture?

The biggest problems as I see it are parents that over-schedule their kids and parents that force their kids into one sport (specialization) thinking that they are going to have the next professional athlete. Kids just do not have the time to be just kids anymore. Their lives are so structured that they often do not know how to play and enjoy their friends.
Another problem as I see it is coaches/organizations (especially hockey) that force their kids into playing one sport (theirs for 12 months of the year). With that comes all kinds of problems the least of which is injuries and burn-out.
You are doing a great job Brian. We need to get out and educate all of these coaches and sport organizations and also educate our boards of education on the value of play and physical activity,
If you ever want to bring this show on the road to my neck of the woods, I’m with you.
Grant Hernden
Former Physical and Health Education Teacher for 28 years
Stratford, Ontario

Knowlegde!!!!
We need MORE BOOKS, DVDS, PODCASTS ON YOUTH TRAINING!!!!

More information on program design, periodization, just more science info, more real life info, just more information!

Lets gey some videos up on the site iw well!!!!

Brian, I believe one of the biggest problems we have today is People, whether they are coaches, clients,or the athletes you are working with do not listen to the message which is being presented. Most people assume they already know what you are trying to explain. I always explain to everyone it is imperative that you listen to the entire sentence, not part of it. If more Coaches, parents, players would listen to the fullest extent of the exercises being presented and the total benefits of the exercise, the results would speak for themselves. Anyway it is important that everyone be passionate and persistant in their message. The End results will be Awesome.

One thing – being COOKED! My young athletes are not specializing early….BUT are trying to balance a number of sports, schools sports, private club sports, and strength/conditioning training. They are being asked by coaches from each group to do something different training wise and do not have a coach with the right knowledge to help them figure it all out. Fatigue, overuse, as well as the psychological stressors. As they get older, athletes who are specializing, volume and technique are ignored by the coaches. Coaches push for results in competition before getting the basics of the sport controlled.

#1 – overspecialization, focusing on 1 sport all year round at an early age

#2 – Bypassing foundational motor skills for more advanced skill training

#3 – Treating children as adults physically, socially and emotionally

#4 – Coaches’ misunderstanding of the role of stretching in athletic development

We try to hyper-specialize the children too young
We think children are professional when they are clearly not- it’s like teaching calculus to a person that has never seen algebra
We want our kids to be socially well adjusted but don’t stop to think that they might need to be also physically well adjusted
We need to be tolerant of the parents-coaches that don’t know any better and take the time to educate and engage them because they are (and I mean this with great sincerity)developmentally stunted themselves. Remember the majority of parents have the best of intentions but lack the tools or the education.

Coaches who put their ego before the best interest of their kids. Or who are lazy and don’t match the effort in their coaching that they expect their kids to put out during the training session/practice/clinic/whatever. Can’t really fault kids and/or parents for being idiots; they aren’t supposed to be the “professionals” in this field.

Ask the Kids! Michigan University did several years ago. They interviewed 10,000 kids from 11 cities. MSU simply asked “Why do you play sports?” The Number One Answer – you guessed it “I want to have FUN!” Guess what was number 10 answer – “To Win”. The kids have spoken! Embrace it or Lose it – that’s the choice. Adults do not have enough FUN – Embrace it today!!!!

Program design and early specialization are tied for the top. I work with young athletes from all sports, especially hockey and soccer, and the one thing I see all the time is a lack of the basic fundamentals that are the foundation of athleticism. Across the board these athletes lack proficiency in locomotion skills, body control skills, object control skills, and more. I agree wholeheartedly with Kim’s point on proper program design being critical, but proper program design is about planning and understanding…how can volunteer coaches be expected to plan something they don’t understand?
Ariana

School/University or Studies!

Not enough income like basketball or football.

these are the biggest reasons why youth athletes quit/skip training sessions!

Keep them coming, guys! I’m going to look over each of these next week and get back to you with a specific report…. “The Problems in Youth Fitness & Sports” – by IYCA Members Worldwide

Lack of collaboration among coaches, parents, and athletes. I was an elementary teacher for five years and when dealing with problems with a student it was of the upmost importance that everyone dealing with this child were all on the same page. This meant using the same language, the same message, etc. Problems were very rarely solved if the parents were not on board. The same applies with teaching children and athletes how to move. Coaches and parents need to be communicating on a consistent basis to maje sure they are passing on the same messages to these kids.

The biggest problem I have seen is youth football coaches trying to “make men” out of 7 thru 12 year olds,they are not men. I have also seen coaches try to
“weed out” players of the same age group.
I continue to stress that we should develope players not weed out!Sometimes it seems an uphill battle. No one knows how the slow ,shy or clumsy 10 year old will develope,it is our job to HELP them.

Over protective parents living vicariously through their kids, underutilized overstructured phys ed classes, sports that have national and world champions at pre-pubesent ages (I am a figure skating coach), kids who have never failed at anything so their parents try and buy their success on the playing surface and finally uneducated NGB’s trying to educate their uneducated coaches. Those are just some of the issues I have as a coach involved in youth sports. I am stuck between trying to develop the next “national figure skating champion” before she hits puberty because its my livlihood and the fact that there are training options out there that could just as easily squash those dreams. I am constantly standing up to the pressures of kicking a 10 year olds butt in off ice rather than developing her coordination and athletic ability.

The biggest problem in youth sports training has got to be a toss up between coaches training youth like adults (i.e. poor understanding of risk/benefit amongst coaches) and early specialization through strength & conditioning.

I think we need to start considering some kind of certification for adults who want to coach youth sports.Maybe a simple online course in youth coaching. If you want to coach at the high school level and you aren’t a teacher you have to be certified, a process of attending a class and completing an online test of that material. Yet we keep handing young kids over to coaches (not all of them) who simply don’t have a clue on how they should go about TEACHING young kids during a very crucial time in their young lives. There seems to be a win at all cost attitude going on at this time also. TRAINING instead of TEACHING. Treating children as little adults. Over use injuries. Specialization!!To many problems to even mention. I am a High School track coach and will be running my annual sports camp (SAQ) in a couple of weeks and I can say with utter confidence , that for at least 4 days the group of kids that I will be TEACHING will be in a positive, constructive, and FUN enviroment. That is because of my affiliation with the IYCA and their philosophy. I am proud to say that I am one of the original 50 who was certified at the level 1 youth conditioning clinic. I will soon be going for the level 2 certification.

Bottom line for me is high school weight training programs. They’re terrible around here! Kids are thrown in the weight room with no idea of what they are doing and put under the suppervision of coaches whose egos won’t allow them to even consider the fact that they don’t know what they are doing either. A year later that kids shoulders will be shot and who knows what other joints.

The biggest problem I see is the lack of training for coaches at the youngest level. Who is the coach for little leagues and t-ball, beginner soccer and all introductory sports? Its parents who either get stuck with the ’short straw’ or people who feel like if they don’t do it, no one will. They have no idea how to teach, coach, or train and so from the very beginning kids are conditioned to be taught from a “its all about the game” mentality. Its really not all about the game when you are 5, 7 or even 11. I could probably teach anyone how to play rugby and I’ve never attended a game but teaching a child how to be an athlete is where we all win.

Long term commitment. Kids (but more especially, parents) want a quick fix. I find athletes coming for a few weeks, asking for stuff for them to “do at home” and expecting improvement in speed, strength, mobility, agility, coordination…JUST FROM A FEW SESSIONS. They don’t understand the long term commitment and dedication it takes to develope a well-rounded student/athlete. Those that see it takes time, follow thru long term. And it works. But that seems to be the minority…

Many problems are present, but the three that I think are my highest priority: Lack of diverse resources for the kids, Parents, coaches, and others not knowing or realizing the difference in teaching and training, and bad eating habits

As a parent, and a coach, I thinks most communities & households are lacking the proper resources for teaching our kids the basic fundamental, as well as the proper eating habits.

If these factors aren’t present, then kids will be behind, or never reach their true destiny in sports, fitness, or other events.

My biggest peeve is with parents and coaches wanting a quick fix. Kids take years to developement good writing, reading and cognitive skills. Why in the world does our society think that kids will pick up athletic development in a few weeks.

The biggest problems I see are that very few coaches are interested in the development of the children. They want to win and they train in a sport specific manner that is appropriate for a college-aged athlete. They see what I do as “calesthenics”. The thing that bothers me the most is that most of these “coaches” are parents who volunteer. They have no coaching background and may have never even played the sport they are trying to teach the kids!

One of the biggest problems I have are the parents. I believe that those of us who train youth athletes have the opportunity to change health and fitness in the future by educating these young people. Teaching them proper form in exercise, as well as teaching them good eating habits. What we teach will go on with them throughout life whether they continue to play a sport or not. I don’t get much support from the parents on either of these. Most parents don’t understand why I don’t run the kids more. “Back when I trained…” Well, you know the rest of that story. And…on the nutrition front, I get “but they are just kids” or “I know a guy who ate 15 pancakes for breakfast and still played well.” The killer though is when they don’t play well they are sure to put some blame on the coaching!

In reviewing the posts made this far, it’s interesting that we each bring a perspective to the discussion based upon our own experiences. I appreciate Leo Deering’s comment regarding a study by the U of Michigan (reference?). Since the exact reference is not provided, I cannot comment on the study; however, I have “heard” about similar outcomes of studies in which kids provide similar results.

The biggest problem – the parents – either as a coach or as a spectator. Parents need to be educated about the psychological implications of the demands they are making on their kids by pushing them in sports. It does depend upon the kid but in some instances, the kids are not having fun, they are simply living out the parent’s sports fantasy. When the kid fails, the parent takes it out on the kid and/or the other players.

As for coaches who are coaching their own kids at the expense of other kids, this is completely unacceptable as well. If a coach is hired to coach/teach these young athletes and their child happens to be one of the kids, they either should treat all the kids the same or recuse themselves from their coaching position until the child is out of their realm. The favoritism a coach demonstrates for his/her own child can damage other young athletes who are trying to find their place in sports.

Getting the children’s parents to bring their children to seminars and classes.

The biggest problem I see is that we are teaching our kids the wrong things about fitness and sports conditioning. With regard to sports, overtraining and pushing too much results in the opposite. When it comes to general fitness, we emphasize weight and the external benefits instead of teaching them about respecting their bodies and health. Research points to these kids not outliving their parents.

We all work with some phenomenal kids and if we can teach them about self respect and taking responsibility this world will truly be an awesome place!

The biggest problem I see is poor coaching, or uneducated coaches/trainers.Trying to train our kids like adults and using “blanket workouts” for all the kids reguardless of age, ability or fitness level.
We all work with a great bunch of kids and I think I can speak for all of us involved with the “oustanding” group at the IYCA we would never allow anyone to hurt our kids. so we should try to work with the coaches and trainers in our area to help them better understand how to train our kids

Brian excellent question!! I have been coaching youth sports sense Iwas a senior in hs. I had to learn the hard way about coaching youth sports. Played/coached and directed you programs for many years and what I have found is that education (show me how)is the best way to teach/coach both youth parents and coaches. Coaches must understand that they are a teacher first!!! They are their for all kids simply put (they must have the HEART OF A TEACHER)self agendas and personal biases have no place in youth sports,teaching/coaching/conditioning or training!! You as a Teacher/Coach/Trainer will be first judged on your honesty,sincerity and the desire that every kid you come in contact w/you want to make them better!! Parents see and sense this, then and only then will you have their full attention and respect. Then your light can shine on all of them. Rember, some know it can’t teach. If their heart is in the right place they will learn to teach it, then the results will show.

Coaches who feel they know how to train because of the way they were trained, and not continuing to learn new and grow as a coach.

I coach soccer (football) and the greatest problem is the perception of parents and the industry as a wholes as to what it takes to create champions from young kids.

This perception has kids as young as 6 in adult like ’skills and technique sessions’ with the purpose to develop little superstars is a great concern. Is seems that the more the parent thinks they know about a sport the more they push the kids to emulate the best players without regard for present age, maturation etc..

Therefore the biggest problem and the biggest challenge is to communicate and educate the parents to the benefit of an holistic approach to development. I can see this keeping us busy for quite some time!

There are not any qualified trainers to deal with the youth where we live in the central Alberta area. Though many claim to be. That is why I signed up with the IYCA and am learning a ton and I will make a difference! Thank you Brian and the IYCA!

The biggest problem I believe is that the game(whatever sport) must be given back to the kids.

Too much sport training is based on the game that is formulated in the heads of coaches.

Kids see it differently. In fact even late adolescents also see it differntly.

It is the unpredictable, the uncertainty of the game’s outcome that engages the athlete to produce more. We should therefore teach our athletes to learn on the field of play and equip them with the skills that will help them to play the game as it unfolds.

Society’s perception of fitness is; lots of running, lots of sweating, lots of gut busting exercises.

How do we (IYCA movement) change this perception.

Coaches need to regularly update their knowledge.

What i see as an experience sport coach with youth is this. i feel uncomfortable with the getting quick results thing. i am prime example of collective sport fitness conditioning in my youth years. but this is my comment, coaches think they know it all and are hurting youngsters out there. i have been a reader of Brian’s articles and hell i am relating. come on lets work with an organisation that promote change. not only do our kids suffer physically but in a massive way emotionally also … thanx and hope more people join us in the change of youth training and sport understanding …

Major problem as i see it is coaches that advocate and live the mantra of working harder instead of smarter. Invariably this leads to a quantity over quality approach. Also, the level of informed coaching is quite low in terms of laying the foundations first in terms of ensuring that kids are functionally sound before they are introduced to demanding sport specific practices.

I think that children are taught to specialize much too early for sports. It is possible for a few things to happen. First, kids are missing out on a greater variety of movement patterns than early specialization provides. Second, they may be subject to overuse injuries much earlier than previos generations. Third, is the possibility of psychological burn out

I teach 30 minute fitness classes to teen tennis kids. They have 2 hours of tennis, 1 hour of strategy and then they want me to push the kids hard with their sprinting, ladder drills, etc… I try to just have some fun with these kids because they are too over programed with their school and activiites. Everything is so serious. During the winter, they do not get out of the facility until 9pm. Then they have their homework to do.
It’s really a challenge to undo this way of thinking in all types of facilities like this. The parents and coaches want all these kids to be the next Nadal or Serena Williams. I encourage them to do their best with the skills introduced, and to slow down a bit, insrtead of rush through a drill with bad form.
Our local High School football coach, will not even let the strength and conditoning coach in the weight room. She is only allowed to run the field conditioning and she tells me that he has the kids doing a program from the Carolina Panthers with lots of plyometrics, everyday and high volume. The kids come compalining to her with sore backs. It’s incredible that this kind of stuff still goes on with all the info and science out their.

One of the main prolem I see with youth training is that too many people involve with youth training who doesnt know enough aboutit.And its causing a big problem out there in the world of Training.

The number one problem with youth training is the lack of communication to the parent and young athlete. They both need to know what phases of training your going to implement. If the parent is just a grand-stander they are going to question the process naturally. I keep going on about when we were young how we didn’t have specialized training, at least I didn’t and I went on to be an elite sports athlete. Parents expect us to teach their kids how to play a sport, I’ve done that and that’s not what we do totally. We are here to help them perform their sports better. Their coach will make them better at their sport, we make them better overall athletes . . . . and kids in general!

This is a great thread and show’s that a) there are many common issues worldwide with youth sports and fitness training, and b) Brian and the IYCA are doing a fantastic job at calling these issues to our attention.
I think the next issue for all of us commenting here is what we are going to do about it?
My husband and I have been friends of Brian’s since 2005 and have just opened New Zealand’s first youth-only fitness centre.
The issue we feel strongly about (in addition to those outlined above) is for those of us who have this knowledge to go beyond just talking about the issues and have the courage to take action!!

To emphasis on winning.The game sould be fun for the kids.

In my experience the hardest thing to do can be teaching kids strong and positive values on and off the field. In my opinion the biggest battle for any person child or adult is in the mind. So kids that I have dealt with just lack the ability to focus, some suffer from burn-out, or lack of positive attitude during practice or in sport situation. Some kids even adult have this mindset of learned helplessness. If they can’t succeed they just give up. Trying to break through that sort of mindset has been the hardest thing for me. So to anwser the question, I think that the hardest thing is getting through to a child who has learned helplessness. But on the positive side I believe there is hope, because if we (IYCA) can get to these kids before they learn these lies and we teach them faith instead; I believe we will start seeing kids move mountains!

In Australia things are no better. I agree with virtually everything above. My son is 11 and shows a talent for running longer distances on the track and cross country. We see much inappropriate endurance training and racing, even starting from 8 and 9yo. Sadly, overuse injuries and burnout are common. Stress fractures at 11 is not an acceptable outcome. Parents get excited that their kid can run fast (and hence even faster with more training). Some of the times are spectacular eg 10yo boy 2:19 and 12yo girl 2:11 for 800m. There are certainly coaches who should know better. Lip service is paid to “not training kids like adults”, but those 200m reps x20 at 800m race pace keep on being hammered out. However, and in response to the challenge from Leigh #72, I suggest a revolution needs to occur. In Australia, what ultimately fosters this madness is the intense level of competition set up at ludicrously young ages. For example, from the age of 10 there are national comps in cross country and T&F. In XC 10yo run 2km which some genius raised arbitrarily to 3km at 11yo. That’s a long way for a youngster, especially when they do it flat out in a race. Try running it yourself at pace! In T&F the same kids are usually good at 800m (another arbitrarily picked distance from 10 to 12yo which just happens to be a tough anaerobic event totally unsuited to kids).Kids can’t help themselves-they don’t believe it’s just a fun run when you set it up within the context of intense competition. If your kid is very talented, this forum fosters exactly what we don’t want-intense pressure to ‘keep up with the Jones’s’ and make sure he/she is putting in enough to succeed. It is not only athletic bodies but also the Schools system which runs these events. We need to launch campaigns trying to convince the people who run this stuff that it is harmful, and trashes way more athletic talent than it eventually fosters. Until this happens, it is hard to see how the problem will be resolved. Unfortunately, the School Sport group regard these as flagship events and will be reluctant to give up the prestige associated with them, along with their misguided conviction that they are helping keep kids fit and healthy (not!).

Thers’s not enough fun in adolescent sport. It’s becomming big business to find talented ‘atheletes’ at a young age. With this comes overtraining, boredom and ongoing injuries at an age when overuse injuries should not be present. I believe talent and skill should be developed in a fun, non- competive envionment. Coaching is important but structured programs should be set to a minium. Let them enjoy their sport first and the results that we as coaches look for will follow. It’s funny but when was the last time you, as an adult had a good game of golf, for example, that you weren’t enjoying? They go hand in hand!

PT teachers doesn’t want to learn how to be a better coach and teacher.

Coaches and teachers are focusing short term results of the youth athletes.

Many times it’s due to the short sighted
parents.

One of the biggest problems I see is kids who are coached in multiple sports by volunteer parents who really don’t know anything about physically training kids outside of conducting sport specific drills and scrimmages. I’m not knocking these parents, they are volunteering their time but the information just isn’t available to them.

The biggest problem I have experienced is sport specific coaches trying to take on the role as a S & C coach as well, when they (the soccer coaches) have very little experience in that field. Of course they know how to run and lift weights, who doesn’t. Like I told the AD at the high school I work at as an S & C coach when he told me the soccer coaches will be working with their team in the weight room over the summer’s off-season, I responded, hey I coached youth soccer for a few years, and I know how to kick a ball, can I run the soccer teams practice once or twice a week during the season? dah?

Biggest issue I see is parents are pushing their kids into sports and they really don’t want to do that sports. The kids are not interested and the parents keep pushing. What happened to the fun in sports, it is like a job for the kids and they are not professional in any case. Bringing back the old exeercises for lifting and agility works with my kids and adults they are having fun. So where is the fun in kids sports?

Have to agree with almost everything above. I think all the problems mentioned, coaches coaching the wrong aspects, parents influence, etc. is due to one single aspect : WINNING.
I personally believe that people(adults) see winning as success and nothing else.
A 15 year old player of mine gave the following definition for success :
To do something in such a manner that even if you could do it over you couldn’t do it better.
I believe if we can get this definition of success to be accepted then a lot of the issues like focusing on movement and coaching kids with age appropriate techniques will become non-issues.

Single sport focus…..PERIOD!
Ignoring the fat kid….teach the kids to love to move and accept their bodies as they grow into who they are and what they can do….The childhood obesity epidemic may just become extinct!

This insanity of travel teams starting as young as 10 years of age!!
While I am a personal trainer, I am also an retired Navy Chaplain who serves a 6A High School Football team as their chaplain.
It is amazing to me the amount of time these young men have to put in throughout the entire year. I loved playing High School Football but to have my time taken up from 0630 to 1800 at night during the season. When could I have ever been a student or been involved in church or civic organizations? Okay, that’s one thing but to have a schedule where I spend nearly 20 hrs a week year round? It’s almost worse than college.

Young atheletes are just that, and need to be treated as such. They are not professional atheletes and only spend an hour or possibly two a day, 3 days a week, in a particular sport. Too much pressure is applied to children to be the best, not their best. I dont know when this happened,but I do know it neeeds to change.

I have been in the fitness industry for 20 some odd years. I have watched trends come and go but they were always directed to adults. That needs to change. I see that happening now as a proud member of this amazing organization.
As a parent of two athletic kids, I have found myself enjoying coaching youth (3 sports) which I have done for 6 years now.
I found that parents, both coaches as well as spectators, are truly a tough issue. They need education about what is the proper way to “teach” athletics. They ruin the fun! They have no regard for other team’s experiences, such as when they allow games scores to run up. Winning is great but annihilation is unnecessary. Sportsmanship needs to be the emphasis.
I think that a most useful tool would be to help these parents with some guidelines, clinics, and simple reminders. Kids need to be kids. Teaching sports is easy. We as an organization can and should help them do it better and safer.

More hands on , practical, ready to use information in regards to working with youth fitness and athletic development without always having to pay an arm and a leg to get it. A critique of some of the best Youth Fitness and Athletic Development materials available so that we could wisely spend our hard earned money on excellent information.A mentoring program for those of us who desire to learn one on one from the best.

The biggest problem i face is the coaches not letting go of the condition aspect. They train these kids like it was 1980 and they are all body builders. Head coaches need to let it go, take care of the X’s and O’s, and let qualified people make their kids better all-around athletes.

The main reason me is that kids are been pushed too hard too young and not enough emphasis on the basic skills.

Hi Brian,

What’s the biggest problem you see in youth fitness and sports training?

From my standpoint, being involved in coaches’ education in Quebec and Canada, the problems are as follows :

Coaching is «cheap labour» for many. Most of the coaches are volunteers. Because of that matter, it’s not realistic that they will invest much in their education, and quite often, education is limited to attend lectures instead of sharing thoughts, participating to communities of practice, and being supervised systematically.

If coaches want to reach the higher levels, and to make a decent salary, they want to win! And winning, for them, means to score more points than the opponents… the «W» column. Their mind set is « Peaking by Friday » instead of developing great athletes first and specialising afterward. Then, they will be acknowledged by their sport communities. They don’t care about the athletes’ profile and background, their short term and long term goals. They are not interested to work with other coaches or specialists for the benefits of the young athletes. They want to receive the full benefit of winning… or to stay in their comfort zone, doing the same thing over and over to perpetuate the culture of their sport!

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results – Albert Einstein

Thanks!

Martin

Volume and that Sports Coaches believe that they are Sports Performance Coaches. Our 11-14 year olds only train twice a week and see tremendous results because of regeneration and rest. Our 15-18 year olds 3 times per week max and again are seeing tremendous results. Volume is the key, rest and regeneration are the foundation for developmental athletes. Coaches and parents believe that “more is better”, we say “better is better”. I am so tired of talking to parents that tell me that they ran 4-5 miles today at practice and had 2 water breaks in a 2-3 hour practice. That they were jumping to boxes, and no one showed them how to land correctly or taught them the technical aspect of plyometrics. We are working hard here in Pittsburgh to change the mindset and educate the area. Brian please come to our center in Pittsburgh and help us get the word out!

I believe one of the biggest problems in sports training is that it isn’t fun for them. Youth get treated like they are pro athletes and most kids want to go out to get some socialization and to have fun. By the time they get to be a senior in high school they are burned out and don’t care about the sport anymore. They are also pushed by coaches who honestly don’t keep updated on what to do for training. They use what they learned in college no matter how long ago that was.

I studied Sport Psych in college but am currently working as a specialist in a youth residential treatment facility. This opportunity has opened my eyes to a lot that the public needs while also enlightening me to tools and tips that professionals could benefit from.

1. Keeping it simple.
One individual is trying to wear too many hats. I see a couple notes in the responses with either the kids or the coaches or even the professional trying to “do it all”. Remembering there are natural limits for everyon. Limits are a good thing, they detract from the quality of an individual, instead they are like benchmarks letting us know the progress made.

2. Accessiblity.
Either activities or education for anyone at any level. Specialized training doesn’t always happen in rural areas or isn’t as common as it may be in metropolitan areas. Which is why the internet is such a valuable tool in expanding knowledge and providing excellent opportunities.

3. Education.
Helping parents understand, taking the time and showing the compassion. Parents are the greatest resource for a coach and, yes, they can sometimes be a big headache.
On a different note, in some states acquiring a coaching certification only takes a college transcript and a fee. Such as in Iowa where you have to prove you have taken the appropriate courses for the knowledge base and paying about $100. After that it is all about attending clinics and maintianing the certification just as you would a First Aid/CPR certification.

4. Economy.
The economy really did a number on thinking patterns of everyone the world over. When once I was told to be sure I specialized in one area to optimize my professional worth, I’m also told now that being diverse is even more beneficial. Be realistic. The goal is to be aware of what is available, but to know the most you can in one area. This way you achieve both goals because a) you have a wealth of knowledge in what you like/do best and b) if you don’t know it, you can at least find the right resource or point parents in the right direction.

On a personal note, my sister is a teenager going through the public school system as a full time athlete. She has a sport for every season and maybe one in between. She’s also required to participate in PE in her class schedule either everyday or every other day. Here’s HER complaint. She has seen one specific individual come in with doctor’s note after doctor’s note after parents note to excuse this individual from participating in PE. The individual also happens to be slightly overweight and, with no intention to be cruel, my sister stated that the individual needed the PE program more than she did. My sister cannot understand how she is being forced into public physical education when she already participates in physical activities outside of school.

It is not just health professionals that need help with training, health, or fitness. It is reaching out to other professionals as well.

As a kid I did what I did because I enjoyed it, mainly the sports and physical activity. I did it because that’s where my friends were. Adults are the ones who screwed that whole system up by organizing it and making it competitive. Sometimes it’s good to have a weekly “fun” community event for kids. No competition, trophies, daily workouts, practices, etc.

A time to get out the kickball and laugh.

Dear, Brian & IYCA Team

There are many stones unturned in the fitness industry and all other industries for that matter.(1) I think a young athlete’s ability should not be disguised behind their interest in one particular sport. Variety of activities should be given to growing children and if they’re mature enough, they have the right to know why they’re given variety, and how it can help them.(if all the branches on a tree grew one way it’ll fall easily)

(2) Good Nutrition should be emphasized at all costs.

(3) If the athletes show any muscle imbalances; corrective exercise routines like stretching a particular area to align should only be adopted if there are no alternatives. 1st approach should be to teach them proper alignment. And remind everytime.

Hey Brian,
This is a great question and I see that there are two main issues here. Firstly, I find there are too many team coaches that are trying to do everything themselves. It has been my experience that too many coaches, whether by design or a lack of help try to control all aspects of the team’s or individual’s training. What is meant by this is that regardless of the child’s age, individuals (hopefully professionals) with the knowledge of physical fitness training should be involved in the youngsters’ physical development. For example if you’re a baseball coach you should be teaching baseball, simple enough. What happens quite often is that coaches try to implement their own type of the fitness, agility or conditioning drills. All too often what occurs is that the child is just pushed beyond their own physical capacity. Being able to run a kid into the ground does not mean it is a successful conditioning program. Also what seems to happen is that you get former so-called athletes trying to make quick money by professing themselves as coaches and trainers. Just because you may have been involved in the sport at a high-level does not make you a coach for that sport. The other point that I would like to make is that all too often you have certified strength and conditioning specialists that implement the same type of programs they would for adults. What they tend to forget is that children are not miniature versions of the adults. Progression is of the essence and exercises must be taught how to be done properly. I would like to emphasize the point that proper form of all exercises must be demonstrated. Most injuries are a result of bad form or a lack of supervision.

It is my opinion that the only way to combat this is with an organization like the IYCA, which can help educate coaches on how to properly and safely develop kids while having fun.

The biggest issue that is faced with youth training is that child athletes operate with a total different mental aspect then adults. In their developmental stages they have no fear and want to have fun. We, as adults, tend to forget that they are not adults and can not be pushed mentally as one. Children when encouraged with positive reinforcement will respond quicker to a faulty movement pattern or skill. They will naturally learn how hard to push themselves when they believe mentally how much potential they have. Coaches and parents commonly put limits on children and that is when the mind defeats the body. We must remember that the human organism is always intertwined. When one portion is not optimally performing then the whole system will not.

The challenge is the nervous system and that no one is addressing that part of the child. I can help with that area. Alll the sports and exercises are needed and the relaxation, breathing, upright body position instead of slumped shoulders and heavy pack packs needs to be addressed as well. Attention span, poor eating habits, lack of hydration can all be imporved so that the whole child can play ball with more ease and comfort in the body to improve the health and fitness of the child….and why has everyone forgotten about flexibility? It takes more than just stretching….the nervous system and the connective tissue are the answer!