Posted on: December 8th, 2010 by IYCA No Comments
Here’s ‘Part 2’ of the Dave Gleason chronicles…
But before you read them, have you scheduled your phone call with me yet?
It’s 100% free.
You will not be obligated to anything.
But in order to qualify for the "100% Financing Option" (available until December 31) you absolutely must schedule your call RIGHT NOW:
http://www.myathleticrevolution.com/free-report/
After reading ‘Part 2’ of Dave’s story, you’re going to see why this is so important… Read this:
Posted on: September 21st, 2010 by IYCA No Comments
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Trainers, Coaches, Facilities and Health Clubs worldwide have all jumped at this new opportunity to provide quality service to the demographic most in need.
And the market has responded.
More than 1 million kids and teenagers hired a Personal Trainer last year in the United States alone and as much as $4 billion are spent every year in this country on training and coaching for kids.
But as with any new marketplace, the professionals who can claim ‘Specialist’ status will eventually become the go-to-experts for consumers at large.
Posted on: August 12th, 2009 by IYCA No Comments
I have long supported the notion that the zeal many Trainers and Coaches show with respect to conducting high intensity training sessions with young athletes is akin to the unsure actor who feels a need to "over-do" his or her role in a given appearance for fear that the audience may disapprove of his acting ability.
Almost like a "they paid for it and now I must deliver it" mind set.
As a Coach, you sometimes feel as though you must have your athletes walk away from a training session dripping with sweat and barely able to open their car doors. After all, if they don’t feel as though you are ‘training them hard enough’, they may opt to go and seek the services of a different Coach.
The problem is that overtraining syndromes are not hard to develop with adolescent athletes and must be recognized as an issue with respect to programming.
For ease of explanation sake, let’s just say that if your athlete walks into your training center at what would constitute a normal biological level, and if your training stimulus was at an intensity that would enable the athlete to dip below this normal biological level, but not be too much so as to not be able to ascend into a level of super-compensation, then, well… that would be good.
But there are energies in the world that effect an athletes recoverability from a training session (you know… recovery… that’s the part of the training routine during which your athlete’s body actually makes improvements and gains).
For example:
– Nutrition
– Emotional Stress
– Sleep
Let’s examine those individually for a second.
Posted on: June 23rd, 2009 by IYCA 1 Comment
"The major problem in youth fitness 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."
I couldn’t agree more with Paul.
It’s being popularized in a different circle right now, but for roughly
ten years, I’ve been saying….
Any fool can make a young athlete tired, but it takes a real COACH
to make them better.
My first job out of college was as a Performance Coach at a training
center for professional, Olympic and National Team athletes in Canada.
We also did a lot of work with young athletes.
One of my first meetings as a staff member at this facility is a moment
in time that I will truly never forget.
Posted on: June 17th, 2009 by IYCA No Comments
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The IYCA Blog has been jumping of late with some great training-based conversation.
I wanted you to read an exchange I had with a reader named Keith.
Keith offered some great insight and thought. Here’s what he had to say –
"So, playing devil’s advocate once again, why is it that the world’s greatest swimmers have typically been identified when they were preteen, often then,setting world records and competing in world class events as mere teenagers, especially the ladies.
How many world and Olympic champion gymnasts and divers average 14 years of age. I wonder if plasticity really means that a child athlete can adapt to, cope with, respond to, recover from, progress with, focus on and develop with, all of the things in one particular sport, and become superior in that sport, without participating in other sports. Doing so like the 5 year old Italian child learns English perfectly by being immersed in that one thing.
I know I’m talking about world class athletes but they had to come from somewhere and mostly they were young athletes with a gift through which they were unilaterally developed within their one sport.
While I myself have participated in many sports and have coached many sports and I believe in multilateral exposure especially as a means of talent identification, I still need convincing that the multilateral approach is necessary or preferable to develop high level athletes in a given sport.
Still liked the article Brian. It keeps the wheels oiled in this old noggin. Keep them coming!"
Here was my response –
Posted on: January 27th, 2009 by IYCA 8 Comments
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Factor #1
1) Understanding How to Communicate
It’s imperative that you assess your young athletes personality type and temperment prior to each training session.
On a given day, the stress of teenage life could alter your young athletes mood dramatically.
If you aren’t aware of that, then you could be offering instruction to someone who just isn’t listening at all.
Engage each of your young athletes in an informal, yet important conversation prior to your training session.
Ascertain how they’re feeling about life in general.
Posted on: August 13th, 2008 by IYCA 1 Comment
I’m actually a big fan of the Olympic Games.
My favorite part is watching the Opening Ceremonies and
seeing the athletes from lesser known countries glow with
child-like enthusiasm as they walk into the Olympic arena.
But every four years, I find myself feeling uncomfortable
with what I am seeing and hearing while watching the Games
on television.
Because I know the sensationalized aspects of the Olympics
are creating more and more confusion and ignorance among
many young athletes, Trainers, Coaches and Parents worldwide.
Believe it or not, I believe that the Olympics are actually
a horrible influence on youth sports.
And while watching the Opening Ceremonies last week,
I got a glimpse of exactly why I feel that way.
“It’s the Struggle, Not the Triumph”
That was the ‘catch phrase’ being repeated by athletes
as they talked into the camera.
And while it sounds good, serves as a wonderful ‘TV sound
bite’ and showcases a majestic feel about the Games
themselves, it sends a very disturbing message to young
athletes and all those who participate in the world of
youth sports….
Hard Work.
Sweat, Blood and Tears.
Effort Conquers All.
And that all sounds good, doesn’t it?
It’s glorifying.
It displays the majestic nature of sport.
And it’s an absolute lie.
Maybe not for elite athletes, but certainly for kids and
teenagers.
The danger is in the fact that most Coaches, Trainers
and Parents think and act like their young athletes are
elite – and end up being influenced by statements like
the one I mentioned above.
“You have to work harder, Johnny”
“If you’re not sore, you’re not working hard enough”
“Did you hear what Micheal Phelps said? You’ll never
get to the Olympics if you don’t push yourself”
What a crock.
about the struggle.
And the destination truly doesn’t matter.
It’s about the journey.
The path.
The process of getting from A – Z.
We actually believe that ‘working kids hard’ every day and
beating the living crap out of them without having a
developmental system in place is the answer.
And it isn’t.
It just isn’t.
In fact, it’s the main culprit for why so many kids are
getting hurt.
Dropping out of sports.
And disengaging from being physical at all.
We just don’t understand the process of what it takes to
become elite.
And that remains our worst and most damaging error when
it comes to working with young athletes.
I hear horror stories everyday about intense training
sessions, over worked young athletes and the general
lack of knowledge that so many Trainers and Coaches have
when it comes to working with this demographic.
And the Olympic Games are making that worse as we speak.
“It’s not the Destination, It’s the Journey”
Words to live by.
Are you prepared to find out what you don’t know and
truly become a leader in the realm of youth sports
training?
Or are you content to just keep plotting along without
a solid direction or path?
I think your young athletes deserve the best.
Why don’t you decide to become the best right now?
The IYCA Level 1 – Youth Fitness Specialist will give you
the tools you need to become a world-class Athletic
Development Specialist.
Maybe it’s time to start your own journey…
Click Here Now and Find Out What You Don’t Know
Brian