There’s a dangerous trend in youth athletics right now- a trend of
treating young children like…well…like smaller versions of adults or college
athletes. It’s important to remember, however, that children are definitely not
adults. They learn in different ways than adults due to their age, their
attention spans, and the fact that their brains are not fully developed yet. As
such, it’s very important to use appropriate methods to train and educate them,
methods designed for children, not adults.
Another important thing to keep in mind is that the goals and outcomes
created for child athletes should be different than the goals and outcomes
created for college athletes. During the younger years, it’s important to focus
on building basic skills, gleaning secondary skills from the game such as
teamwork and leadership, and crafting explosive and reactive athletes who can
respond to challenges and play well in the “real world” of the game.
Furthermore, while college athletes are often focused on strength
training and building muscle and endurance, this isn’t really the right focus
for young children. Young children generally don’t have problems with
endurance, thanks to all the energy and stamina that comes with youth. Plus,
weight training really isn’t safe or necessary for their developing bodies. The
types of exercises they need to be doing are exercises that teach them
game-specific movements and that build overall ability and agility while
burning off excess energy. Activities like running, jumping, and skating are
what they need to be doing, not lifting barbells or dumbbells!
They also need to get used to “elements of uncertainty,” which can and
do easily occur in games. They need to know what to do and how to handle it
when they encounter unstable footing, an unpredictable play, or other
challenges.
The best way to prepare them for these challenges and to build the
skills that youth athletes- NOT adult athletes- need is to play and to play
regularly. Playing is a lot more fun and a lot more productive than constant
drills and practices. Young athletes will learn through trial and error, and
they’ll have a good time doing it, preventing burnout and instilling a love of
the sport. Remember, kids have their whole lives to play like little pros but
only a short time to enjoy the fun experience of being youth athletes- emphasis
on the “youth.”
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