Youth sports are more competitive today than ever, with parents looking for any way to give their child a head start in the race for playing time and scholarships. Weight training is among the many tools recruited by parents and coaches in search of an edge. Although weight training is certainly an effective tool for improving an athlete, the developing bodies of youths present unique challenges for coaches and parents.
History
Weight training for sports is nothing new; athletes in almost every sport can benefit from the improved strength weight training offers. As youth sports have become more popular and more competitive, advanced training methods have become less exclusive to the pros. Now strength and conditioning targeted toward children is a multimillion dollar industry with new facilities popping up every day.
Misconceptions
Parents are frequently resistant to allowing their kids to weight train partly because of the plethora of misconceptions surrounding youth weight training. A common myth is that weight training will stunt bone growth in youths. The fear is that growth plates could be damaged. The truth is that the forces compressive generated by weight lifting are actually less than those of normal sport and play, these forces aid in healthy bone formation.
Another popular misconception is that training with weights will make an athlete musclebound. Although strength training should cause some increase in muscle mass, muscle gain to the point of restricted movement is rare even in adults, with the exception of serious bodybuilders and power lifters.
Appropriate Ages
According to KidsHealth.org, if a child is old enough for organized sports, he is old enough to begin a weight training program. For younger children around the ages of 7 and 8 years, body weight exercises such as push-ups, assisted pull-ups and sit-ups are enough.
Adolescents can be introduced to some weight training. It is still, however, not not appropriate to use near-maximal weights with adolescents. At this age, it's more helpful to teach proper form and use weights that will challenge but not overwhelm the athlete. Starting at this age can help lay the foundation for more serious athletic pursuits in the future.
Safety
The number one concern for the training of youths is safety. In addition to the challenges that their developing bodies present, a trainer or coach must also be able to address the emotional and intellectual immaturity present in children. Youths who partake in weight training must be taught how to safely perform the exercises, spot and refrain from horseplay in the potentially dangerous environment of the weight room.
Beginning Program
When youths are concerned, there is more to weight training than just getting stronger. Youths also need to learn basic movement skills that will help them throughout the rest of their athletic careers.
A youth should be trained using basic squatting, pressing and pulling exercises. These include squats or leg presses, bench presses, rows, push-ups and pull-ups. Three sets of ten to 15 repetitions is an ideal range. Three days per week of weight training is enough to provide excellent results.
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