Performance training

I found this article quite interesting. I wonder how many kids are involved in this sort of thing. Aside from team practices, I also wonder what kids are doing to prepare for the fall season and tournaments. My child, for example, is going to a camp and will do some jogging, but that's about it.

(The full article is at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/19/fashi ... tness.html.)

TRAIN LIKE A PRO, EVEN IF YOU'RE 12
By Catherine Saint Louis
The New York Times
Published: July 19, 2007

BRACE yourselves, parents. Besides shuttling the kids to cello lessons, algebra tutoring, soccer matches and basketball practice, there’s one more activity emerging to give prepubescent go-getters a leg up these days: sports performance training.

Because many team coaches don’t have the time or the expertise in exercise science to make their troops faster and stronger, specialty programs — part gym, part pro-training camp — have stepped in to fill the need. For roughly $35 a session, they provide rigorous conditioning for any aspiring child, regardless of ability, using the kinds of practices that have set apart athletes like Tiger Woods and the Williams sisters.

Sports performance training is becoming de rigueur for ambitious stars in the making or unfit youngsters whose parents want to shore up their confidence. Great athletes aren’t born, they’re made — or so goes a slogan for Velocity Sports Performance, one of the leading centers that aim to treat Jack or Kate like Steve Nash or Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

....

Although some as young as 8 participate, 12- to 15-year-olds make up the bulk of participants at national chains like Velocity and CATZ (Competitive Athlete Training Zone).

Sports performance centers resemble a pro-training camp — except there are no five o’clock shadows or tattoos. Clusters of children (some knobby-kneed, others ripped) alternatively warm up, hoist weights and do plyometrics or speed work supervised by coaches.

Some of the agility drills resemble amped-up neighborhood games: participants, for instance, jump diagonally over lines on the ground. Hopscotch anyone?

Other tasks are more grueling. Running while dragging a weight is not for the fainthearted, nor are the super-fast treadmills at Athletic Republic. Faces clench as the machines force legs to go quicker than they could on their own. One result is that eventually children “are able to generate those same velocities by themselves,â€￾ said John Frappier, the founder of Athletic Republic, who has a master’s in exercise physiology.

....

John Maiolo from Monroe, Conn., said he saw what Velocity could offer his daughter, Marissa, who plays three sports but likes soccer best: “The way I see it, if they can get the kids in there young enough, and get them to understand how to run, how to pivot, how to turn, how to jump, how to excel at all these basic movements, it becomes second nature when they are on the field.â€￾

Sports performance training teaches athletic fundamentals during the “skill hungryâ€￾ years of neuromuscular growth. It also helps single-sport players avoid injuries by broadening their abilities, advocates say.

This world attracts its fair share of hard-charging mothers and fathers. “I had a parent introduce her daughter to me as the next Mia Hamm,â€￾ said Jim Liston, the president of CATZ. “That’s not a lot of parents. That’s just a few.â€￾

Although sports performance outlets strive to be chummy and supportive, parental pressure coupled with the ethos of continual improvement wears down some tender-age athletes.

“It’s really easy to see the difference between kids that handle the pressure, and kids that aren’t able to,â€￾ said Melanie Michaud, a former Velocity coach who now works for CATZ in Needham, Mass. “The ones who can’t handle it, when they reach junior year of high school, they’ll be tired of playing.â€￾

Parents who say “we are not going to give Billy or Mary a chance not to do thisâ€￾ need to reassess, said Fred Engh, the president of the National Alliance for Youth Sports and author of “Why Johnny Hates Sports.â€￾

Jim Schultz, of Waldwick, N.J., encourages his daughters, Renee, a Velocity year-rounder, and Lauren, who goes twice a month, to think of their sessions as a job. “If you go there and you fool around, you won’t last long,â€￾ he said. “These people aren’t there to joke around. Renee is serious about it. That’s what’s good.â€￾

....

Mr. Maiolo, a controller for a venture capitalist firm, had to overcome his reservations. After all, Marissa had a full plate as the captain of Everton, a premier club soccer team. She also played basketball, soccer and softball for her middle school.

Wasn’t she in adequate shape? “In the beginning you think to yourself, am I one of those parents who must have their daughter be perfect, and have all the opportunities possible?â€￾ said Mr. Maiolo, who swam in his heyday. “Am I going overboard? Am I trying to be the athlete I never was? You second-guess yourself, and that’s good.â€￾

Ultimately, the Maiolos went for it, and Marissa has no regrets. “If I didn’t go to Velocity I’d still be what I was before,â€￾ she said. “I needed to go there. It’s not like I was horrible. It made me better.â€￾

....

Do trainees improve? “The answer is a qualified yes,â€￾ said Avery Faigenbaum, an associate professor of exercise science at the College of New Jersey. “If we put a 10-, 14-, 15-year-old in a sensibly prescribed program, the child will get faster, jump higher, she’s stronger and she’s faster on the court.â€￾ But gains should be taken with a grain of salt, he advised, since children naturally improve with age. As Dr. Faigenbaum puts it: How to improve the vertical jump of an 8-year-old? Do nothing. “She’ll jump higher at 12,â€￾ he said, barring drastic changes in body composition.

Overtraining is a concern, since parents often don’t realize the importance of recovery between hard workouts.

“They need to look at the total stress being placed on their kids,â€￾ Dr. Faigenbaum said. “If you believe the only way to make gains is if it hurts,â€￾ then “you’re getting set up for an overuse injury.â€￾

....

As word of mouth spreads from parent to parent, it may only be a matter of time until performance training is as widespread as SAT prep. Mr. Schultz, the parent from Waldwick, N.J., hopes not.

“Hate to say this, because I’m a competitive person and I don’t want everybody to get a competitive advantage,â€￾ he said, “but you can send your kids to all the camps in the world — if you put them in this program, you know they’ll improve.â€￾

[Cujo]

I think there are several factors in play here. 1) schools have cut back on phys ed and recess and this is a great way to get kids engaged in physical activity - nothing wrong with that, 2) competition and drive towards elite status has intensified and parents are looking to give their kids an edge by getting them training, 3) if the training is done properly it may help prevent some of the overuse injuries that we are seeing in young athletes ie patellar injuries (tracking problems) and ACL problems for young women. I think the bottom line is if the kids are enjoying it and they are not being forced to go by overzealous parents then it is fine. I think these companies are reacting to a burgeoning market.

My own particular concern is that my child be in aerobic condition for the season. No doubt the other exercises mentioned in the article are all to the good. But if players aren't in aerobic condition, then I think they become more injury-prone in the latter stages of a half or game. Besides, it's at those times when the better-conditioned team has the advantage.

Here's a question for coaches: what do you advise your (12-16-year-old) players who want to jog or work out on days between practices? Would you rather see them rest instead?

[Cujo]

My own particular concern is that my child be in aerobic condition for the season. No doubt the other exercises mentioned in the article are all to the good. But if players aren't in aerobic condition, then I think they become more injury-prone in the latter stages of a half or game. Besides, it's at those times when the better-conditioned team has the advantage.

Here's a question for coaches: what do you advise your (12-16-year-old) players who want to jog or work out on days between practices? Would you rather see them rest instead?

I think some little light work on in between days is ok but muscles need to rest the day after a heavy workout. A little light weight work would be ok too but nothing too aggressive.

What if, for example, a player's team has two or three intensive 90-minute or 2-hour practices per week in August? Is it OK for a player to do, say, a 2- or 3-mile run on the days between?

I guess what I'm leading to is this: Once regular practices and games start, is it too late to do independent conditioning work?

[Cujo]

What if, for example, a player's team has two or three intensive 90-minute or 2-hour practices per week in August? Is it OK for a player to do, say, a 2- or 3-mile run on the days between?

I guess what I'm leading to is this: Once regular practices and games start, is it too late to do independent conditioning work?

Once the games start conditioning can only be maintained. I would not recommend a 3 mile run the day after an intense practice. I don't think there would be any benefit. Just some light jogging to elevate the heart rate and loosen up the muscles. If your son is doing good workouts every other day now he should be ok for August. Make sure that he is doing interval training that replicates what a player experiences on the soccer field. He should not be running 5 miles at the same pace. The heart rate needs to be elevated and lowered in intervals. Don't forget to have him cool down to gradually reduce the heart rate back to the resting rate. He should not be doing sprints and then just stop. Light jogging at the end is advisable. Anything over 2 hours for practice is not advisable either. 90 minutes is fine.

Thanks. The interval training is a good suggestion--I'll bet it's easier to do that with friends. I don't jog or run myself, and haven't done so since high school. I certainly never jogged regularly as a 13- or 14-year-old. So I'm not sure how to advise my child--except to say don't overdo it, rest when you are sore, and stop when you feel pain!

[Cujo]

Thanks. The interval training is a good suggestion--I'll bet it's easier to do that with friends. I don't jog or run myself, and haven't done so since high school. I certainly never jogged regularly as a 13- or 14-year-old. So I'm not sure how to advise my child--except to say don't overdo it, rest when you are sore, and stop when you feel pain!

There are several good books that will help with interval training and the basic idea is to raise and lower the heart rate if I can find mine I will get you the names (believe it or not I have not unpacked everything two years after moving) In soccer training you can do this by running distance at a minium of two different paces. ie, 7 minute mile pace and then backing off to 12 minute mile. Or better yet getting out onto the field with the soccer ball and dribbling at full speed for a minute and then doing ball control at a slow pace i,e pull backs etc. I have never liked running without the ball as a training tool but sometimes that is the only venue available. I would recommend that he get down to a field with the ball and do his running with the ball at his feet thereby killing two birds with one stone. I like to get my heart rate up to 150 to 165 and then back down to around 100. When he has his physical check with the doctor about his own particular physiology and what range the dr recommends. If I had twenty players their peak numbers varied quite a bit depending on how hard they worked and their individual makeup. Remember good hydration (not too much) and proper stretching ie no bouncing stetch in one direction.

[Liverpool Coach]

Hi, I did not read the article you attached but am responding to the questions you pose. My preference on camps is not for players to do a full week at a time. I prefer 2 - 3 times a week with rest in between. For instance several of the kids on my team just returned from a week long camp and had not improved at all. They said there was a lot of goofing off and no real attention being paid to what they were doing. This is not always the case but not all camps are good. I have others that are doing foot skills training 1 - 2 x a week and conditioning 2 -3 x a week. This is a better scenario in my opinion. The conditioning program they are in is one that not only works on their conditioning but also their running form, agility, balance, power, quick burst speed ( 1st step) and speed over distance ( 40 - 60 yards ).
As for training at home on your own I feel the best things you can do are 40 yard wind sprints and agility drills. If you run a mile try to break up the run to simulate a soccer game where at times you are lightly jogging and then sprint 40 yards and then lightly jog and then spring 10 yards and so on. There are all sorts of things you can use for agility such as an agility ladder but if you don't want to buy one you can set up all sorts of things by just using things around the house.
The off days can be used to strengthen your core such as crunches, knee raises, Australian press ups, and maybe some plyometrics.
Always do some stretching both dynamic and static.
And lots of cold water to help keep the muscles hydrated and avoid cramping
The best part is conditioning can really be done at home if you have a child that is that motivated and they can even work on their foot skills at home also but 1 - 2 x a week in small groups is very beneficial

Thanks Liverpool Coach and Cujo for your advice--those are great suggestions. L.C., it's interesting what the players said about the camp. It's got to be tough to keep large groups of kids focused and motivated for five or six days in a row, especially in the summer heat. Your approach sounds very sensible.

[Red99]

I think there are several factors in play here. 1) schools have cut back on phys ed and recess and this is a great way to get kids engaged in physical activity - nothing wrong with that, 2) competition and drive towards elite status has intensified and parents are looking to give their kids an edge by getting them training, 3) if the training is done properly it may help prevent some of the overuse injuries that we are seeing in young athletes ie patellar injuries (tracking problems) and ACL problems for young women. I think the bottom line is if the kids are enjoying it and they are not being forced to go by overzealous parents then it is fine. I think these companies are reacting to a burgeoning market.

Cujo, we agree :) Arnold, I agree with the info from the posters too, but also IMO the athlete will use CATZ and Velocity (my kids have experience with both) as strength training and injury prevention, not necessarily "conditioning" at least in the sense I think of it (primarily building stamina). So many of my daughters friends entering HS are running this summer to prepare for the HS season to try to "condition" -- I've never quite understood how long distance running prepares you for soccer (or at least the majority of positions in soccer). Or why HS coaches build this into their preseason and/or early season conditioning. It certainly does help your stamina.... but so does swimming and biking which are less strenuous on the knees. A bunch of girls who have never run before and are now running (probably in improper shoes without the proper training on building running into their conditioning) and are suddenly having aches and pains all over the place.

[Cujo]

I think there are several factors in play here. 1) schools have cut back on phys ed and recess and this is a great way to get kids engaged in physical activity - nothing wrong with that, 2) competition and drive towards elite status has intensified and parents are looking to give their kids an edge by getting them training, 3) if the training is done properly it may help prevent some of the overuse injuries that we are seeing in young athletes ie patellar injuries (tracking problems) and ACL problems for young women. I think the bottom line is if the kids are enjoying it and they are not being forced to go by overzealous parents then it is fine. I think these companies are reacting to a burgeoning market.

Cujo, we agree :) Arnold, I agree with the info from the posters too, but also IMO the athlete will use CATZ and Velocity (my kids have experience with both) as strength training and injury prevention, not necessarily "conditioning" at least in the sense I think of it (primarily building stamina). So many of my daughters friends entering HS are running this summer to prepare for the HS season to try to "condition" -- I've never quite understood how long distance running prepares you for soccer (or at least the majority of positions in soccer). Or why HS coaches build this into their preseason and/or early season conditioning. It certainly does help your stamina.... but so does swimming and biking which are less strenuous on the knees. A bunch of girls who have never run before and are now running (probably in improper shoes without the proper training on building running into their conditioning) and are suddenly having aches and pains all over the place.

I agree running by itself out of the context of proper training has all sorts of potential for creating more problems than it solves. The pounding on the knees and ankles and hips caused by running on concrete is tremendous. Play with a ball on grass.

[Liverpool Coach]

The long distance running is typically used by high school coaches to help in lengthening the stride...at least that's what I use it for. But many use it just because they think it is good conditioning. I have known some high school coaches who have their players run 4 miles a day in pre-season. To me that is not soccer like...it's soccer strange. Yes, over the course of a full game they may run that far but at different speeds and angles and not always forwards. So, in my opinion, a 1 mile run as I described earlier with it's variations is much more soccer like. There are times when you need a long stride or a short stride or a quick burst and all those require different techniques. If you want to build up your aerobic capacity then you also need to do anaerobic training. Things such as swimming and biking are good for that but again don't just go for distance. Do the same as the 1 mile varied run I described. You need to build up your capacity so that you can play with pace and effectiveness all game long

[beentheredonethat]

I think there are several factors in play here. 1) schools have cut back on phys ed and recess and this is a great way to get kids engaged in physical activity - nothing wrong with that

A big part of the problem is this generation of kid just does not play like other generations did. This point has been belabored in many forms, but one aspect that seldom gets any air time is the impact on motor skills and athletic development. A lot of our kids just don't run, jump or throw correctly because they didn't really grow up doing it. That's where groups like Catz and Velocity come into play. A big part of what they are actually doing is teaching motor skills.

[FSM]

I think there are several factors in play here. 1) schools have cut back on phys ed and recess and this is a great way to get kids engaged in physical activity - nothing wrong with that

A big part of the problem is this generation of kid just does not play like other generations did. This point has been belabored in many forms, but one aspect that seldom gets any air time is the impact on motor skills and athletic development. A lot of our kids just don't run, jump or throw correctly because they didn't really grow up doing it. That's where groups like Catz and Velocity come into play. A big part of what they are actually doing is teaching motor skills.

A couple of good articles on the subject by Brian Grasso, the first on the issue BTDT is addressing as regards teaching young kids basic motor skills; the second on what to look for in finding a trainer.

And BTW, instead of spending money on soccer camps, my daughter did HPS last summer. Their program allowed you to make up missed sessions for vacation time and also had "homework" to do while on vacation. The concentration of the program was injury prevention. IMO doing this allowed her to come back to soccer in August, both mentally fresh and physically prepared. She continues with similiar programs closer to home both during the soccer season and again this summer. I am definitely sold on the value of these programs. Even though her older sister is not playing soccer at the present time, she has also started. It is definitely physically challenging, but as my older daughter has said, she enjoys having her butt kicked. :shock:

Because Most Trainers Don't Know How

Sometimes the nature of my articles to you have to be in relation to market trends.

Right now, there seems to be a large number of trainers out there who are taking on clients as young as 6 – 10 years old.

You may be thinking that I have a problem with that.

But, I don’t…

…At least not in principal.

I am sensitive to the fact that many young athletes are being asked to compete in endless numbers of games within a given season, these days.

That seems to have become the standard in our society with respect to youth sports participation.

Downgraded elements have become:

Fun

Development of self-efficacy

Development of general skill

Development of athletic ability

Highlighted elements have become:

Competition

Destruction of self-efficacy

Over-concentration on specific skill

Over-concentration on specific ability

I spoke about this topic with Nicholas Roy just yesterday. Nicholas is a very talented young trainer in Quebec, Canada. He did run into a slight problem last week, however. Nicholas was asked to present a seminar on global youth development to a group of figure skating coaches – and it was apparently not well received.

The notion that these coaches should be spending less time on the specific skill nuances associated with complex figure skating techniques and more time on global aspects of development was seemingly not a favorable message.

And I’ve heard the arguments, by the way.

But figure skating is one of the sports that requires an athlete to develop early, so specific skill development must be introduced at a young age.

True.

But so many other variables have to be considered:

Fewer than 1% of all figure skaters ever ascend to a level of national or international success. In that, coaches of all sports must become better at objectively identifying talent – and this true of all sports.

Even in isolated circumstances of ‘elite’ ability, a globalized developmental scenario must be followed. A young athletes eventual skill level and injury avoidance capacity is based on their systemic development.

Over-patterning the same relative movements again and again will lead to structural and mechanical dysfunctions and compensatory patterns – in short… injuries.

I mention this last point because much of the adjunct training that young athletes are exposed to serves little more than to contribute to this over-patterning issue.

The off-ice training programs of young figure skaters often involves participation in ‘jump classes’.

It seems that the repetitive pounding young figure skaters get on the ice isn’t enough.

The additional training that young baseball players are asked to do often comes in the form of hitting and pitching lessons.

I guess because they don’t encounter enough of that during their 60+ game schedules.

So no, in principal, I am not against the fact that some young athletes and there parents are seeking out the services of trainers in order to augment there child’s sport participation.

I am however, entirely against the fact that many times, the parents and trainers use this adjunct training time in a misguided way.

It is not about enhancing the child’s ability on the ice, field or court; it’s about providing non-specific stimulus that serves to develop the child athletically.

We have spent a great deal of time in research and practical application of creating a system of development for all young athletes that is progressive, safe and quite frankly, works.

I could do what a lot of other elite trainers do.

Create a system and try to entice you to purchase it.

That’s not what this newsletter is all about, though.

It’s about me sharing information and ideas so that young athletes are better cared for.

So…

Here’s what you should be doing with young athletes every training session or practice – and it does not matter if you are a coach or a trainer.

A) Non-locomotor/Non-manipulative Stimulus:

These are exercises and games that require balance and stability.

4-point kneeling with opposite arm/leg circles

1-knee kneeling

Scramble to balance

Sport-specific balance points. For example: In soccer, ‘hit’ the position of the backswing of a kicking motion while you coach posture (be sure to perform this with both legs)

B) Locomotor/Non-manipulative Stimulus:

These are exercises and games that require movement and fluidity.

Technique-based running drills

Technique-based skipping drills

One and two foot hopping drills

Sport-specific movement technique. For example:
In figure skating, time spent on the technical aspects of skating

In baseball, time spent on the technical aspects of running the bases

In basketball, time spent on the technical aspects of cutting and direction change without the use of a ball

C) Manipulative Stimulus:

These are exercises and games that require the introduction of external objects

Throwing

Catching

Kicking

Carrying objects

Sport-specific manipulation techniques. For example: In soccer, practicing kicking a ball into a specific spot of the goal

Young Athletes - Beware the Snake Oil

So I was visiting a fitness-based message board yesterday, enjoying the various posts, threads and exchanges between my colleagues.

I don’t frequent or post on message boards that often, myself.

Not because I have particularly negative feelings or problems with message boards per say, I just always get the feeling that the bravado and ‘big talk’ some of the frequent posters ‘put on’ in their messages is more a reflection of there internet personas than it is a true indication of there real-life personalities or abilities as a trainer.

And one of the posts I came across yesterday added a great deal of fuel to that fire.

This particular post was centered around the tremendous results that this trainer had endowed onto a few of the young athletes in his care.

That in-an-of-itself is not a big deal.

I am always happy to see professional trainers taking a passionate stance with respect to the work they do to improve the lives and athletic prowess of their young athletes.

But as this post went on, it started to stink of insincerity and a general lack of true understanding.

And that’s what has prompted me to write this warning to you today.

You see, as the post went on, the trainer started to reveal that his magical methods of athletic development had gleaned a full 5 inch vertical jump increase and allowed his young athletes to standout head and shoulders above both their teammates and competitors.

O.K… no warning signs yet.

With dedicated force production and mechanical aptitude training, increases in vertical jump are not hard to achieve.

But than this trainer claimed the enchanting words that always make me shutter:

“And I’ve only trained them 6 timesâ€￾.

Bingo…

My ‘BS’ meter starting ringing instantly like a tornado warning siren in the plain states.

In less than 6 hours of devoted time with these kids, this trainer had managed to increase their vertical power production by a full 5 inches and allowed them to stand out and be recognized as better and more complete athletes than all others around them?

In the immortal words of ‘80s fitness icon, Susan Powders…

“STOP THE INSTANITYâ€￾

I write this not as a stab or off-putting view of the trainer who made these claims, but as a warning to all parents and coaches.

Athletic development takes time.

I have written about this consistently for the past 4 years and lectured about it for even longer.

Training young athletes is not magical.

Improving the athletic ability of youngsters and teenagers is not mysterious, secretive or baffling.

Trainers who claim to have ‘hidden treasures’ or ‘hush-hush’ styles of creating incredible, superhuman levels of speed, strength, power or athletic ability in the young athletes they train prove one thing to me…

…And one thing only…

…They have no idea what they are talking about.

Training young athletes is about finding the gentle balance of promoting athletic ability while reducing the potential of injury.

It’s about understanding the art of coaching and being able to dynamically add exercise stimulus into the life of a young athlete while considering the nutritional, mental/emotional stress and other athletic demands currently being placed on them.

So for parents and coaches looking to hire trainers to work with their young athletes, I offer this warning to you –

Beware the Snake Oil.

If the talk is about quick gains, vast improvements and unsurpassed abilities (especially in a short period of time)… run.

Run away because the trainer you are talking to has no idea what it takes to truly develop a young athlete.

Let me put this into practical terms.

How much would you trust these professionals? –

“I see you have cancer, Mr. Smithâ€￾ says the doctor. “Not to worry, with my new revolutionary cancer fighting system, I will have you cured and disease-free in 7 days… Guaranteedâ€￾.

How about this one –

“You are correct, Mrs. Jones, grade 2 should take a full school year for your son to pass, but with my cutting-edge teaching system, I can have your son in grade 3 by next weekâ€￾.

On that note, I recently chatted about this with Mike Boyle.

Mike is considered the very best conditioning coach in the world and for good reason.

His 25 year career has included work with countless Olympic, professional AND high school athletes.

Brian: Often coaches just don't let the process happen. I think they're doing that because of exactly what you said. They're selling their services in six weeks, and they're looking to make a 15% increase in a squat total or a 10% decrease in the 40 yard dash, and they're thinking, "Geez, the time's running out, I'd better load this kid now." And that's part of the problem.

Mike: Exactly. I used to talk to coaches all the time. I do not care if this kid gets any stronger the first 12 weeks he's here…

I DO NOT CARE IF THIS KID GETS ANY STRONGER THE FIRST 12 WEEK’S HE’S HERE.

No 5 inch vertical increases in 6 training sessions…

No monumental decreases in the 40 time in just 3 weeks…

No snake oil.

So parents and coaches, a final word of caution…

If it sounds too good to be true, it almost assuredly is.