Coaching Young Athletes

Although movement training should begin as soon as possible after a childs' 7th or 8th birthday, the most optimal time for training movement patterns is between the ages of 10 and 12 years old. This is because there is high plasticity of the central nervous system and there is the possibility of developing and steering the central nervous system. This is the age where youngsters can acquire high levels of coordination and agility.

The increase in muscle mass comes during puberty, through increased levels of testosterone or oestrogen – boys 13-17 years and girls 11-15 years. This is one of the reasons why it is not appropriate to train children under 15 with long sprint/lactate runs of 30-40 seconds and beyond. They will rarely improve because their bodies do not produce the necessary enzymes.

The onset of puberty brings on other issues. There is a reduced level of trainability because of adjustments taking place in the body. So at this “sensitive age” more structured goal oriented speed sessions are given which should include more special exercises, which will improve future performances. This is especially true for youngsters who experience fast growth rates.

If, as coaches we want to improve the speed of our youngsters it is advisable to sacrifice premature endurance in pre-pubescent youngsters in exchange for developing speed! Technical coaching at this level is equally important to be able to improve neuromuscular coordination.

 

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