Youth Athletes & The Importance of Strength Training

Mariah May, CSCS

Youth Athletes and The Importance of Strength Training

School age kids are often encouraged to try out sports for a number of reasons; Sports are a great way to get out of the house and be active. They serve as a great introduction into the lifestyle that includes physical activity, and helps to promote work ethic and goal setting.

However, as youth sports become more competitive, it is more common for kids to only participate in one sport for most of the year. Young athletes who do this have the potential to develop muscular imbalances, overuse injuries, and burnout. 

That's where resistance training (strength training) comes in. Proper strength training can help to improve sports performance but also build resistance to injury and create good habits for their future. 

Benefits of Resistance Training For Youth Athletes

Resistance training has so many benefits to youth and especially those in sports. One of these benefits include an increasing strength and muscle mass. This increase in strength and mass helps to improve speed and power, both which are traits that are essential to sports performance.

By engaging in resistance training you can actually help strengthen joints, tendons, ligaments. These can oftentimes be the weak link in our bodies that are prone to strain or tearing, but by strengthening them it can prevent injury during sports. Resistance training also is one of the most effective ways to increase bone mineral density which in turn can help prevent broken bones and support the body's frame. It has been estimated that more than 50% of overuse injuries sustained by children could be prevented by including coaching education and resistance training in preparation for the athlete’s sport. 

In middle school through highschool, adolescents are still trying to figure out how to move and function in their bodies, it is a time of constant change and growth. It can be difficult for them to navigate effective performance without the direction of a coach. Through resistance training and coaching they can learn more coordinated and safe ways to move. This in turn can help improve the motor skills that they use to execute essential movements in their sport. 

Lastly it has been shown that regular participation in a resistance training program can result in a decrease in body fat, improvements in insulin sensitivity, and enhanced cardiac function among obese children and adolescents.

What to look for in Weight Training for Youth

Training youth can tend to have a different approach than training adults. First when considering resistance training it is important to make sure the athlete has the emotional maturity to follow directions and understand the potential risks that can occur when recklessly engaging in resistance training. If they are unable to or refuse to follow a coach's direction they should not be pushed into training. On the flip side you should ensure that there is a qualified coach who understands how to program for and train youth athletes. The goal when training these athletes relies heavily on learning the correct way to perform exercises, not building muscle. That can come with time but they need to learn how to safely perform an exercise first. The coach should also be helping athletes learn gym etiquette and muscle anatomy/function. It is important for youth to learn what they are doing and why it is important.

Youth training can effectively be done by teaching them basic bodyweight movements and then progressing them from bodyweight to lightly loaded variations like dumbbell and kettlebell movements, and then finally progressing to the barbell. These athletes should also learn when to know if the weight they are doing is appropriate and not to start “ego lifting”. Once again, form is always more important than the weight on the bar.

 Once a basic foundation is built, the coach can then continue to progress the athlete’s training by manipulating movements, reps, sets etc.