Youth Training: Should My Kids be in a Program?

I get asked a lot about youth training and when kids should start a program or what program will help (their) kid excel at (name of sport/ athletic endeavor). I really like the following article from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) which lays out guidelines as to the kinds of activities/movements kids should be using at what age: https://www.nsca.com/uploadedFiles/NSCA/Resources/PDF/Education/Tools_and_Resources/position_stand_youth_resistance_training%20-%202009.pdf

At Fuse Fitness Coaching we offer our SPARKS Youth Performance Enhancement Training which is designed to teach kids proper body mechanics so they CAN excel at their sport. We follow the IGNITE, BURN, EXPLODE program design we use with all our clients which starts with mobility, flexibility, range of motion and balance; followed by strength training and ending with Explosive movement, but we tailor this to our younger athletes. We used to only offer it in the summer, but we now offer it in the fall! Continue reading for more details…

Like adults, kids need to have a strong foundation to not only excel physically, but more importantly to prevent injury. This is what our IGNITE phase is all about: working with kids (and adults) to first be able to move in our full range of motion. Mobility and flexibility are critical to strength. The strength phase (which we call BURN) incorporates strength exercises that are age appropriate as described in the NSCA article. Again, teaching kids proper techniques at a controlled pace allows them to eventually work into more explosive/power and agility and speed based movements (our EXPLODE training). Many times this type of training is athlete specific.

Again, like adults, young athletes need a periodized (and progressive) workout program that focuses on changing small variables each workout, forcing the body to constantly adapt; that’s what our focus is at Fuse Fitness Coaching. It’s hard to provide this with a ratio of 15 or 20 kids to one instructor which is why SPARKS Youth Performance Enhancement training keeps our groups so small with typically no more than 4-8 kids per instructor.

For more information, please visit our website fusefitnesscoaching.com or email us at info@fusefitnesscoaching.com

Our 10 week fall SPARKS program starts September 12th and space is VERY limited!