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Young Athletes
BigTime athletic development is not just for the older athletes. The younger athlete isn’t going to get the kind of results that an older more mature athlete, but there are plenty of exercises that will still have an impact on the development of the young athlete ( 11 years of age and younger).
The NSCA recommends that kids of 12 years of age and older are perfectly safe to perform a complete weight lifting workout. Weight training at 12 years of age is no more dangerous than for the older athlete if done properly. Training at this age involves higher reps with lighter weight (12-15 reps). Programs are usually shorter in duration also.
Kids at this age may or may not have the hormones in their body that would allow them to increase significantly the amount of muscle they have. However, they can learn a good work ethic because of the discipline it takes to stay on an exercise program and the human body will gain strength due to the reaction of the body to consistent exercise. These adaptations to exercise from the young athlete should not be overlooked. This type of adaptability is very similar to the reaction to exercise that the older athlete gets but to much lesser degree and is more proprioceptive in nature.
BigTime programs for the younger athlete places more emphasis on agility, core strength, flexibility, and body exercises than it does on actual weight training, but weight training is still part of the program. The use of medicine balls, balance exercises, bungees, and dynamic flexibility exercises dominate every routine. Building a base and a strong core will create a much stronger and injury free older athlete. Most injuries to the young athlete are due to doing too much too soon and not following proper guidelines.
Agility, speed and quickness can be done at a very young age and BigTime Athletic Development adapts every program to the level of the athlete and/or the group of athletes. Below 12 yrs of age most of the workout consists of flexibility, agility, form running and core exercises and some body weight exercises. This all takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes which is about the limit for time for the athlete under 12 years of age. Once they reach the age of 12 then the workout closely resembles the older athlete’s routine just with less volume and lighter weights.
Plyometrics are used in our youth programs, again under 12 the programs are very low impact with more emphasis on form running, quickness, and agility. Playing games and competing against other kids is a very good way to get kids to go hard and get results with out the kids even realizing how hard they are working. As they get to 12 and over then they can do most of what the older athletes can do with some limitations on the amount of impact and to what degree the impact is.
BigTime youth programs incorporate a variety of training methods to keep the kids engaged, challenge them, and achieve our goals. The formula of flexibility, functional training, balance, form running, core strengthening, and our power circuits is constantly changing but consistanty effective. We adapt every program to the age, fitness level, sport, motivation and maturity of every kid.
Keep the workouts short but challenging and try to implement competition as often as possible add in constant variety and you will keep the kid's interest and thus get results –this will keep the kids coming back.
"Being average means you are as close to the bottom as you are to the top". To many kids are satisfied with being average. BigTime youth programs introduce to kids at a young age what it means to work at being their best and not settling for being average!
