Thread by @JeremyFrisch

A thread on Youth athletic Development

10 ways to improve athleticism in young athletes: off the top of my head...
by: Jeremy Frisch

1. Jumping: Jumping is the secret weapon to develop explosiveness... there is no such thing as jumping slow. Jump for height, jump for distance, jump over, side ways side, one foot, two feet and with twists and turns. The more variety the better the coordination developed.

2. Sprinting: The best age to develop the foundation for speed is ages 7-11. Kids need not worry about technique only concerned with effort. Max Effort will help self organize technique. Simply Challenge them to give their best effort by using racing, chasing and relay races.

3. Calisthenics: The simple stuff like we did back in P. E. Remember Jumping jacks? How about the lost art of jumping rope? Calisthenics are a fantastic tool for warming up and coordination activities. Simple? Yes... but much more effective than jogging around a soccer field.

4. Gymnastics: Gymnastic activities develop body awareness, landing/falling skills, static and dynamic positions, balance body toughness. You don’t need olympic routines to get benefits, simply learning how to roll, cartwheel and various static holds can go a long way.

5. Strength: strength training is not just lifting weights. For children it can come in other forms like tug of war, monkey bars, rope climbing, play, parkour and ninja warrior. The key is using activities that require the athlete to create muscular tension.

6. Pick-up games: any sports game like flag football, baseball, basketball, wiffleball etc or made up classic games like capture the flag, dodgeball and pickle. The key is minimal adult intervention. Let the kids decide the rules, winners and losers.

7. Tag: (the athlete maker) develops all around agility. Sprinting, stopping, starting, spatial awareness... mixed in with a whole bunch of decision making and of course all around fun. Tag carries over to almost every sport. Play in different size spaces for variety.

8. Stop playing one sport all year around. Multiple sports develop multiple skills...the more skills the better all around athlete...skills transfer! Physically, the body gets a rest from repetitive stress and mentally the athlete stays fresh from new activities.

9. Screen time: limit it as much as possible. Eyes get fixed in a two dimensional landscape, sitting for long periods is not good for anyone. Sensory overload without a physical outlet creates stress, anxiety and angry outbursts.

10. Have Fun: If young athletes have fun they are 90% there. When kids have fun, they come back and the
consistency they have the more skills they develop over time without even realizing it.