WK12 Strength and Conditioning Considerations for Children and Adolescents

Overview

• Growth
  • Genetic influence
  • Talent prediction
  • Model of athletic development
• Endurance
• Speed
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Nutrition
• Conclusions

Growth & Genetics

• What influences growth?
  • Genes
  • Sex
  • Ethnic origin
  • Nutrition
  • Emotions
  • Pre-natal environment
  • Physical environment
  • Long term medication
  • Activity
  • Hormones
• How much from our parents? Genetics account for 40-70%.
  • Body size
  • Body shape
  • Adult stature
  • Tempo of growth
  • Timing and rate of sexual development
  • Skeletal maturation
  • Dental development

Age of Peak Height Velocity

• Maturity category (Malina et al. Am J Hum Biol. 1999, 11:189-200)
  • Boys:
    • Early: Average 13.1, SD 0.7
    • Normal: Average 14.1, SD 0.7
    • Late: Average 15.1, SD 0.9
  • Girls:
    • Early: Average 10.9, SD 0.9
    • Normal: Average 12.0, SD 0.5
    • Late: Average 12.7, SD 0.7

Talent Development

• Generally, playing ‘up an age’ will benefit player long term.
• Ignore physical attributes (speed/strength) and focus on skill and decision making.
• Athletes like Messi are outliers; emphasize multiple sports until 10-12 years, then specialize.

Barriers for Talented Youth

• Premature focus on winning, not development.
• Under-training and over-competing.
• General motor skills under-emphasized in the early years.
• Male programs superimposed on females.

Athletic Development Model

• Stages:
  • MOVEMENT
  • SPECIALIZED TRAINING
  • HIGH PERFORMANCE (18 +)

Endurance

• Endurance training is ineffective prior to age 11.
• Pre-training a child provides a better base than pre-training an adult.
• The cardiovascular (CV) system is not fully developed until puberty.
• Aerobic capacity increases between ages 8-11 through activity, not structured training.
• Sprint training activities in games lead to increased endurance.
• Post-pubertal children respond specifically to endurance training.
• Guidelines are similar to adults.
• Implement an incremental program of game-based activities (SSG etc.).
• Simply increase time, decrease numbers, etc.

Endurance Prescription

• Consider a 5 v 5 game on a 30*30m pitch.
• How to make it more endurance-based?
  • Change rules: ball can't stop, can't pass backward, can't pass to the person who passed to you.
  • Use more goals.
  • Implement activity after turnover (t/o) or goal.
  • Increase the size of the pitch.
  • Decrease numbers of players.
  • Use interchange (substitutions).
  • Manipulate time; always keep score.

Speed

• Pre-pubertal speed is a poor predictor of adolescent speed.
• Work on balance, coordination, and gross motor skills.
• Minor jumping is okay.
• Implement minimal movement drills.
• High knees, heel flicks, and ladders/hurdles are good for coordination.

Agility

• Mainly game-based situations.
• Agility cannot be trained with set patterns.
• Different sports/games are excellent; greater exposure equals a greater number of tricks.

Agility/Speed - Practical Application

• Consider a 5v5 game on a 30*30m pitch.
  • Increase numbers, smaller pitch
  • Change activity after t/o or goal
  • Change rules: must sprint 5m after each pass, must switch after every 2 passes.

Strength

• Pre-pubertal: activity-based (jumping, landing, balance).
  • All part of activities, not exercise.
• During/after puberty: body weight-based.
  • Once mature, introduce weights.
  • 2-3 sessions per week, 50-85% 1RM (One Repetition Maximum).
  • Do you have to use weights?

Nutrition

• Higher protein intake required.
• Greater energy requirements; use more fats than carbohydrates (CHO).
• Greater awareness of dehydration.
  • Make it tasty!
• Typically, children are Calcium and Iron deficient.
• Is intervention really necessary?
  • Difficult to get them to engage sometimes.
  • Will these results limit/add to success?

Testing

• How will you use these results?
• Delivery of results is crucial.
• Who will make it next year?

Conclusions

• Activity-based exercises at ALL ages.
• Elite adolescents SHOULD be trained as small adults.
• MOST aspects of physical conditioning can and should be trained with the ball during this period.
• Interest + engagement + skill development = Good development.
• Manipulate the drills to achieve the desired physiological effect.
• The child's growth status MUST be considered.