Strength and conditioning for young atheletes
I train a lot of young athletes and my goals for them are simple. Get them faster, quicker and give them the tools they need to be ready for high school. A big problem that I have run into is weak abdominal and lower back, also known as the core. While it is great to get fast, quicker and stronger we must remember that building a strong foundational athlete is better then an athlete that can squat 200lbs but cant move on the field without getting injured. This is whey strengthening the low back and core is so important. There are many ways to do this; med ball chops high, low and mid, planks, hyper-extensions and many other tools to increase core strength. So for any coaches out there who are designing strength and conditioning programs remember to always warm up, focus on building the athlete from the middle and remember training the incoming freshman and immature sophomores is more than just pounding weight it is creating an athlete.
