The physical profile of an athlete can distinguish between elite and non-elite status, independent of technical ability. Elite athletes are clearly identifiable in adolescence by higher levels of endurance and greater speed. A sizeable body of research continues to validate this hypothesis, however most of it is concentrated on male athletes. In professional soccer, little [...]
There is a growing body of evidence highlighting the positive effects of both plyometric and strength training for youth athletes. A little earlier this week, we posted that plyometric training in youth soccer players improves many physical performance indicators including, speed, strength & peak power. And a more recent study by Keiner et al. (2012) has demonstrated [...]
We received a great reaction to our post on resistance training in children, as the CSEP position paper affirmed the benefits of strength training for pre-adolescents. A popular belief among parents is that strength training can stunt growth in pre-adolescents, but there appears to be little research to back this claim. A recent paper published by Michalldis [...]
We have written a little about LTAD, however we haven’t yet posted on motor-skills training for U8 – U12. With that, I thought i’d comment on some of my guiding principles which I hope can help fitness coaches to think about their approach to it. Motor-skills training should target (static & dynamic) balance, reaction time (using visual, [...]
The LTAD model proposed by Balyi & Hamilton (2004) outlines a framework for the development of motor-skills and physical skills which run parallel to a chronological age profile of an athlete. It is an ambitious project that attempts to explain the physiological development of a young athlete all the way to adulthood. It has been [...]
Few guidelines exist to inform the coach when a youth athlete is ready to transition from motor-skill training (e.g. co-ordination, agility, balance, reaction-time) to strength training (force-velocity training, strength and power). Naturally, both are important and desirable qualities in any athlete, but a time does arrive when the emphasis switches from one to the other. [...]
The effect of early specialization on long-term athlete development is evidenced on physical and psychological levels. Harre et al. (1982) compared the major differences in athletes who specialized early v those who had a multilateral development: Early Specialisation v Multilateral Development 1. Quick performance improvements v Slower performance improvements 2. Best performances aged 15-16 years [...]
Pictured above is Brian O’Driscoll, Irish captain at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He has captained Ireland to the Grand Slam title, was IRB World Rugby player of the year in 2001 and recently voted World Rugby player of the decade 2000 – 2009. In truth, he probably could have been a world-class athlete in [...]