FOR THE YOUTH ATHLETE

“Is strength training important for sports?

The improvement of athletic performance in youth athletes is a complex task, and achieving high levels of athleticism requires a robust long-term plan. Sports participation alone, in many cases, does not offer sufficient stimulus to achieve this. Resistance training in all forms (e.g. strength, power or speed training) can help to attenuate these issues by protecting against injuries and positively affecting youth athletes’ physical literacy, thus, diminishing the impact of low physical activity and early sport specialisation among youths (7).

Stronger young athletes will be better prepared to learn complex movements, master sport tactics, and sustain the demands of training and competition (11). Thus, resistance training prescription should be based on an appropriate progression according to training age, motor skill competency, technical proficiency and existing strength levels. Another factor to consider is the biological age and psychosocial maturity level of the child or adolescent (1, 6).

A high level of muscular strength contributes to enhancing performance ability in young athletes. Moreover, it is also important to build a good base of fundamental movements during childhood and adolescence, as this will help the youths develop more efficient motor skills whilst simultaneously reducing their risk of injury due to improved body control and/or technique (11).”

An excerpt from “Youth Strength Training”, a post by Science For Sport.