1. A Coaches Dozen: 12 FUNdamental Principles for Building Young & Healthy Athletes Avery Faigenbaum, Ed.D., FACSM, FNSCA Dept. of Health & Exercise Science The College of New Jersey

2. Youth Sport Participation

3. What are we really trying to do with these kids? Childhood Health? Adult Exercise? Adult Health? Win games?

7. Health Club Membership, Under 18 yrs. (IHRSA, 2006) Millions +58%

8. What does it take to be a youth coach?

9. 12 FUNdamental Principles Build a Strong Foundation

10. Principle #1 Young athletes are not miniature adults Chronological age Biological age Training age Emotional differences Social differences Reasons to be active Responses to training

11. Physiologic Development and Performance in Boys and Girls Age (years) Performance Variable

12. Possible Outcomes of Exercise Training Age (years) Physiologic Variable ??? (Rowland, 2001) 12 Sensitive Period

13. Sunday = 1 hour Monday = 2.5 hours Tuesday = 5.5 hours Wednesday= 5 hours Thursday = 2.5 hours Friday = 5 hours Saturday = 5.5 hours 27 hours How much is too much? 13

14. An Additional Outcome of Excessive Exercise Training (Adapted from Rowland, 2001) Age (years) Physiologic Variable ??? Sensitive Period 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 468101214161820 UntrainedTrainedOvertrained 14

15. Principle #2 Value Preparatory Conditioning

16. Overuse Injuries in the Young Athlete (Dr. Lyle Micheli, Children’s Hospital Boston) Training errors Environment/equipment Anatomic malalignments Growth Muscle-tendon imbalance Underlying disease states Cultural deconditioning

17. Physical Activity for Youth (Faigenbaum, SCJ, 2001) Lifestyle Physical Activities General Conditioning Sport Training Sport Competition FUNdamental Fitness

18. Participation in sports should evolve out of preparatory fitness conditioning 18 Plan for success

19. Potential Benefits of Youth Strength and Conditioning Increase strength Increase power Improve body composition Enhance BMD Improve sports performance Reduce sports injuries

20. At what age can children start strength training?

23. Principle #3 Avoid Sport Specialization Before Adolescence 80-20 Rule

24. Developmental Symmorphosis No single component should develop faster than the rest of the system as a whole

25. The Developing Brain Paul Thompson, UCLA Laboratory of Neuroimaging 25 MRI scans of children and teens, 15 years of brain development

27. Principle #4 Enhance Physical Literacy

28. Childhood Obesity is Up *Physical Literacy is Down *

30. Become Aware of Weaknesses Identify weaknesses Identify strengths ABC’S Agility Balance Coordination Strength Awareness breeds success

31. Earn the Right

32. Principle #5 Better to Undertrain than Overtrain Sports practice Sports conditioning “Private” conditioning Part-time job School, family….

33. 1972 2010

34. Training + Restoration = Adaptation Training + Training = Maladaptation 1 2 3 4 5 67 8 9 10 11 12 More is Just More Red Zone Under-recovery > Under-performance

35. Value Less Intense Training Learning required concentration & interest Focus on practicing skills correctly Well-planned activities can maximize recovery Anyone can make an athlete tired

36. Principle #6 Focus on Positive Education Play is the work of childhood

37. What is fun?

38. Principle #7 Maximize Recovery

39. Recovery Strategies for Young Athletes 1. Cool-down 2. Post-exercise food 3. Stay hydrated 4. Contrast shower 5. Massage 6. Vary workouts 7. Music 8. Socialize 9. Visualization 10. Adequate sleep

40. Sleep & High School Students AAP, adolescents require 9-10 hours/night Sleep survey to >3000 9 th -12 th graders –Wolfson & Carskadon, Child Development, 1998 –Median amount of sleep was 7.5 hrs –25% reported sleeping 6.5 hrs or less Sleep survey to athletes & nonathletes –Faigenbaum, et al, SCJ., 2002 –Average amount of sleep was 6.6 hrs –No difference between athletes and nonathletes –94% of the athletes noted they need more sleep

41. Alcohol Intoxication –Inability to focus –Decrease alertness –Lack of motivation –Poor decision making –Decrease reaction time –Decreased strength Sleep deprivation –Inability to focus –Decrease alertness –Lack of motivation –Poor decision making –Decrease reaction time –Decreased strength Poor Performance

42. Principle #8: It’s Not What You Take It’s What You Do

43. Principle #9 Get Connected: Don’t be a Sub “Feeling connected” Listen & show interest Catch kids being good Be enthusiastic Show & tell Be a positive role model

44. Principle #10 Make a Long-Term Commitment www.softball.bc.ca

48. LTAD: General to Specific Learning to train ~9-1 2 Fundamental stage ~6-9 Training to train, ~12-16 Training to compete, ~16-18 Training to win

49. Principle #11 There Are No Secrets Need qualified coaching, well designed practice sessions and a long-term commitment

50. Principle #12 Never Stop Learning Own experiences & share ideas Peer-reviewed journals Professional conferences Talk with colleagues

51. What are we really trying to do with these kids?

52. Thank you! Dr. Lyle Micheli Dr. Wayne Westcott Dr. Tom Rowland Pat Mediate Jim McFarland Tracy Radler