When I asked Marin Čilić, a Croatian tennis player a few questions about the development of motor abilities in young athletes, one of the questions was how  he would rank motor abilities in tennis by importance (endurance, strength, coordination, speed, agility, explosiveness).

In his response, he emphasized that all skills are essential for top-level sports, but placed one skill at the forefront.

Strength came in first place!

In tennis where perfect skill must be demonstrated in a fraction of a second, strength was highlighted. The response only confirmed the exceptional importance of strength in athlete development.

The sedentary lifestyle of today's generation has influenced them to be much physically weaker than previous generations. Therefore, as a coach of young athletes, you must not neglect strength training. In doing so, you need to know the answers to the following questions:

  • Is strength training dangerous for children and young athletes?
  • Why is strength training important for the development of young athletes?
  • When to start strength training?
  • What factors to consider when designing a strength training program for young athletes?

Let's start from the beginning.

There are various opinions that strength training is dangerous for children and youth, and it is better to avoid it. This is often related to the impact of strength training on the bone structure of young athletes. The "argument" is sometimes heard that strength training is harmful due to its negative effect on the growth of children and youth.

Dangers exist but only with the application of inappropriate loads. In children and youth, sudden or excessive loads can "rupture" the growth plate (the part where the bone grows in length) because it is much weaker than the surrounding ligamentous structures (Trošt, Šimek, Bobić, 2007).

However, numerous studies support the introduction of strength training for children and youth, proving the positive impact that progressive, optimal, and long-term strength training has on:

  • Growth and development
  • Bone, ligament, tendon, and muscle strength
  • Development of other motor abilities
  • Improved athletic performance
  • Prevention of sports injuries
  • Confidence

When to start strength training?

The greatest increase in strength in boys is a result of hormonal changes, namely an increase in testosterone levels, towards the end and after puberty.

However, numerous studies have proven that an increase in strength is possible even in much younger athletes, where muscle hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle cross-section, is not possible. The reason is the increase in strength through the development of the neuromuscular system, which ensures motor control of strength exercises and the ability to activate a larger number of muscle fibers.

Therefore, we can say that strength training can be started before entering puberty, but not with the goal of increasing muscle mass but with the development of the neuromuscular system - learning skills and techniques for performing various exercises, especially those involving large muscle groups.

In general, we can state that strength training can start the moment children and young people engage in sports.

When designing a program, coaches of young athletes must consider the following factors:

  • Biological age. Unlike chronological age, biological age indicates the stage of maturity the young athlete is currently in. Thus, a 15-year-old with an average rate of maturation can likely use more advanced content and higher loads than a 15-year-old who lags in maturation.
  • Sensitive phases of strength development. These phases see the accelerated development of organs and systems that determine strength.
  • Gender. Boys in puberty experience accelerated strength development, unlike girls whose strength (especially in the upper body) begins to stagnate, and even decline, during puberty.
  • Previous experience in strength training. A young athlete who learned the proper technique for strength exercises in pre-puberty will be able to participate in an advanced training program in later stages of sports development, use higher loads, and have a better foundation for further strength development.
  • Individual abilities of each individual young athlete

Looking at only the above factors, to be able to shape strength training for each individual athlete you train, you must categorize them into one of the following "categories": early-maturing/average/late-maturing + boy/girl + with/without experience in strength training + within/outside the sensitive phase of strength development + current level of individual abilities (flexibility, mobility, stability, strength, etc.).

Practice shows that such an individualized approach to shaping a training program is rarely used in young athletes. It is much easier to put them all in the same "mold," with the most dangerous being the one that turns them into "miniature adults."

To prevent this from happening, when planning and implementing strength training, you must be familiar with the specificities of young athletes, resulting from the turbulent changes they go through during growth. The book "FORMULA FOR SUCCESS IN SPORTS 1"  provides numerous guidelines to follow when shaping a training program. Along with photos and detailed descriptions of each exercise, six-week strength programs are given for sports development stages from 6-9, 10-14, and 15-18 years old.

 

-Igor Macner

 

 

 

References: Trošt, Tatjana ; Šimek, Sanja ; Bobić, Lana Epifizne zone rasta i trening // Zbornik radova 5. godišnje međunarodne godišnje konferencije Kondicijska priprema sportaša s glavnom temom &laquo ; ; Kondicijska priprema djece i mladih&raquo ; ;. 2007 

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