Teaching and Training Athleticism for the Youth
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 10:06AM TEACHING + TRAINING = SCHOOL OF YOUTH FITNESS
The School of Youth Fitness is about learning how to move and exercise in a safe, effective and fun way. First we teach and coach the specific movement skills and then it is time to train and practice them. Teaching methods and training tools support each other in creating an optimal learning environment. We want to bring back the culture of teaching and learning the skills of movement.
At the same time, we emphasize the absolute importance of the free, spontaneous playtime that is fed by the imagination and not confined by adult supervision. We call this "backyard conditioning".
Both of these environments are needed for optimal results: 1. Supervised teaching and learning but also 2. Free "backyard playtime".
ATHLETES, NOT JUST PLAYERS!
The secret to consistently improving in a sport is “athleticism”. A solid foundation of athletic abilities and motor skills allows the sport specific skills to develop in a most balanced and healthy way. We aim to build athletes with a wide and deep foundation, so that they can enjoy their physical activity and advance in their sport as far as they choose to.
CONDITIONING FOR TODAY, HEALTH FOR TOMORROW
Appropriate youth conditioning should target and improve a) current fitness level and
b) health for the future. The most important job a youth conditioning specialist is to
help the young athlete in building a positive relationship with fitness & exercise and
a healthy lifestyle. We want to condition and train the youth for the challenges of today,
but to also look beyond and set them up for success for tomorrow as well.
AGE-SENSITIVE EXERCISES FOR OPTIMAL DEVELOPMENT
Kids are not small adults. Their developmental stage determines the proper approach in choosing exercises and conditioning programs. The growing body is like a “sponge”, ready to absorb specific skills and physical attributes. By taking advantage of these windows of opportunity, we can develop an effective age-sensitive fitness program. Elements of movement such as flexibility, balance, coordination, agility, speed and strength can and should be trained in regards to the developmental stage of the youth.
Tommi The Trainer