The purpose of this article is to make the case for implementing non-traditional sports into training programs that prepare youth for participation in traditional American sports and bridge the gap between pedagogy of physical education and strength and conditioning youth coaching.
In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 Coaches Conference, Maura Bergan explores how strength and conditioning and the weight room can help educate young individuals in more areas than just athletic development, and how it can foster and create many positive life lessons.
CoachesExercise ScienceProgram designOrganization and AdministrationProfessional DevelopmentYouth TrainingYouth DevelopmentStrength and ConditioningLTADhs-coaching
Given the growing interest surrounding youth strength and conditioning, the NSCA recently engaged a group of leading experts to author a position statement on long-term athletic development. The document proposes ten key pillars of successful long-term athletic development that practitioners should adhere to in order to enhance performance, promote health and well-being, and minimize the risk of sport- or physical activity-related injury.
Athletic performance can be enhanced through the use of implementing various unstructured, semi-structured, and structured play from the 12 types of play. These can be performed in the weight room, at a sports practice, or even at home.
Learn about the anthropometric, kinematic, kinetic, and asymmetric variables that contribute to sprint performance, as well as how a coach can design effective speed development programs for male youth athletes.
Personal trainersCoachesExercise Sciencespeed developmentyouth trainingyouth athletessprint performanceinfographics
The “five Ss” of trainability and performance are critical periods of development that all youth strength and conditioning coaches should consider when creating a training program. Coaches should take advantage of each window to maximize a youth athlete’s potential and help ensure a long athletic career.
CoachesProgram designLTADyouth training guidelinesyouth athletic training
This article describes the long-term athletic development programming pillars and suggests practical applications for strength and conditioning practitioners.
High school coaching is a rapidly-growing area of strength and conditioning, and can be an exciting career choice for strength and conditioning professionals who want to have a lifelong positive impact on young people.
USA Football's senior manager of education and training, Andrew Ryland, discusses the long-term athletic development (LTAD) model and its growth and application in the United States, as well as the breakdown of what it looks like for youth football players, in this session from the NSCA’s 2019 Coaches Conference.
CoachesExercise TechniqueProgram designProfessional DevelopmentFootballYouth DevelopmentLong-Term Athletic DevelopmentADMMotor SkillsLTADAmerican Development Modelhs-coaching