Kids Speed Training
There are many strategies that are going to determine how you set up a kids speed training program.
There are many strategies that are going to determine how you set up a kids speed training program. You must take in to consideration not only the chronological age of athletes that you are training, but also their biological age.
A great book that goes into detail about different training parameters during the stages of development in adolescence is by Jozef Drabik called Children and Sports Training.
Taking into account the level and ability of your athlete, here are a few tips that must go into your childrenís sports speed program.
- Warming up Put together a long and full warm-up that reaches all muscles. The exercises should not be strenuous or fatiguing at all.
- Simple to complex For your warm-up or for any of your structured exercises that your kids are going to perform, use this basic formula. Simple to complex. Start with the most basic exercises and move to the more difficult ones.
- Slow to fast Again, a very basic concept. Start with your slower movements, whether itís a flexibility drill or a running drill, and go to your quicker movements.
- Vary your exercises With developing children you want to add coordination exercises. That being said, make sure you do not use the same exercises at the same time every training day. Switch up the exercises so you challenge the young athlete
- Rest intervals Rest and recovery is extremely important with young athletes. Many drills can be extremely challenging to most athletes especially when you are adding highly coordinated drills that are used in speed training.
- Use sport specific movements Combine speed exercises with the techniques used in their sport or sports. Cutting drils, add football, soccer ball, etc. to exercises.
- Learning first You can practice at sub-maximal efforts before you perform drills and exercises at full speed. The key is to have your athletes be comfortable and be able to flawlessly perform every drill. Itís more important to have perfect form then to try and perform drills as fast as possible.
- Breaking down exercises Break down your exercises into parts. You can perfect techniques of the Ďpartsí of exercises then put them together so that the athlete can comfortably perform the entire motion of specific exercises.
Those are just a few tips and techniques that you can take and add immediately to your kids speed training program. Good luck!
Training Workouts Strength
Training for Speed