What Is Youth Speed Training and Why Is It Important?
Youth speed training is the development of proper movement mechanics at an early age in order to improve athletic performance. While there is no clearly defined guidelines on how young an athlete needs to be before participating in speed training, parents should look to get their young athlete involved as soon they are able to, and here’s why;
- Injury Prevention: While speed training will not prevent contact injuries, they can help prevent non-contact injuries such as muscle strains, and ligament and tendon injuries. By teaching young athletes optimal movement patterns they can maneuver on the field more efficiently which allows them to accelerate, brake, and reaccelerate safely.
- Optimal Performance: When young athletes become coordinated and learn movement skills at an early age they’re given the best chance to compete at their highest level. This makes sports more fun, and athletes are able to develop a more competitive mindset. While no one can always win in competition, being slow, less agile, and uncoordinated does not set the foundation for young athletes to love playing sports.
Oftentimes when parents of young athletes begin the process of placing their kids in organized sports they fail to appropriately prepare them for the consistency of a competitive season. Speed training typically does not become something parents think about until it’s recommended by coaches or becomes obvious. Parents need to remember that they should always get their child in shape to play sports, and speed training is a big part of that. When young athletes are able to compete at their best and stay healthy at the same time, they’ll have more fun and get the most out of what sports have to offer.
Have more questions? Contact Boost Training Systems in Corona, CA