Strength and Conditioning for Kids—Developing Impact Athletes

Parents and coaches of child athletes are in a relentless search for the holy grail of maximizing sport performance. Often, this leads to early sport specialization, neglecting to see the value of a long-term athletic development approach. As a coach to athletes of all ages (5-18), I frequently see the lack of general fitness (strength, power, endurance) in today’s youth.

Considering that general fitness is the foundation on which sport skills are built, children (ages 6-9) who participate long-term in a strength and conditioning program (S&C) will realize a lifelong performance advantage. A few of those key advantages are:

• There is a developmental Window of Opportunity you can tap into for children between the ages of 6-9 years old.
• Establish a lifelong neurological advantage through consistent strength, power, and plyometric training.
• S&C programs condition athletes for the physical demands of competition in a controlled environment and make them more resilient to injury.
• General fitness is the foundation on which sport skills are built.

Video 1. Jumping and solving movement challenges in a range of patterns and planes takes advantage of the early window of opportunity to learn movement skills.

Neuroplasticity

Child development experts have established that children display a high degree of neuroplasticity—the ability of the brain to change and learn. Oftentimes, this is brought up when discussing childrens’ ability to acquire language more quickly than older people. Less understood is the key role the brain plays in athleticism, strength, and power performance.

Every movement we make is controlled by the brain. When a person begins strength training, the initial gains are a product of the nervous system becoming more coordinated and efficient. Increasing muscle size is a much slower process—typically taking at least 8-10 weeks of consistent training and nutrition—and is less significant in children. When we see Usain Bolt sprint the 100-meter dash or Michael Jordan dunk from the free throw line, we are seeing the expression of a supercharged nervous system.

As with language acquisition, children can increase strength and power at a remarkable rate and develop a physical potential that would not be possible if training is delayed until adolescence. This critical age range between the ages of six and nine is known as a Window of Opportunity.³

As with language acquisition, children can increase strength and power at a remarkable rate and develop a physical potential that would not be possible if training is delayed until adolescence, says @PinneyStrength. Share on X

Misconception

A popular misconception that has been thoroughly debunked is that S&C will stunt a child’s growth.¹ I find it interesting that nobody thinks twice about children competing in sports, but weightlifting is deemed dangerous.

Video 2. Introducing medicine balls, kettle-bells, bar-based movements, and other movement patterns.

In reality, attacking sports are actually far more dangerous than strength training because of the dynamic, intense, and unpredictable nature of competition. In contrast, S&C conditions athletes for the physical demands of competition in a controlled environment and makes them more resilient to injury.

Benefits

The benefits of S&C for children are profound, including physical, academic, and social-emotional growth. Physical benefits are the most obvious:

• Improved speed, power, strength, and coordination.
• Enhanced sport performance.
• Better conditioned for demands of sport/injury prevention.
• Increased bone mineral density.^2,5,8

Less obvious are the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional benefits. Children who are more physically active perform better academically, including better grades, attendance, and classroom behavior.⁷ Moreover, consider the social and psychological benefits of being a competent athlete, such as strong social connections, improved communication skills, and boosted self-confidence.⁴ All of these are advantages when navigating through adolescence, and support the development of a well-rounded individual.

Ground Rules

Guidelines for training children include focusing on quality over quantity, being positive and encouraging, and not forcing them to work out. The goal is to create positive associations with training to promote a lifelong passion for fitness. Children are ready to train when they have the desire and ability to practice skills attentively. When a child loses interest in a training session, simply suspend the session and tell them what a great job they did.

The goal is to create positive associations with training to promote a lifelong passion for fitness. Children are ready to train when they have the desire and ability to practice skills attentively, says @PinneyStrength. Share on X

A few things I do with my kids to make training more engaging are setting a 10-minute timer (so they know the session will be short and sweet), playing upbeat music to enhance the environment, and celebrating when they hit personal records. There are times when I can tell my kids are not interested in a structured workout in the garage gym—in these cases, we’ll go to the backyard and work on sports skills and I’ll attempt to sprinkle in exercises as well.

Secret Sauce

When I think of an athlete, I think of someone who is coordinated and explosive. To this end, strength, power, and plyometric work are essential. This is the low hanging fruit that can separate young athletes from their peers and establish a lifelong neurological advantage.

The good news is that this type of program is extremely practical, focusing on the things that really move the needle, and require minimal equipment and time. I do these workouts with my kids out of my garage gym with medicine balls, a squat rack, and a dip bar. The power-packed exercises are sprints, broad jumps, hops, modified push-ups, inverted rows, pull-ups, squats, and leg lifts. Exercises are performed for 5-15 reps in a circuit fashion—cycling through exercises with minimal rest time—with an emphasis on quality technique. Two-to-three workouts a week is ideal, but in reality, some weeks you will only get one or none. Stay the course!

Video 3. Measuring broad jumps to boost intent and track progress over time.

Sprints and broad jumps are timed and measured as Key Performance Indicators to track progress and encourage maximum intent. Keep in mind, like strength and power gains, children’s growth is not linear. They grow in spurts. If a child is in a growth spurt, you can expect that it will impact their coordination and performance. It will take time for them to grow into their new bodies. Be patient and understand that consistent training will help accelerate them through the awkward stages.

If a child is in a growth spurt, you can expect that it will impact their coordination and performance. It will take time for them to grow into their new bodies, says @PinneyStrength. Share on X

Sport participation is vital to developing sports-specific skills and learning to compete. Children need to become accustomed to game speed and intensity, and the mental aspects of competitions (e.g., dealing with nerves, being a team player, learning to fail, etc.). I am an advocate for kids playing multiple sports to develop a variety of skills. Early sport specialization will lead to improved performance in the short run, but the long-term dangers are burnout and overuse injuries.⁶

The truth is, many youth athletes over-compete and under-train. General fitness (strength, power, endurance) is the foundation on which sport skills are built. Therefore, developing greater strength and power will result in an athletic advantage. Keep in mind that sport contests are often decided by just a few explosive plays. Impact athletes are stronger and more explosive than the competition. These athletes are game changers.

Sample Workout

Set a timer for 10-minutes and cycle through as many rounds as possible:

1. Pogo Hops x 20
2. Modified Push-up x 10-15 (I use an elevated bar on a squat rack)
3. Inverted Rows x 10-15 (using the same bar)
4. Leg lifts x 5-10 (using dip bars)
5. Squats with 5-10 lb. medicine ball x 5-10
6. Broad Jumps x 3

Test broad jump and sprint time frequently to track progress.

References

1. Barbieri, D., Zaccagni, L. (2011). Strength Training for Children and Adolescents: Benefits and Risks. Collegium Antropologicum. 37(2): 219-22.

2. Behringer, M., Vom Heede, A., Matthews, M., & Mester, J. (2011). Effects of strength training on motor performance skills in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. Pediatric exercise science. 23(2), 186-206.

3. Caulfield, S. P., Smith, W. S. (2019). Windows of Opportunity. Developing Agility and Quickness. Second Edition: pp. 68 – 70.

4. Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. 10(98).

5. Faigenbaum, A. D. (2000). Strength Training for Children and Adolescents. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 19(4).

6. Jayanthi, N., Pinkham, C., Dugas, L., Patrick, B., & Labella, C. (2013). Sports specialization in young athletes: evidence-based recommendations. Sports health, 5(3), 251–257.

7. Michael, S. L., Merlo, C. L., Basch, C. E., Wentzel, K. R., & Wechsler, H. (2015). Critical connections: health and academics. Journal of School health. 85(11), 740-758.

8. Sortwell, A. (2020). Effects of Plyometric-Based Program on Motor Performance Skills in Primary School Children Aged Seven and Eight.

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