U9/10
Kids aren’t mini-adults, nor should they train like them. At U9/10, kids have very different needs and they should be exposed to various training environments. These young athletes should focus on developing general athleticism and long-term athletic development before sports specialization.
Here are the skills we will focus on improving with our U-9/U-10 athletes.
- agility
- balance
- coordination
- flexibility
- hand-eye coordination
- reaction time
- speed development
- conditioning
As you can see, the development of these traits/skills will benefit each and every young athlete regardless of what sport they play. In addition to focusing on long-term athletic development, we also focus on group interaction, team-building, problem-solving and positive reinforcement.
U11/12
It’s important to instill good habits with this age group due to significant growth spurts on the horizon. At this stage, these young athletes are starting to learn how to train correctly, and is vital because it will set the tone for future habits and skillsets.
The training sessions for this age group will look similar to the U9/U 10 groups but we start to add in a bit more structure to the training sessions. We will still focus on developing physical literacy but this a perfect time to start adding in a comprehensive warm-up, flexibility training, and reinforcement of quality biomechanics via games and structured play.
U13/14
At this stage, we will continue to focus on fundamental movement patterns and skill acquisition. We will also focus on strength training, speed development, and conditioning. At this age, it’s important that athletes learn how to strength train safely and effectively so they can stay healthy throughout the course of the year.
This will be the stage where these young athletes get their first taste of a comprehensive strength and conditioning program that will include low-level plyometrics, strength training, and various types of conditioning.
The skillset and habits learned at this stage will absolutely have a positive impact on their ability to compete at a higher level down the road.
U15 - U19
At this age, we will introduce a formal strength and conditioning program.
This is the perfect time to focus on developing strength, speed, power, agility etc. We will spend a significant amount of time teaching these young athletes how to strength train safely and effectively. It’s vital that these young athletes learn how to strength train with appropriate technique, awareness and common sense. The skills learned in the weight room will create an exceptional foundation for their continued athletic development.