Should my kids train at QSC? Part 1

Should my kids train at QSC? 
Without hesitation, the answer is yes. You just have to make sure of a few things: 

• Why are they training? 
  You have to make sure the reasons are appropriate for their age, development, and maturity level. Training for things like stability, range of motion, coordination, balance, basic movement patterns, endurance, an age and body appropriate amount of strength, and the like are appropriate goals. These are referred to as basic abilities. You want to build up general physical preparedness. It is good to build up basic abilities in the youth, so they have a basic reserve of capabilities physically and neurologically from which to draw upon when they enter sport, or other physical activities in life. We don't train the youth to make bodybuilders, or strongman/woman competitors, we train the youth to prepare them for their lives and activity. We have to prepare them for their sports, we owe it to them to give them a foundation and a physical literacy that as a society we are failing to provide. 
  
  
• Are my kids well prepared for the demands of their sport?
  Kids are not magically well prepared for the demands of sport if they have no training, period. There is a certain level of technique and force involved in all common movements across sport, whether it be running, jumping, landing, pressing, pulling, rotating, throwing, tackling, you name it. If kids go from sedentary, to suddenly jumping and landing very forcefully, will their movement patterns, muscles, and joints hold up across an entire season? Too often the answer is no. Kids need to be reasonably prepared and accustomed to what proficiency in their sport demands. Kids should learn the basic patterns, lunging, squatting, and hinging, pressing and pulling in all planes of motion, and core stability, anti-rotation, and rotation. 
  Think of the torso twisting that happens in baseball or basketball, or the forces that are generated cutting and changing direction in soccer. These forces are not to be taken lightly, bambi-legged athletes are at best going to be ineffective, or at worst, get hurt. Kids need stability and need to be aware of how their limbs and body are supposed to move. The better the foundation laid during youth, the easier time they will have as they advance and specialize with age. 
  
  
• What can training help my kids with?
  Training can help with a range of characteristics, whether mental or physical, ranging from self efficacy and confidence, to increased physical performance and injury resistance. One thing that's extremely valuable for them is this:
  Learning about movement mechanics and building proprioception, or where your body is in space:
  Learning how to run, cut, jump, and land are extremely important. So is building the range, stability, and strength needed for successful running, jumping, and cutting. Non-contact ACL tears happen most often in this context; a powerful change of direction, or a severe or awkward landing force. A violent knee-valgus force is the most common culprit. If we can teach kids that that particular movement is undesirable in a high force situation, and if we can strengthen their hips and legs, and drill proper technique for dynamic changes of direction and jumping and landing techniques, then we can reduce the risk of serious injury. We can give them strategies to make it much less likely that this will happen to them. We need to help them resist unwanted movement, and I know how to do that.
  
  There are also neurological changes within the nervous system that give them better control, stability, and muscle recruitment which can translate into better performance. They can become better movers, learn upper and lower body mechanics, learn bracing techniques, build and maintain range of motion, build stability across joints and movement patterns, build muscular endurance, aerobic endurance, and some strength. All of these things are very important and will pay big dividends as they continue to participate in activities that demand physical preparedness.
  
  
• Does my kid understand lower body movement mechanics? 
  Can your kid avoid the valgus collapse of the knee when preparing for a jump from a stationary position? If not then can they avoid it during a dynamic jump?
  Can your kid avoid the valgus collapse of the knee when landing from a jump from a controlled drop? If not, can they avoid it during a jump where it is dynamic and lateral?
  Can your kid lunge and avoid the valgus collapse of the knee in that pattern? If they can't can they avoid it when running and turning?
  Can your kid cut and change direction without valgus collapse of the knee? If not can they even safely change direction quickly?
  Does your kid have the single leg stance stability needed to support the forces of running safely?
  Does your kid have appropriate hip mobility for running to be safe?
  Can your kid squat properly? If not, when they sit and stand, or pick something up, are they setting themselves up for problems?
  Can your kid hinge at the hip and brace? If not, are they prepared to be picking things up off the floor safely? 
  Can your kid do all of the above while in a fatigued state?

I could do this for hours. YOUR KIDS NEED BASIC PREPARATION FOR LIFE SO THEY CAN HAVE A CHANCE TO GO OUT THERE AND NOT HURT THEMSELVES. We need to give them a good foundation from which to draw upon during specialization of athletics as they get older. You build generalists out of the youth, and then if needed, start specializing them later. 

They say the youth is the future, so the question to ask yourself is this:

• Do we want our youth to be physically literate and prepared for life, or do we want them to only be physically prepared enough to play video games? 
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The next posts about this topic will be about common misconceptions of youth training, the concept of training age sensitivities, and the difference in training youth at various biological/physiological stages.