Youth Development for Coach Davies

Coach Davies I’m taking your advice and moving our discussion out of college athlete’s thread into a new one of its own. I’m not sure how many other T-men/women have children involved in athletics, but if they do I’m sure they too may be interested in your recommendations for youth development. Rather then trying to alter the current training program that I have my 13-year-old son following (see Need some advice to improve my performance thread for details) if I started with a blank sheet, how would you recommend that I set up a program for an early teen athlete? Could you maybe provide a sample training day from the K-12 program that you are working on? Would a training program similar to the one that you posted for Nate be too difficult for a younger athlete in terms of both technical skills required for some of the movements and volume?

Your childs workout plans are completely different from Nates. In addition that session, is a rare training session that will change completely. Your childrens development is a total program. I am going to go through this one piece at a time because every element is as important as the next. First, inform me of any injuries or other concerns. Next, phase 1 - what type of flexibility program is he using? In faith, Coach Davies

Coach Davies I know its been said before but you can’t imagine how grateful I am to be receiving personalized training information from one of the top strength coaches. My son has no injuries or other limitations. Unfortunately he is not currently doing any flexibility work. He had done some flexibility work during his 3 years of martial arts training, but we stopped his MA training last year due to time constraints with his other sports.

Thank for the kind words. It is always an honor to help any athlete - Is he doing any sort of Calestenics / Rope skipping / Tumbling work / Bodyweight exercises. - In faith, Coach Davies

Check out “Children & Sports Training” by Jozef Drabik, it should get you on the right track.
-Tony

Coach Davies, he is currently not doing any calestenics or tumbling work (although he has done both in the past from his MA training and team conditioning on previous football, soccer and basketball teams). The only rope skipping he is doing is for a several minute warmup prior to weight training. The only bodyweight exercises he is doing are pull-ups and sometimes push-ups (as a break from bench pressing) during his 3 times per week weight training sessions. Let me know if you would like any additional information.

I’ve got a young son heavily involved in sports too, so I’m hoping to glean so useful information to help design a training program for him from these posts. I’m looking forwarded to taking an active part in my sons training.

My brother is a talented Aussie Rules player, currently aged 12, soon to be 13. At the moment his current season is nearing completion. Once it concludes, after a bit of a layoff, he’s asked me to start him on a pre-season regime that will run over the Australian summer months, leading into the start of next season in March.

Obviously some periodization is needed here, and given the rising interest in Coach Davies’ methods, I’m interested in building some functionality into his regime.

Coach Davies, are you familiar with Aussie Rules Football? If so, do you have any special recommendations, in particular, a sample GPP program? Thankyou.

the training of young athletes is a tremendous opportunity to provide them the foundation they need to excel, not just in the next season but for advanced development in the future. The mandate they have is similar to other athletes - so lets consider these as are immediate priorities - 1)range of motion 2)gpp 3)abdominal development. Please make me aware what you have been doing for those areas. In faith Coach Davies

I agree with the potential to build a solid foundation for young athletes. My brother has a lot of natural ability when it comes to the sport itself, but is lacking in his physical preparation. I want to bring his athleticism to the fore - ahead of his skills, stretch his genetic limits.

Currently my brother’s training is in the hands of his coaches at school and his club. Once the season concludes, I was planning on focusing on two key areas with him: 1. Flexibility; 2. Abdominal Strength. At this stage, his training is beyond my control.

However, in the coming month I'll be taking over, and I'm pleased to know my thinking was on the right track. His major weaknesses are definately flexibility and abdominal strength/endurance. I think I'll have these areas well covered for the time being.

Aside from that, could you possibily recommend a GPP workout that would suit an Aussie Rules player, because I’m really unsure about this area?

Coach Davies I’m not sure if your previous response was directed toward me or some of the others that have joined the thread more recently, so on the assumption that it was for me here’s the requested info. Up until a few days ago (as posted in a previous thread) this was my son’s training schedule: M/W/F – warm-up (jogging or rope skipping), weight training – squats 3x15 (3 sets of 15), deadlifts 3x15, bb rows 2x15, chins 2 ladders, bench press 2x15, shoulder press 2x15, crunches. T/Th/Sa – warm-up (jogging), (10) 40 yd sprints, (10) 10 yd shuttle runs. As you can see he had no flexibility work, no range of motion work, no GPP, and only a few sets of crunches for abdominal work. With all these short-comings that’s why I thought it might be better to just redesign his training program starting with a blank sheet rather than try to adjust what he is currently doing. As always, looking forward to your reply.

Just bumping this up before it gets knocked off the active list.

you are right on track. Please tell me what type of equipment you have available. It will be a pleasure to help a young athlete in one of the last great true sports. In faith, Coach Davies

Buster - good thought, I am going to re-work this entirely. There are some great books on stretching (PAVEL) that I would suggest. I also want to send you a few jpg files on rope work. Please email me again with your name in boldface as the subject. I get nearly 300 emails a day so this will help. I would like to start him on a development plan asap. I cant remember if I asked what this training time was per day. In faith, Coach Davies

I have to go, have a plane to catch for Chicago but had to respond. Unfortunately, this products ingredients are all bought at the grocery store. There won’t be any money made on it - but I guarantee you’ll be shocked at home easy it is. In faith, Coach Davies

Apart from the usual resistance training barbells, dumbells, benches, etc. that I use, I don’t have any kettleballs, sleds and the like. So basically, in terms of functional training, I’m equipment-less.

Good to know I’m on track, though =)

Well we will need to find something for functional work, maybe old tires, rope and towels. Did he try the last workout and if so what were his results like. In faith, Coach Davies

I’d say his results from the modified workout I put him through (given our lack of equipment, improvisation has been a key!) were “OK”. He is really poor in his abdominals and core strength, so I think the ab circuit posted by Kato in another thread will become a staple of our training, along with the non-weighted GPP as outlined in your article published this weekend.

What do you think about having the GPP and ab circuit as the basis for his training, at this stage?

sounds perfect - lets also build in some more volume pushups/towel chins and a few other bodyweight movements. Has he ever chopped any wood? - In faith, Coach Davies

Sounds good. He hasn’t ever chopped wood. I presume it builds good all-round functional upper-body and abdominal strength? Yet another idea added to the list!

I read Kato’s posts regarding 55x4s and 100 circuits. I was wondering the rest period between the 100 (or 200) metre phases. When Kato said, “turn around and run another 100m”, he meant that literally? Wouldn’t it be easier just to run 300m at the same 16 sec per 100m pace? Also, are these two workouts suited to Aussie Rules football?

At the moment I’m putting together my own little “database” of your training ideas and workouts. Once his season ends, he will be given a (gradual) baptism of fire! =)

Thanks.