by admin | May 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
In youth sports adults fill many roles. They are league administrators, coaches, officials, cheerleaders, supporters, chauffeurs, and spectators. To those roles they bring their adult view of the world. When the adult view of what is the most important aspect of youth sports conflicts with what children think, the experience can sour and be less than beneficial for the children. It is important that adults involved in youth sports take time to consider what the kids want and really try to make youth sports about the kids rather than about the adult ego. Maybe then we will see the dropout rate decline and see more and more youth turned on to physical activity. Adults Want . . . When adults are in charge as in organized youth sports, the result is different than when kids are in charge. Adults want rules and regulations; standardized competition; strict compliance to the rules; formal positions; scores to be kept; control over schedule; control over who plays (1). Basically, in organized sport adults control every aspect of competition, except of course how the kids play, and they would probably control that too if they could. The adult perspective brings with it an emphasis on the product, winning, as opposed to the process, learning and developing skills. Some adults even feel their moral worth depends upon the outcome of their child’s performance (1), while still others exploit their children in order to gratify their own needs (2). Taken together, all of these factors can add up to a whole lot of stress and anxiety heaped on youngsters who say they just want to have...
by admin | May 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Youth strength training has been a somewhat controversial issue. Previously, it was widely thought that the immature bodies of pre-adolescents and adolescents would put them more at risk for growth plate injuries. In addition, because of the results of certain scientific studies and the fact that the necessary hormones, known as androgens, that allow for muscle hypertrophy (growth) are not yet circulating in high enough levels before puberty, it was believed that strength training prior to puberty would not really produce strength gains (1-3). However, recent research on the safety and effectiveness of youth strength training is calming this controversy. Possibly driven by the increasing competitive nature of youth sports where many are looking for an edge to get ahead, or maybe driven by the desire to imitate what players at the college and professional level are doing, more adolescents are involved in strength training and more recent research has been conducted on adolescent strength training. It now appears that when done under proper supervision, youth strength training can be safe and can improve the strength of a child as young as six (2) in the muscle groups being trained (1-6). As it turns out, earlier studies that showed no increase in strength from training most likely involved training at an intensity too low for any significant strength gains to be seen (2). Now, experts are even beginning to identify benefits associated with strength training in youth. Benefits of Strength Training Before we discuss the benefits youth can obtain from strength training, it is important to point out that strength training is not the same as power lifting or...
by admin | May 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Performance-Enhancing Supplements Pros and Cons of Performance-Enhancing Supplements for Sports Youth sports used to mean kids going outside, organizing their own teams, creating their own rules, and playing until mom called them in for dinner. Today, the nature of youth sports has changed drastically. The ever-professionalized landscape of professional and collegiate sports has swallowed up youth sports so that the focus is no longer on strictly playing for the sake of playing. The focus has turned to a win-at-all-costs competitive mentality (1), turning most youth sports programs into no more than mini versions of adult programs. Just as the competitive nature of professional sports has led to athletes doing whatever they can to give themselves an edge, sometimes putting their health at risk in the process, it has also led to a trickled down affect in youth sports. Evidence shows that performance-enhancing supplements are being used by youth athletes, some as young as 13-14, in order to improve their performance (2). This should be seen as problematic for parents, coaches, and league administrators. Most Common Performance-Enhancing Supplements This discussion of performance-enhancing supplements will focus primarily around two of the most common supplements, creatine and steroids, but you will also find links to sites that give information on other types of supplements. Before we begin our discussion, there are a few things you should know about performance-enhancing supplements. Ergogenic Aid First, performance-enhancing supplements are a type of ergogenic aid. An ergogenic aid is simply any aid that is taken, put on, or performed to enhance performance. According to Powers and Howley (3), ergogenic aids can be any of the following: nutrients,...
by admin | May 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Pain is our body’s way of telling us something is wrong. Injuries are going to happen when you play sports, but many injuries can be prevented if proper precautions are taken. In this section we will look at how overuse injuries occur and which injuries are common overuse injuries. We will also look at which injuries occur most often in various sports. When we watch professional sports we often hear the sportscasters discuss this player or that player who is playing with such and such an injury. Young athletes, however, are not paid professionals, and they should be encouraged to listen to their bodies and let parents and coaches know when something is not right. Many times young athletes are encouraged or feel pressure to play through the pain. While this may help them feel psychologically tough, their bodies are only capable of taking so much. Overuse injuries get worse, not better, when the activity that caused the injury is repeated, so children should never be encouraged to play through the pain (1, 2). Playing through the pain will only increase the damage to the body and add weeks, if not months, onto the total time needed to recover from the injury. Certain injuries may also contribute to long term physical maladies that may forever plague your child (3). As the parent, you may need to intervene when a child with an injury wants to play and a coach is ready and willing to allow that injured player to participate. You are the one responsible for your child’s health and looking out for their best interests, not the coach....
by admin | May 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
You may well be aware that nutrition plays a vital role in athletic performance, but what you might not know is the relationship of nutrition, or lack thereof, to two very serious disorders: amenorrhea (lack of menstruation), and osteoporosis. These three factors together combine to form a disorder known as the Female Athlete Triad. If you have a daughter who is physically active, or are the coach of young females, it is extremely important that you are familiar with this disorder, its risk factors and its symptoms. If not caught early, the health of those who have this disorder can be seriously jeopardized. The Female Athlete Triad The Female Athlete Triad occurs when there is energy drain on the body, either due to disordered eating or not eating enough to replace the energy used in training (1). If not corrected, this negative energy imbalance triggers amenorrhea, which in turn triggers low bone mineral density and places the athlete at risk for stress fractures and osteoporosis. Despite its name, not only athletes are at risk of the Triad. Any female who suffers from disordered eating can potentially be affected by the Triad. As a parent or coach, it is important that you educate yourself about the Triad and how to prevent it in your daughter or female athletes. Dysfunctional Eating The first component of the Triad is dysfunctional eating, although this may not be the first observable symptom that something is wrong. Dysfunctional eating can range from dieting to fasting to full blown anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Dysfunctional eating can be intentional, as in the case of fasting, anorexia, etc,...
