1. IS WEIGHT TRAINING APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS?

2. COORDINATION AND MOVEMENT SKILL DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUTH VOLLEYBALL

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1. IS WEIGHT TRAINING APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS?

There seems to be a lot of confusion on whether or not kids should lift weights. Some people are worried resistance training can be dangerous for kids because their bones are still growing.

Kids will actually put a lot of stress on their body in natural every day life. Just look how they run and jump off playground equipment and climb on monkey bars.

There are more forces on joints and muscles in those movements than we could ever create with resistance training.

But you have to remember, just like anything else, there must be a level of mastery and progression.

You can't go and hand a kid a huge amount of weight without teaching her how to perform the movement properly with just her own body weight.

Once she has mastered that, progress to a lighter weight.

It's a progression, for kids as well as adults, that ensures safety.

There is also confusion about whether or not kids should lift weights if there "growth plates" are open. Or will lifting weight stunt growth?

Follow the link for more on strength training for kids.

2. COORDINATION AND MOVEMENT SKILL DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUTH VOLLEYBALL

The key to developing young volleyball players is focusing on “movement skills”.

Young volleyball players need to experience and develop a variety of motor skills. This will ensure both 1) success in volleyball and 2) injury prevention.

Developing coordination is essential for the sport-specific skills the young athlete will need for her teenage years.

Balance, rhythm, spatial orientation and the ability to react to both auditory and visual stimulus have all been identified as elements of coordination.

The most crucial period for developing coordination is between 10 - 13 years of age.

When developing drills for coordination, the drills need to be specific to the athlete. Prescribing drills that are either too easy or too difficult for the young athlete, will have a less than optimal result.

Young volleyball players who learn to master the elements associated with good coordination (balance, rhythm, spatial awareness, reaction, etc), are far better off than athletes that aren’t exposed to this kind of exercise stimulation until the advanced ages.

Follow the link for more exercises on developing coordination and movement skill for volleyball.