You want to know what "elite" 😉 training looks like for 11-12 year olds... Hint hint: It doesn't look like a college strength and program. A program that is more structured, highly technical and higher in intensity you might be missing out of the whole point of development. ##LTAD

Most youth athletes don’t need more conditioning… They need to learn how to move. We’ve got 8-year-olds doing ladders and suicides...who can’t balance, skip, or control their body. That’s the problem. Speed Demons program gives45 athletic activities and games you can use: 🏡 Backyard 🏋️ Gym 🏈 Start of practice Build real speed through: ⚡ Coordination 🤸 Spatial awareness 🧠 Movement skill Ages 7–12 D.M. for details

I’ll try to make this as crystal clear as possible, because much of the strength and conditioning field still views resistance training through a very narrow lens—a weight room filled with barbells and dumbbells. I’ve read the research. I’ve seen the papers. Resistance training for pre-adolescent children consistently shows positive outcomes across the board. That part isn’t controversial anymore. Where the confusion lies is what actually counts as resistance training for kids. In our industry, “resistance training” has become almost synonymous with external load. And to be clear—external loading through dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, bands, and medicine balls is absolutely safe and beneficial when properly coached. But resistance training does not begin and end there. Sprinting, jumping, grappling, tackling and blocking, climbing, crawling, carrying, throwing, parkour, gymnastics, and Ninja-style activities are all legitimate, highly effective forms of resistance training. These activities challenge force production, absorption, coordination, and control—often at levels far more complex than a single-plane lift. More importantly, they’re fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. They expose kids to resistance through their own body weight, gravity, momentum, and interaction with the environment—across multiple planes of motion and constantly changing contexts. If the goal is to build strong, resilient, adaptable athletes, then resistance training for children must be viewed as a movement experience, not just a loading strategy.

Adult motivation for exercise: Health Aesthetics Performance Children's motivation for exercise: Play Fun Novelty Social interaction Know the difference... Children are not mini-adults #LTAD

Years ago, in a galaxy far far away, children, many of them aspiring young athletes, would spend their summer days and after school pre-dusk hours playing outside in backyards, sandlots, woods, and playgrounds across America. These marathon sessions of movement allowed children to develop many basic physical skills. Games like tag and kick the can involved sprinting and numerous changes of speed and direction. Climbing trees or wrestling with friends developed total body strength and body awareness. Riding bikes or running on trails through the woods provided very sufficient cardiovascular benefits. As the children experienced more of these activities, this foundation of physical skills grew and expanded. When the time was right as these children grew older they would use this physical foundation as a platform to learn and master more complex movements like the skills found in sports like baseball, football, soccer and basketball etc. Children played many sports throughout the school year, and summertime was for vacation and camps. The words A.C.L. reconstruction or Tommy John surgery were literally non-existent because young athletes were hardly ever exposed to one activity long enough to cause overuse problems... #LTAD

Gold from @Athletic_Skills Trainers know from their experience that deliberate play is not experienced as a burden. A training program during which children have to sprint five times ten meters is experienced differently from children playing tag, although they run the same distance in the same time.

Strength and conditioning Vs Youth athletic development Replace: Barbells Dumbbells Kettlebells Bumper plates Benches Sleds With: Dodge balls Cones Hula hoops Monkey bars Gymnastic mats Hurdles Replace: Squats Deadlifts Cleans Bench press Deadlift Pullups Planks Drills With: Sprinting Jumping  Climbing  Crawling Tug of war Wrestling Gymnastics Games Replace: Power Development Max Strength Core training Aerobic capacity Mobility With: ABC’s A-gility B-alance C-oordination Develop Movement First! Be an athlete first! #LTAD Anyone looking for courses on youth athletic development for purchase, DM me for details!

Stuff kids should be doing instead playing the same sport all year long. Stuff kids should be doing instead of playing 6 tournament games every weekend. Stuff kids should be doing instead of playing 3 different sports in the same season. Stuff kids should be doing instead of getting private sports lessons every week. Stuff kids should be doing instead of playing Xbox all day. Stuff kids should be doing instead of signing up for another camp or clinic. Stuff kids should be doing instead of trying to train like a professional athlete. Stuff kids should be doing instead of sitting in class all day. #LTAD Anyone interested in material on Youth athletic development for purchase please DM me!