5 Potential Danger Zones in the Young Athlete

5 Potential Danger Zones in the Young Athlete

Wendy LeBolt, PhD, Founder, Fit2Finish provides for young athletes age-appropriate and sport-specific advice to reduce injuries and improve performance.

Kids need a challenge but they also need special handling. Most people think, why? My kids are flexible, resilient, and young. They bounce back from anything thrown at them. Let’s throw it all at them! They can handle it.

Not so fast. Why? Because they’re growing, and growing presents special challenges and unique demands. They’re not mini-adults meant to comply with a scaled down version of an adult exercise prescription. And they aren’t immune to the illness and injury that can come from too much, too fast; in fact they’re especially susceptible.

Kids need a challenge but they also need special handling. Most people think, why? My kids are flexible, resilient, and young. They bounce back from anything thrown at them. Let’s throw it all at them! They can handle it.

Not so fast. Why? Because they’re growing, and growing presents special challenges and unique demands. They’re not mini-adults meant to comply with a scaled down version of an adult exercise prescription. And they aren’t immune to the illness and injury that can come from too much, too fast; in fact they’re especially susceptible.

Yet, the run-of-the-mill trainer or performance specialist, credentials and all, may not be aware of this. In their enthusiasm to whip those kids into championship-shape they may supply textbook training meant for the healthy young-adult athletes it was prescribed for, not realizing its potential dangers for the child, adolescent and teen athlete.

Kids are not adults and it is not healthy or safe to train them that way. While they are maturing, their bodies, minds, and spirits are developing (expanding, contracting and finding they’re way around) which means they are not a stable, predictable population to work with at all. Every parent knows this because we are dealing with a different human being every morning! Let alone at every practice.

Kids are different from each other and vastly from adults. We need to recognize those differences and keep it in mind as we work with them, teach them, coach them and parent them. We can consider that a frustration or an opportunity. Frustrating because we can’t apply our “cookie-cutter” programs, but an opportunity because what we supply will mold and shape this child in the years ahead. I think they’re worth a little extra effort, don’t you?

Just remember: growing makes kids fragile. The “tough” ones always want to be part of the action and refuse to give up may be especially prone to injuries in their fast-growing years. These “growing pains” are common because fast-growing tissues are sensitive and easily inflamed. High impact, nearly constant activity that used to be “challenging” may now be overly demanding and painful. Modifications may be necessary.

If you train, coach, or work with kids, you should know the areas that are particularly susceptible to rapid growth and the changes that may need special handling. Go to Fit2Finish to read specifically about the 5 potential “danger zones” for children. 

Share this post:

Comments on "5 Potential Danger Zones in the Young Athlete"

Comments 0-5 of 0

Please login to comment