Athletic Development

Focusing on Youth Athletic Development!

Athletic development is a long term endeavor

Don't Let an Arm or Shoulder Injury Stop You from Doing Kettlebell Swings. Hands free swing.

Youth Athletic Development


Tip of the week 01/29/10


Warm up tips


Crocodile Breath - Breathing Technique

Youth Athletic Development


Tip of the week 02/05/10


Warm up tips



One of the most common mistakes in a warm up is to focus on things like "getting the blood flowing" and "raising the core temp".

These are a couple of misguided ideas about training that fail to take into account proper movement.  I prefer to do something that takes the kids out of their usually bad lifestyle posture (computers, and texting don't form great athletes), and activate the things that they need for proper health, and performance.  A general guideline I recommend is to begin with open chain movements to mobilize and lubricate joints.  Going directly to closed chain movements can reinforce disfunction and bad movements patterns.

Youth Athletic Development


Tip of the week 02/12/10


Warm up tips



Although training sessions focus on different things at different times, there should always be an ongoing theme of improving coordination.

Research shows us that there are different critical and sensitive periods in which different aspects of coordination are more easily developed.  However, as in all things nobody knows everything, and even if you did, you couldn't do everything perfectly.  So I try to include some sort of coordination training in every session, with every age group.  Here are some of the most often overlooked and highest payoff drills.  Keep in mind that athletic development is a long term thing that involves a layering of many skills, so whatever you do should be a building block and not a random act.