SDI Sport Development International SDI
The Sport Training Optimization Experts
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SDI Sport Development International SDI |
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The Sport Training Optimization Experts |
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Youth
Multilateral Sport
Development: The Child & Junior Athlete Path to Success |
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Multilateral Sport Development: Specialization Phase During this critical phase between 15 and 18 years of age, the young athletes will start to specialize in a specific sport. By now, and after the two earlier phases of development, they will start to receive the dividends of their years of multilateral training. During this phase, the program will progressively shift from multilateral dominance to the specialization of the training in the chosen sport dominant biomotor abilities. Therefore a good communication with the sport coaches will be paramount. Exercises will be more geared towards the specificity, but still multilateral activities should be maintained at a ratio of about 30% of the time dedicated to training. The pre-season, also known as the preparatory phase should still emphasize a certain form of multilateral development with more complex exercises and drills. The program will follow these guidelines for optimum development and performance. At this age the body will have to progressively adapt to new training loads both in volume and intensity, this is why it will be necessary to periodize the different segments of training using the specific sport competition calendar as a base. Each sport has its own particular dominant biomotor abilities to be trained, therefore it will be of the utmost importance to correctly assess these biomotor abilities to design a plan specifically targeting them. Specific attention will be brought to the periodization format of strength, power (or muscular endurance), speed, aerobic and anaerobic endurance, agility, flexibility to name the most important. Obviously, the chosen sport technical and tactical aspects will be fitted in the plan through cooperation with the coach. During this phase, young athletes reaching adolescence are also developing their mental capacities to cope with stress, success, failures, peer pressure and their social environment. It is therefore also important that they will be consulted and involved as much as possible in the decision making of the training process. Physiologically, developing a sound base of aerobic endurance is very important at this stage of the training to enhance any chances of further development (very few sports indeed do not need a strong aerobic foundation). The skills development will also be more focused on the prime mover muscles (the dominant group of muscles involved in the technical aspect of the chosen sport). The drills and exercises will become more specific. Adolescent athletes are much more able to cope with the stress and recovery of muscles and blood lactic acid accumulations. It is therefore a good idea to increase from time to time the intensity level of exercises and practice under the condition of fatigue to build a better lactic acid tolerance. Moreover, it will be the time to get the athletes into a periodized plan for strength development. General anatomical adaptation during the early pre-season, to finish with a strength development phase focusing on core body and the prime movers of the sport just before competition time and into the season for maintenance. Free weights training should be perfected, stressing form (technique) rather than unfit work volume with loads never superior to 80% of 1 Repetition Maximum (1RM). Most of the work will be done with loads around 70 to 75% 1RM, with minima repetitions in the sets. The gain in strength should then be converted into power or muscular endurance depending on the dominant biomotor abilities to be developed in the sport. This will ensure again a smooth transition into the next phase of development where the athletes will reach High Performance starting at 19 years of age... Back to Initiation Development Phase and Athletic Development Phase For any inquiries, please contact us at: info@sportdevelopmentinternational.com
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Sport Development International, 2007, 2008 |
