My assumption is that speed training (nothing insane like plyometrics, weighted vests, or intense weightlifting) is safe when done under normal workload considerations to any youth athlete.
One element of this is hill repeats to increase leg strength and speed.
But does anyone have any links to empirical studies and/or training programs?
My assumption is that speed training (nothing insane like plyometrics, weighted vests, or intense weightlifting) is safe when done under normal workload considerations to any youth athlete.
One element of this is hill repeats to increase leg strength and speed.
But does anyone have any links to empirical studies and/or training programs?
speed training and hill workouts are not “normal workload conditions”. What are you talking about?
My assumption is that speed training (nothing insane like plyometrics, weighted vests, or intense weightlifting) is safe when done under normal workload considerations to any youth athlete.
One element of this is hill repeats to increase leg strength and speed.
But does anyone have any links to empirical studies and/or training programs?
It’s posts like this that amaze me.
I ran fast when I was a kid. I ran up hills. I ran down hills. I didn’t have some f-ing empirical study or training program to justify it. I ran because it was fun.
I ran my first 10k at the age of 20 on almost zero training in just over 42mins.
Any kid that is doing athletics has a “normal workload” for the amount of training they do. Whether it is soccer, which is like running sprint repeats with jogging between sprints; or actual track or XC training. Baseball, softball, basketball and football all have a “normal workload” of training. There is always an element of conditioning, especially in football and basketball. Basketball players run sprint repeats for conditioning, with speed improvement as a side benefit. Football players will more specifically do drills to increase speed.
And all of this is done at the ripe old age of 8 (per discussions with parents of youth athletes, I’m not a parent).
So what I mean is that when one introduces training specifically for the purpose of increasing speed, does anyone have any research articles or practical experience on how to do this. I coach a youth baseball team that is at least half full of kids who are slow, either because of natural fast/slow twitch muscle fibers, or because they are pretty inactive outside of our three hours of practice a week. I want to help them out athletically, because whatever sport they pursue as they age will require more speed than almost all of them have now. And I want to do it in a way that is safe.
But I’m assuming a kids body works differently in some respects from a more mature physique. So instead of just suddenly having them do five short hill repeats one day, I want to make sure doing so won’t result in an injury.
See my post after yours before you spin your wheels and get all tweaked for no dang reason.
I have some kids who are slow through nature, and some kids who are slow through nurture. Of the twelve, one runs youth track. The other 11 would rather be shot than go run on a track (though almost all enjoy our end of practice relay around the bases races).
Before I start having the kids run hill repeats (which would take the base racing to a slightly more advanced level) or doing walking lunges or anything, I want to make sure I don’t screw up their growing bodies for the rest of their lives.
Go run, chill out a little.
speed before endurance.
raise the left, fill the right.
I think it’s safe to introduce it when they’ll have fun doing it.
-Jot
According to the USAT coaches manual, after puberty (girls 11-14, boys 12-16).
Good point, good rule of thumb.
We typically try to end practice with them racing around the bases in a relay drill (they hand off the ball). But it’s one circuit around the 60’ bases. I’d rather get them 4-5 reps at a shorter distance going full speed. We have 3-6 kids who truly don’t know what it means to go fast, their “fast” is pushing their bodies slightly faster than a jog. They just don’t use their bodies much…
The head coach is a former college XC runner (MOP), so I know he’s aware of training concepts and injuries as well.
Hmmm, interesting. Thanks for that.
I’ve googled this a bit, and like any topic you can find a seemingly credible source that says anything. There are more sites that say to wait till 12 for boys to lift weights, but there a lot of vocal sites that say “This is BS, and not based on science.”
I’m not even considering anything crazy, but we have a 25’ long hill at a modest slope that I’d like to have them run up, then jog to the side and down where the slope is much more gradual.
I coach a youth baseball team that is at least half full of kids who are slow, either because of natural fast/slow twitch muscle fibers, or because they are pretty inactive outside of our three hours of practice a week. I want to help them out athletically, because whatever sport they pursue as they age will require more speed than almost all of them have now. And I want to do it in a way that is safe.
So, what age are these kids? On my 8 year old’s team, only about 5 of the kid hit the ball or field it with any kind of consistency, and only one catches the ball pretty much every time it gets thrown at him. Oh, most of them are pretty slow too. But, since they are on a baseball team, you are supposed to be teaching them to hit, field, throw in the right direction, catch, and what base to throw the ball to if they manage to field it. But, the kids will like it if you let them run the bases, preferably chasing each other. The parents will also think this is a good idea because it wears the kids out a little bit, which means they will sleep better. Really want to do “speedwork”. Then set up some relay races around the bases, with one team starting at home and the other team at second. Running the bases is also not a bad coaching idea because it breaks up the drills, and their attention span is pretty short because they are a bunch of young boys, outside, and happy to be free and enjoying some nice weather after a long day of school and a cold winter.
We do the relay race at a lot of our practices. I think last night was the first time we did it twice in a row (getting somewhat close to actually doing some benefit to their VO2 max and speed).
The boys are 9 & 10 mostly (one 12 year old who is playing for his second year ever). We’ve got some decently skilled players, rather decent consistency from the top 4 or 5 kids.
But all of the boys would benefit from greater lateral quickness and overall speed. One boy in particular I think would be decent if he could just move his body at 60% full speed instead of his normal 30%. He truly swings in slow motion, whereas all the other boys have some sort of bat speed. There’s another boy who could be a pretty slick fielder if not for his slowness. He also lacks arm speed and strength, the size of his family indicates he needs to get quick and fast if he’s going to have a shot to play past age 13.
I think we can safely add some lateral quickness stuff, plus some running of hills, more sprinting around the bases (I’d like to set aside 10 minutes for full-scale baserunning - properly running out an infield single, stealing second, taking third on a passed ball, properly running out a single to the outfield, properly turning the bases, etc).
4 of our 12 enjoy being outside, doing anything. The other 8 are typically complaining that it is too hot, too cold, too sunny, too dark, too humid, they’re too tired (after being there for 5 minutes), etc.
All the standard 8-12 year old boy stuff.
According to the USAT coaches manual, after puberty (girls 11-14, boys 12-16)
Burn your manual.
There’s research to indicate care should be taken when young female athletes are introduced to activities with abrupt jumping or cutting to avoid ankle/knee injuries that females are more susceptible to having, lots of numbers on percentages versus young men, not aware of what the current thinking on prevention is.
As soon as they look old enough to run to the beer store for more supplies!
.
There’s research to indicate care should be taken when young female athletes are introduced to activities with abrupt jumping or cutting to avoid ankle/knee injuries that females are more susceptible to having, lots of numbers on percentages versus young men, not aware of what the current thinking on prevention is.
Prevention = exercises to strengthen knees and ankles. Females are more susceptible, particularly around puberty, due to widening hips (and thus a greater Q-angle: the angle between the hip and knee) and flexible joints.
If you want to make them run up a hill, you need to find a way to make it a game. I liked running hills in XC but I can’t fathom a bunch of kids enjoying it 
How about having them play games like tag, Red Rover Red Rover (admittedly a little dangerous but the faster you run the better your chance of breaking through the other kids’ arms), Capture the Flag?
I don’t remember actually doing speedwork for sports (like basketball - which I lasted one miserable season in) such as running “suicides” until sixth grade or so. Until that it was running the perimeter of the fields. I don’t have my ACSM manual (which is “THE” text for exercise prescription) with me, which is why you’re getting an n=1 story. 
And I’m mostly opposed to hill running for little kids because you’ll make them think they’re in boot camp! At 8yo, maybe not such a good idea. At 12 yo I think you could have them run some hills - middle school XC students are doing it, after all.
I’ve googled this a bit, and like any topic you can find a seemingly credible source that says anything. There are more sites that say to wait till 12 for boys to lift weights, but there a lot of vocal sites that say “This is BS, and not based on science.”
With strength, you need to worry about epiphyseal (growth) plates fusing and possibly injuring them. Body weight exercise are the best way to start kids of that age on “lifting.”
I’m not sure how much benefit you’re going to get by working in some running in conjunction with your regular baseball practices. As someone that runs a youth track and cross-country program (for kids ages 5-16), my experience has been the best results are obtained by gradual, steady training. In terms of the comments about proper ages, etc., you shouldn’t generalize. The error I see most often is coaches trying to train kids based on average ages and their expectations as to what kids of a particular age should be able to handle. The reality is that kids all develop at different paces. Also, their indiviudal energy systems vs. muscular vs. skeletal development may vary. One result can be a kid that can run fast but ends up with significant growth plate issues in her ankles, i.e. their energy systems have developed more quickly relative to other aspects of development. The key is trying to figure out where each kid is in relation to their personal devleopment (regardless of age) and train them accordingly. The link below is for a decent book on training youth athletes from USATF and the Hershey’s trackk program. You should be able to find it at a local bookstore as well as on-line.
With strength, you need to worry about epiphyseal (growth) plates fusing and possibly injuring them. Body weight exercise are the best way to start kids of that age on “lifting.”
reference?