Some information for your reading pleasure:
YOUNG ATHLETE SPEED TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT -
All athletes require speed, even if their sport is not dependent upon running or sprinting. Athletes must also be powerful. Power combines strength and quickness with speed and endurance; you must have good speed to have good power.
Speed has three components: reaction time, which is the motor reaction to a signal; movement time, which is the ability to move a limb quickly; speed of running, which incorporates the frequency of arm and leg movements. Different sports require more of certain elements of speed than others. For example, tennis requires good reaction time and speed of running in different directions to get to the ball, whereas boxing utilizes movement and reaction time to deliver a quick blow and dodge or block an opponent’s punch. It is important to understand and train each of these different elements.
There are many factors that affect speed. Genetics influence but do not completely determine speed potential. A higher proportion of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fibers results in greater speed, but speed can be developed through proper training. Speed is also affected by the ability of muscles to forcefully contract, which indicates that strength training is essential to speed training. Speed increases during puberty and post-puberty are mostly attributable to strength development, however natural adaptation allows for speed improvements during pre-puberty. Speed and quickness activities allow the muscles to learn to work together and be more effective, therefore pre-puberty speed development is because of neuromuscular adaptation, not forceful muscle contractions.
Speed gains are attributable to different factors during different stages of development, therefore speed training protocol is partially dictated by an athlete’s age or phase of development. Skills, technique, and mechanics are always important, but during certain phases of maturity it is more important to focus on muscle strength than coordination or vice versa. It is important to understand how the body develops and changes throughout childhood to most effectively train young athletes.
Prior to puberty, most speed gains are due to nervous system adaptation and better muscle coordination in addition to sprinting skills and technique. Children’s ability to be faster will in crease as their neuromuscular control increases, therefore speed training for prepubescent athletes should focus on nervous system adaptation to a variety of movements.
Coordination is the determining factor of speed in prepubescent children. For example, during sprinting lack of arm and shoulder coordination decreases arm swing and arm speed, which then decreases leg speed which in turn decreases running speed. Speed improves because the nervous system adapts to perform what is being asked of it; games and exercises teach the body how to coordinate arm and leg movements to be more effective. The greater the variety of stimulus, the greater the motor experience. Throwing games increase arm coordination, which as we know increases speed. Walking backwards or sideways increases leg coordination, which also increases speed. As arm and leg coordination improve, children can participate more in simple speed drills, especially as they approach puberty.
PART TWO, coming up...
- Brian
YOUNG ATHLETE SPEED TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT -
All athletes require speed, even if their sport is not dependent upon running or sprinting. Athletes must also be powerful. Power combines strength and quickness with speed and endurance; you must have good speed to have good power.
Speed has three components: reaction time, which is the motor reaction to a signal; movement time, which is the ability to move a limb quickly; speed of running, which incorporates the frequency of arm and leg movements. Different sports require more of certain elements of speed than others. For example, tennis requires good reaction time and speed of running in different directions to get to the ball, whereas boxing utilizes movement and reaction time to deliver a quick blow and dodge or block an opponent’s punch. It is important to understand and train each of these different elements.
There are many factors that affect speed. Genetics influence but do not completely determine speed potential. A higher proportion of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fibers results in greater speed, but speed can be developed through proper training. Speed is also affected by the ability of muscles to forcefully contract, which indicates that strength training is essential to speed training. Speed increases during puberty and post-puberty are mostly attributable to strength development, however natural adaptation allows for speed improvements during pre-puberty. Speed and quickness activities allow the muscles to learn to work together and be more effective, therefore pre-puberty speed development is because of neuromuscular adaptation, not forceful muscle contractions.
Speed gains are attributable to different factors during different stages of development, therefore speed training protocol is partially dictated by an athlete’s age or phase of development. Skills, technique, and mechanics are always important, but during certain phases of maturity it is more important to focus on muscle strength than coordination or vice versa. It is important to understand how the body develops and changes throughout childhood to most effectively train young athletes.
Prior to puberty, most speed gains are due to nervous system adaptation and better muscle coordination in addition to sprinting skills and technique. Children’s ability to be faster will in crease as their neuromuscular control increases, therefore speed training for prepubescent athletes should focus on nervous system adaptation to a variety of movements.
Coordination is the determining factor of speed in prepubescent children. For example, during sprinting lack of arm and shoulder coordination decreases arm swing and arm speed, which then decreases leg speed which in turn decreases running speed. Speed improves because the nervous system adapts to perform what is being asked of it; games and exercises teach the body how to coordinate arm and leg movements to be more effective. The greater the variety of stimulus, the greater the motor experience. Throwing games increase arm coordination, which as we know increases speed. Walking backwards or sideways increases leg coordination, which also increases speed. As arm and leg coordination improve, children can participate more in simple speed drills, especially as they approach puberty.
PART TWO, coming up...
- Brian