Youth Sports Development

The Dangers of Early Specialization

The push for early specialization in youth athletics has a long, filed history of initial success followed by life-long regrets. Highly specialized early sports participation has not worked for multiple reasons anywhere in the world, yet it remains a national tragedy as future talent is squandered for today’s successes. Unfortunately, this pattern is repeated year after year.

Invisible Training

A close examination of the role fundamental motor skill development plays in the early career of the young athlete. Topics covered will include the role the bio-moto skills play, multi-lateral development, the dynamic warm-up and core development play in all sports.

Speed Development

Fast actions lead to success in almost every sport. While speed actions are an inherited quality the attention to detail with early training efforts can develop movement patterns that with time and maturity can develop neuromuscular pathways that will allow athletes to maximize their inherent abilities.

Testing and the 5-Star Program

Talent identification is one of the keys to the success of European sports programs. Simple tests can offer direction and identify areas where athletes show promise and may enjoy the most success. Additionally, statistics produced by simple physical tests offer a useful benchmark for future comparisons of future teams. The 5-Star System describes a simple battery of physical tests along with pointers to develop the psychological qualities of young athletes so their initial efforts at being a teammate contribute to the larger goals of a team.