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Young Athlete Newsletters
Hi there,
Here is the fifth installment of answers to the 7 most FAQs about young athlete development. Enjoy!
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Strength Training: When and What is Appropriate?
Every athlete must strength train.
I incorporate strength training into the programs of all my young athletes. There are no exceptions to the rule. No matter what your age, sport, gender or ability level, the same principles for building strength apply.
Body-weight First
All athletes must first be able to move and control their own body-weight effectively before they should ever think about adding any external load. This requires that they build a solid foundation of body-weight strength and stability.
I used to think that training with body-weight only was something that was appropriate for athletes that were new to strength training. I thought that once the foundation of basic strength and stability had been established, those exercises would be dropped in favor of more complex alternatives.
But one experience working with both professional and young athletes years ago started to change that view and I have never looked back.
Build & Reinforce a Foundation of Strength and Stability
The day after my college graduation, I started a summer internship with a world-renowned strength and conditioning guru who had worked with thousands of athletes in all sports from the amateur to professional ranks.
Every morning, this coach worked closely with a small group of professional athletes and we, the interns, got to watch! I was very excited to be getting the opportunity to witness the advanced training techniques that allowed these athletes to reach the highest levels of success in their sport. Some of these athletes had been training with the same coach for over 10 years, so I expected to see them perform complex exercises and drills that I had never seen before.
You could imagine my surprise when these professional athletes began doing the EXACT SAME workout that the group of 11-12 year olds would be doing later that afternoon! The execution of the exercises by the pros was a little more crisp, but the exercises were exactly the same!
I was amazed. These athletes had been working with this coach for over a decade, and yet they were still performing some of the most basic strength and stability exercises around.
Why were all the athletes doing the same exercises irrespective of age and ability?
They were building a solid foundation of strength and stability.
There were no fancy machines involved and no big weights. It didn't matter what sport they played or how many years they had been training, the fundamental exercises remained the same.
Strength training shouldn't be complicated, especially when we are working with young athletes. Building a solid foundation of strength and stability at an early age is simple and will give athletes the opportunity to excel once training becomes more complex.
Until next time,
Kim
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
Hi there,
Here is your sixth installment of the 7 most FAQs about proper athlete development. Enjoy!
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Stretching: What to Do and How to Do It Properly
You know that proper stretching can help improve your athletes' performance, help prevent injury, increase flexibility and make them feel better in general.
But did you know that most young athletes stretch incorrectly and are actually making themselves more tight and at higher risk for injury?
Young athletes typically fall into one of three categories:
1) They don't stretch. Or if they do, they hold each for about 5 seconds and move on.
2) They stretch, but are either doing the stretches incorrectly or are not doing the stretches that will benefit them the most.
3) They are doing the right stretches, but at the wrong time.
I have received multiple emails in the last few months from coaches and parents wanting to know more about proper stretching for their young athletes.
So I am going to answer two of the questions sent to me and hopefully clarify some of your more common concerns about stretching.
Question #1: From a Concerned Coach
'I have heard about these two different types of stretching: dynamic and static. What do these terms mean and how do I know what kind of stretching is appropriate to do with my athletes?'
Answer:
Static stretching is commonly thought of as 'stationary stretching'. This means that you move your joint (and adjoining muscles) into a position and hold that position for a certain period of time. Static stretches are great for isolating a particular muscle or muscle group.
Dynamic stretching is commonly referred to as 'stretching while moving'. Dynamic stretching involves actively moving the joints and muscles through progressively larger ranges of motion as the muscles become warmer and more supple.
Both static and dynamic stretching are important parts of a complete flexibility program and both types need to be done by all athletes. However, young athletes should focus on different types of stretching at different times. As a general rule, you should focus on dynamic stretching PRIOR to activity and static stretching AFTER activity.
Dynamic stretching is a critical component of a proper warm-up routine as it helps to prepare athletes for the movements used in their sport. Static stretching is a critical component of a proper post-activity routine as it helps athletes to relax and recover more quickly.
NOTE: Let me stress that this is a general recommendation as there are certainly instances where athletes will stretch statically before activity and do dynamic stretching after activity. For example, if a young athlete has one hip flexor that is extremely tight and it is impeding them from moving through a complete range of motion in the warm-up, static stretching of that muscle in order to relieve the pre-existing tension may be appropriate. Similarly, dynamic stretching is often used after activity by athletes to accelerate the recovery process, as moving through the ranges of motion used in their sport at a slower, more controlled pace will help to re-establish pre-activity flexibility levels.
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Question #2: From a Frustrated Athlete
'Sometimes I find that stretching is actually making me more sore and more tight. Is this possible? Am I doing something wrong?'
Answer:
To be perfectly honest (and blunt), you probably are. There is a right way and a wrong way to stretch. It is important to remember that stretching (especially the static kind) should be comfortable and relaxing. If you spend 10 seconds in a hamstring stretch trying to force your forehead to touch to your knee (when you can't even reach your toes), you are likely to find your muscles are tighter than they were before you started. This is because these muscles are not prepared for that degree of stretch and they reflexively react by contracting forcefully, which makes the muscles more tight.
REMEMBER: Stretching is NOT a competitive sport. You aren't trying to outdo your teammate or stretch the farthest you've ever stretched each time. The goal is to maximize the effects for your body on that given day. You just want to go to the point where you feel a comfortable and sustainable stretch. A good guideline is that you should be able to hold the stretch comfortably for between 1-2 minutes. If you find yourself breathing heavily, turning red in the face or straining at the 10 second mark, you need to back it off a little bit!
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I hope that these answers help to shed a little light on topic of proper stretching for young athletes. Proper stretching will make a huge difference in sport performance and general well-being if athletes focus on stretching properly and stretching consistently.
Until next time,
Kim
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
Hi there,
Here is the last installment of the 7 most FAQs about young athlete development. Enjoy!
Training Females vs. Males: Same or Different?
I am often asked whether young female athletes should train any differently from male athletes?
My answer is NO and YES.
Allow me to explain.
Do my young female athletes have different training programs from my young male athletes?
NO.
In all my years of working with young athletes, I NEVER change my training program based solely on gender.
Of course, I always take into account the age, training experience and injury history of each of my athletes on an individual basis.
But, their gender makes NO DIFFERENCE in how I lay out my programs.
Why?
Because the skills and abilities needed to play any sport are VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL for males and females.
Let's look at the sport of hockey as an example.
In order to play hockey, all players must have:
Amazing single-leg strength and balance in order to skate, shoot and save (can't forget about the goalies).
Tremendous total body coordination in order to stickhandle, skate and pass while avoiding checks and reading the play.
Think about a young player learning the fundamentals of hockey on the ice.
They are taught how to skate, stickhandle, shoot and pass.
It doesn't matter if they are female or male, the basic skills are the same. And the same can be said for every other sport.
The same thing holds true in training athletes off the ice, court or playing field.
There are fundamental athletic skills that have to be learned no matter the athlete's sport, age, ability or gender.
All young athletes need to get stronger, faster and quicker.
Since every young female and male athlete has the same basic athletic needs, it doesn't make much sense to train them differently.
But...
Do I approach training differently for young males and females?
YES.
Most young male athletes desperately want to get bigger, faster and stronger. They are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen.
But most young female athletes have a different approach to training.
Young females are constantly bombarded with messages about what is the 'ideal' image. As a result, female athletes involved in sports that require strength and power (re: every sport), may struggle with their desire to increase their performance while still conforming to the 'ideals' of pop culture.
I struggled with this a great deal as a young female athlete. I fell victim to the 'thin is in' mentality. I didn't have a lot of strong, powerful and athletic female role models to look up to and was constantly worried about how I would be judged by others. Ultimately, it was the confidence and strength that I gained through my involvement in sport, and the support of my coaches and parents, that carried me through.
It is our job, as coaches and parents, to empower our young female athletes.
They must know that being strong and powerful will be of tremendous benefit to them both on and off the playing field.
Young female athletes may need the exact same skills and abilities as males, but they also need further encouragement and positive reinforcement.
We must help them realize that they deserve all the same opportunities, respect and success as male athletes.
World-renowned female soccer player, Mia Hamm, said it best when talking about how she and her teammates wanted to be coached:
'Train us like men, treat us like women'.
Until next time,
Kim
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
From an NHL veteran and an Olympic Gold Medalist!
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I received such a great response from my last newsletter about the differences in training males and females that I wanted to expand a little further on the psychological differences between these groups.
I recently did an interview with Tim Bothwell, who has coached at the highest levels male and female hockey. Tim is currently the head coach of the women's team at the University of Vermont. Prior to Vermont, he was the assistant coach with the Canadian Women's National Hockey team that won the gold medal at the 2006 Olympics and coached in the National Women's Hockey League.
What makes Tim's story interesting is that he only started coaching women in 2003!
Prior to that, he was an assistant coach in the NHL and the head coach at the University of Calgary. Tim also played in the NHL for 11 years.
Tim's experiences give him a unique perspective on the differences between coaching men and women and I wanted to share his insights with you.
Enjoy!
Q: You've coached at the highest levels for both the male and female game. Is your approach any different with the women than it was with the men?
A: My approach is essentially the same for the men and the women on the ice. The biggest difference I have found is more on the social side off the ice. Women's teams tend to be much more socially focused - in that they have a true 'team first' mentality that isn't always present in the male game. Female players go out of their way to ensure that all of their teammates feel included and feel part of the group. They don't weight as heavily the bottom line performance on the ice in the same way the men do.
On the men's side, if there is one player on the team that is a great player on the ice, but doesn't really want to be a team-player off of the ice, the men are more willing to accept that and leave him be. But the women really want everyone to feel included and have much more of a 'family' approach.
Q: What advice can you give to coaches and parents of young female athletes?
A: Male and female players tend to have very different mental approaches to the game. In my experience, female players tend to possess less inner confidence than male players do.
Although there are many players on the male side that lack a deep inner confidence, they are much less likely to show it or admit it. They tend to want to 'battle' through and not show what they perceive to be a 'weakness'.
On the female side, players tend to be much harder on themselves in terms of their evaluating their own performance and don't give themselves enough credit for the skills they have.
Certainly, both male and female players have an equal desire to get better. But females are generally more likely to 'de-value' their talents and lack that inner confidence and that is definitely something that we have to be aware of and address as coaches.
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
...to Develop the Total Young Athlete.
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In my recent newsletter series on the 7 most FAQs of athlete development,
I covered a lot of information:
- the importance of warming-up and building strength (both mentally and physically)
- developing conditioning and flexibility that is appropriate to the athlete and their sport
It was a lot to digest - and one concerned parent emailed me with a question.
"I enjoyed your series on the 7 most frequently asked questions, but I have to admit that
I am a little bit overwhelmed. Will my kids be able to develop strength, flexibility, speed
and conditioning without spending hours training everyday?"
YES they will - if their training sessions are EFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE.
We all know that kids don't have the patience to endure 3 hour practices or training sessions.
Their interest fades quickly if they aren't engaged in what they are doing and having fun.
I remember when I had my first two-hour practice in college.
I must have looked up at the clock at least 20 times.
Two hours of training seemed like an eternity to me - especially since practices in high school were only an hour.
It took awhile to get used to the length and the high level of focus and intensity I had to maintain throughout.
The training sessions I do with my young athletes are only 45 minutes long.
I have found over the years that this is the ideal amount of time to work with kids.
It is long enough for me to address my athletes' entire spectrum of athletic needs and
is short enough for my athletes to maintain a high level of focus and intensity throughout.
In a 45 minute session, you can cover everything I discussed in my 7 FAQs series.
If you keep the tempo high, the teaching quick, and the athletes having fun,
you'll find that the time flies by and you can get a tremendous amount done.
When you are focused, you can accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time.
When working with young athletes, you can get amazing results by focusing on
TEACHING EFFECTIVELY & TRAINING EFFICIENTLY.
Until next time,
Kim
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
...You Have To Know Where You Are Starting From
Fitness Testing Revisited
We live in a 'numbers-based' world.
We all want to know how we stack up, and the easiest way to judge where we are at is by comparing our numbers to those of the competition.
In sports, one team is considered better than another because they have a better winning percentage and one athlete is considered better than another because they score more points.
Of course, there are hundreds factors that lead to some teams and athletes excelling more than others, but unlike some more subjective measures of performance, these numbers give us an objective measuring stick that we can use to determine where they stand.
This weekend, 426 of the best young female hockey players in North America will be coming to Toronto for the biggest girls-only prospects tournament in the world - and I will be testing their strength, speed, power and conditioning.
Obviously, the player's scores on these tests are not the 'be all and end all' of their athletic careers. I would never base an evaluation of an athlete solely on their fitness testing numbers alone. Every coach in the world wants their athletes to excel at their sport first, rather than at the tests themselves. You are always going to look at an athlete's ability to perform in competition long before you consider an athlete's score in a vertical jump test.
The girls in this weekend's tournament are all terrific players and that's why scouts from all over the US and Canada are coming to watch them play. The odd coach might ask me about a player's scores on these tests (which I don't share), but for the most part, they are just here to watch great hockey.
The reality is that these tests are not being done for the scouts - they are being done for the players.
I can guarantee you that each and every one of these players is looking for 'the edge' that will allow them to stand out from their competition.
While their performance in the off-ice testing is not the best indicator of their ability to excel on the ice, it is an objective way for players to determine where they stand relative to their peers and to their own past performances off the ice.
There is a direct connection between an athlete's performance on the playing field and their commitment and dedication to improvement off the field. If a player finds that their agility tests scores are low compared to everyone else, they might try to focus more of their efforts towards developing that athletic ability in the off-season. That doesn't mean that they spend all their time doing the test or doing only agility drills, but improving that quality off the ice will probably translate into an increased performance on the ice. And in the eyes of these young players looking to take their game to the highest level, that is the performance that matters.
Until next time,
Kim
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
Tryouts are never really a fun process.
The athletes are stressed out about making the team, the coaches are stressed out about having to make cuts and the parents are stressed out trying to balance out everyone's expectations.
We are in the midst of tryout season for hockey.
Parents, players and coaches find themselves 'cooped up' in the cold rinks every night instead of outside enjoying the beautiful spring weather.
I actually feel a little bit guilty that I might be the only one who is truly enjoying the tryout process right now.
I was on the ice last night running the tryout for the peewee team that I help coach and I have to admit that I loved every minute of it. There were 50 girls who stayed completely focused and worked their absolute hardest for the entire hour. I love watching young athletes compete and excel.
To be perfectly honest, the best part about last night is that I didn't need to make the calls telling parents that their daughter didn't make the team.
Parents and athletes often ask me what the coaches are looking for when selecting their team. Every coach is going to have a slightly different selection criteria. Some are looking for bigger players who can dominate 1-on-1 battles, while others are looking for smaller players with breakaway speed.
I'll let you in on a little secret...quite often, coaches don't even know exactly what they are looking for until they see all the athletes in action.
But there is one thing that I can guarantee you that every single coach is looking for and that every player must do to make any team - no matter the sport or level.
You've got to be willing to risk failure and try harder.
Last night, I asked the girls to do a few skating exercises that some of them had probably never tried before. When I described the drills, I am sure some girls got a little nervous. My intent wasn't to stress them out, but I did want to see what would happen when I asked them to perform outside of their comfort zone.
One player in particular sticks out in my mind. The girls had to transition from skating forwards to backwards and she struggled with the exercise right from the beginning. She fell almost every single time. But instead of showing frustration, she got up as fast as she possibly could, continued on with the drill and got better with each attempt.
When I described the exercise initially, she probably knew that she would struggle with it. But that didn't stop her from giving 100% effort and doing it to the absolute best of her ability.
Skills can be taught. I am sure if we spent 5 minutes focusing on that skill, she would have it down cold.
Resiliency can't be taught. The willingness to risk failure, dust yourself off and try again is one of the most critical qualities in sport and in life.
You either have it or you don't.
I don't know whether this young girl made the first cut or not, but I can tell you that I would put her on my team any day.
Until next time,
Kim
PS: By now, it should be no secret that I eat, sleep and breathe hockey.
I teach it.
I coach it.
I play the game.
I train young players.
It pops up in every single newsletter I write.
In a few short weeks, I will launch a new website dedicated entirely to the development of young female players:
Total Female Hockey - www.totalfemalehockey.com
Check out www.totalfemalehockey.com now and sign-up for my FREE hockey-specific newsletter containing tips on how to develop the best young female players possible.
If you share my passion for the female game, this is the site for you.
Kim
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
...I Don't Design My Own Training Programs!
By now you know that during the winter months, I spent a great deal of my time focused on playing, coaching and training for hockey.
But now that summer is upon us and hockey tryouts are over, you won't find me at the rink anytime soon.
I'll be out in the mountains.
Last spring, I got 'bitten' by the mountain biking bug. I rode the trails almost every day and absolutely loved every minute of it.
So this year I decided that I was going to start racing.
And the first thing I did was look for a coach.
Now you might be thinking, "What does she need a coach for? Shouldn't she be able to train herself?"
Sure, I could have sat down and read every book, magazine and website about mountain biking and
put together a pretty good program based on all my research.
I could have tried a number of different training theories out and come up with a decent plan through trial-and-error.
But why try to 'recreate the wheel' when I can ask an expert who coaches mountain bikers for a living?
If your young athletes are looking to take their performance to the next level, they need to have a plan.
You can spend a great deal of time and effort putting it together on your own and you may find some success.
But why not find an expert who can save you all of that extra time and effort and help you to accelerate your athletes' development safely and effectively?
In the next newsletter, you will learn about how I designed my own training programs as a young athlete - and what the result was.
Until next time,
Kim
PS: If you are the parent or coach of young female hockey players looking for more information on how to plan your off-season training program,
check out my new website: Total Female Hockey (www.totalfemalehockey.com)
- You can download my FREE report about 'The #1 Mistake Female Players Make in the Off-Season'.
- You can also sign-up for my FREE newsletter filled with tips and advice on how to develop the best young female players possible.
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Kim McCullough, MSc
Director - The Young Athlete
(416) 554-0720
kim@youngathlete.ca
www.youngathlete.ca
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