The Current State of Speed-Power & Strength Conditioning for Youth Athletics

“No Long-Term Planning results in ‘Long-Term Failure’”

• In the modern youth sport culture, there is greater emphasis being placed on young athletes to compete year round in their chosen sport, as well as an over emphasis on Winning from a very young age

• Athletes migrate from one league or team to another, sometimes too often within a season

• Not so far from when playoffs end, spring athletics gives rise to:

    o Summer leagues

    o Preparation camps

    o Following season

… All without the proper implementation of little, if any, conditioning & regeneration methodology

• This idea of continuous “play”, is a modern-day sports epidemic, that has created an urgent requirement for proper conditioning & regeneration methodology, which did not occur 10 years ago, & is creating athletes who:

    o Lack proper movement patterns

    o Have elevated injury risk

    o Have suffer from mental burnout

…. far earlier in their athletic career & sooner than previous generations of athletes

• At TheSystem.ca, priority is given to ensure:

    ✓ Proper neuromuscular integration (i.e. proper movement patterns) & body awareness

    ✓ Appropriate tendon/ ligament strength

    ✓ Appropriate muscle tension patterns that enhance global posture, both in a static situation & under the load of both conditioning & athletics

…. This will evolve into better injury prevention & faster recovery

• TheSystem.ca advocates moderate weight lifting, with a greater emphasis on speed & power, as well as a comprehensive regeneration program, to improve an athletes’ overall athleticism via enhanced body awareness, through the proper selection & sequencing of various exercises

• Athletes’ bodies are designed to:

    ✓ Run

    ✓ Jump

    ✓ Squat

    ✓ Lunge

    ✓ Push

    ✓ Pull

    ✓ Roll

…. All of these movements are present & enhanced in a “360-Degree Integrated Approach”

• TheSystem.ca wishes to educate, inform & nurture young athletes to develop:

    ✓ Proper lifestyle habits

    ✓ Proper conditioning to enhance force production, reaction time, co-ordination & agility

    ✓ To help build tremendous mid-section & inner tension, which in turn improves balance & speed

    ✓ To improve regeneration methodology to accelerate recovery from one conditioning session to the next

    ✓ Play (i.e. suspension of reality, internal locus of control & free flow)