| As a given sport evolves and the participants within | | | | course children can perform resistance training; kids |
| that sport begin to break records and perform what | | | | run, jump, wrestle, go on hikes, play hop-scotch - all of |
| was once considered impossible, you can be sure that | | | | these activities have strength components to them |
| advancements in training and conditioning regimes | | | | and one would never restrict a child from performing |
| have occurred within that sport. Very few athletes | | | | them. Where the issue becomes convoluted and |
| ever become great sport technicians without the | | | | contentious however, is when one promotes stabilized |
| inclusion of a comprehensive athletic development and | | | | machines as a means of conditioning for young |
| conditioning program as part of their training package. | | | | athletes. While I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. |
| Over the past decade, the type of training and | | | | Faigenbaum and all of the research proven data which |
| conditioning performed by young, developing and elite | | | | illustrates that children CAN safely perform strength |
| athletes has gone from basic fitness to more | | | | training in conventional settings (i.e. lifting weights) what I |
| functionally- based and developmental activities. Figure | | | | contend is WHY they need to. This is a paramount |
| skating and all of the disciplines under that umbrella are | | | | concern in-so-far as figure skaters. |
| such examples. | | | | The following are some guidelines for training and |
| For example, many training coaches prescribe that | | | | developing figure skaters from an athletic and |
| their skaters practice landing jumps and performing | | | | functional perspective: |
| balance based skills (such as spirals) off the ice. On | | | | Promote concepts of multilateral development. This is |
| the other side of the spectrum, there are the 'athletic | | | | a hard pill to swallow within the world of figure skating |
| developers' who tend not to concern themselves with | | | | due to the fact that many coaches, parents and |
| producing specified strength gains but instead work | | | | trainers are interested in pushing the limits with young |
| more directly at improving the complete athletic profile | | | | kids in the hopes of national and international success. |
| of the skater. The general conception among these | | | | Your job as a parent or coach with young skaters is |
| professionals is that the greater degree of athleticism | | | | to introduce them to as much athletic stimulus as |
| the skater has, the more likely he or she will be able to | | | | possible. The nervous system of a young athlete is |
| carry out athletic skills. While traditionalists often | | | | malleable and requires input to develop optimally. If you |
| incorporate basic and conventional exercises into their | | | | are prescribing little more than basic fitness and on-ice |
| training programs, the athletic developers come from a | | | | type movements, you are robbing the child of potential |
| more movement based perspective. This style of | | | | athletic growth and limiting his or her prospective |
| conditioning is often referred to as 'functional' training, | | | | success. Look at Kurt Browning and Elvis Stoiko |
| which is in fact a misnomer. Let's examine that. | | | | respectively - one played hockey the other took |
| 'Functional training' right now is a concept without a real | | | | martial arts. Diversity contributes to athletic success |
| definition; Many people believe that if an exercise is | | | | not hinders it. |
| being performed on a Swiss Ball, Wobble Board or | | | | Don't engage kids in exercises that promote external |
| some other unstabling device then that constitutes it as | | | | stability or useless force production. The key to |
| functional. I believe more in the true dictionary definition | | | | working with young athletes in any sport is to promote |
| of the word and how that applies to training and | | | | mobility, stability and balance in conjunction with force. |
| conditioning. Functional is defined as 'used to contribute | | | | Especially with the demands of figure skating, young |
| to development'. In keeping with that definition, virtually | | | | athletes need to have a virtual warehouse of athletic |
| any style of training can be considered functional if it | | | | based skills in order to reach optimal levels. This is |
| has application to a particular task. For instance, I would | | | | achieved by moving and stabilizing the body through |
| strongly agree with a bodybuilder performing bench | | | | various planes and producing force through various |
| press in order to produce a hypertrophic response in | | | | vectors. Alwyn Cosgrove, a conditioning expert who is |
| his/her upper body (which is the desired result of | | | | recognized as a Master of Sport Science with sport |
| bodybuilding training), but I would not advocate that a | | | | organizations throughout the world, is the off-ice coach |
| figure skater perform bench press as a training activity | | | | to Beebe Lang, who just recently finished sixth at this |
| because it serves no functional purpose to figure | | | | past Junior World Championships. He defines the |
| skating. In its simplest terms, the word functional can be | | | | sequence as such: flexibility before stability - stability |
| defined as practical, purposeful and efficient. | | | | before strength - strength before power. |
| PRACTICAL movement. PURPOSEFUL movement. | | | | Potential exercises to use with figure skaters of all |
| EFFICIENT movement. | | | | levels - |
| Equally important as 'how' to train figure skaters is | | | | Single Leg Squats |
| 'how not' to train them. There is a strong side of the | | | | On-ice force production occurs unilaterally and |
| youth sport training world (I call them traditionalists) that | | | | functional training should reflect this. Single leg squats |
| encourages the use of fitness based machines and | | | | should be performed with the 'free' leg in varied |
| free weight lifting equipment. In fact it has been | | | | positions (which reflects sagittal, frontal and even |
| concluded without doubt that young athletes can and | | | | transverse strength/stability). |
| should in fact engage in resistance styles of | | | | Jump rope with movement (locomotion) |
| conditioning. 'Contrary to the traditional belief that | | | | Develops a great deal of leg strength and coordination. |
| strength training is dangerous for children or that it | | | | Locomotion should be multidirectional and jumps should |
| could lead to bone plate disturbances, the American | | | | be on one, two and alternating feet. |
| College of Sports Medicine contends that strength | | | | Somersault to Jump |
| training can be a safe and effective for this age group | | | | This exercise promotes leg power in conjunction with |
| provided that the program is properly designed and | | | | spatial awareness. |
| competently supervised.' This is a statement made by | | | | Single Leg Balance Touch |
| Avery Faigenbaum , Ed. D, in a paper he co-authored | | | | Tremendous unilateral strength exercise as well as |
| for the American College of Sports Medicine on Youth | | | | high inputs of balance and stability. Involve transverse |
| Strength Training in March of 1998. To most of us in | | | | stability as well by touching points on the ground that |
| the sport training community, this is a no- brain issue. Of | | | | are to the side and behind the skater. |