In order to minimize the risk of injury, players and parents must learn proper training techniques and consult with an expert in this field.
"No push-ups, no sit-ups, no weight training. You're not even there yet; that stuff comes later," said Mike Barnes of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. "Don't treat young kids like miniature adults. Don't think you are going to implement an hour-long program."
Before getting into specifics, safety, supervision, and proper instruction must be addressed.
Pre-exercise evaluation, preferably by a sports physician, is recommended before training young football players. "There might be something in the family history like asthma that hasn't shown up yet," Barnes said. "There are a lot of things going on in the body that need to be checked."
Once medical exams are complete, proper supervision becomes the focus. "If you are considering doing a resistance training program for young football players, you need to familiarize yourself with the things you need to know," Barnes said.
According to NSCA, an estimated 80% of all court cases concerning athletic injuries deal with some aspect of supervision. Proper supervision of a young football player's training program is absolutely a must.
"Often you end up with someone's older brother who plays linebacker on the high school football team doing this type of training," Barnes said. "That is the worst person to have supervise because he will likely base the training on what he does at his level."
NSCA has basic standards for strength and conditioning professionals that Barnes suggests parents and coaches keep in mind:
- Always be there.
- Be active and hands-on.
- Be prudent, careful and prepared.
- Be qualified.
- Be vigilant.
- Inform athletes of safety and emergency problems.
- Know athletes' health status.
- Monitor and enforce rules and regulations.
- Monitor and study the environment.
After learning the basics of supervision, correct instruction methods must be mastered. "If you don't have the knowledge, go get it," said Barnes. "There is a lot of great information out there."
To start, NSCA provides some basic guidelines for strength and conditioning for children 14 years and under:
- Children under seven years of age should not be permitted to engage in Strength and Conditioning activities with free weights or exercise devices/machines in facilities designed for use by adults and adolescents, and should be denied access to such training areas.
- Children between seven and fourteen years of age must have reached a level of maturity allowing participation in specified Strength and Conditioning activities, as determined and certified by their medical care provider (or by the Strength and Conditioning professional acting in concert with a child's medical care provider). In addition:
- After clearance for participation, they should be individually assessed by the Strength and Conditioning professional in conjunction with the child's parent(s)/guardian(s)/custodian(s) and health care provider(s) to determine if such children may engage in such activities in areas containing free weights and exercise devices/machines generally used by adults and older children.
- If so permitted, such activities should be developed and implemented according to the practitioner's professional judgment, in conjunction with the child's health care provider(s).
- A greater degree of instruction and supervision than that supplied to adolescents and adults is required.
Once safety, supervision, and proper instruction has been researched and understood, a specific exercise program for young players can be developed.
Additional information resources include the following:
NSCA's Educational Resources page includes links to journals, articles, and books including A Coaches Guide to Football. NSCA also provides information such as Basic Guidelines for the Resistance Training of Athletes.
The American College of Sports Medicine is another information source with publications and information on its web site.
NSCA publishes the Strength and Conditioning Journal bimonthly and serves as a good resource.
NSCA has a section on its site devoted to finding certified strength and conditioning professionals across the country.
The evaluation of any athlete, whether as a part of health evaluations prior to activity or as a diagnosis of an injury as the consequence of sports activities, is specific to that individual and the history and current state of the individual presented. Advice, diagnosis and treatment is individualized according to numerous factors, including patient health and age information, medical history and symptoms. All athletes should be cleared by a physician or other appropriate medical professional before engaging in physical activities and, after injury, diagnosis and treatment, for return to play.