7 Reasons Why Your Athlete Needs Sports Performance Training
As a parent, you undoubtedly have aspirations for your young athlete. You envision them making the team, excelling on the field, and perhaps even earning a college scholarship or pursuing a professional sports career. However, you may also be familiar with the nagging feeling that your child isn’t reaching their full potential or might be missing that critical ingredient to take their game to the next level. This is where sports performance training steps in.
Sports performance training is the key to helping athletes maximize their potential in sports. It’s a specialized approach that focuses on enhancing an athlete’s speed, power, agility, strength, stamina, flexibility, and mental resilience. I’m Dr. Scott Gray, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the founder of Back In Motion Physical Therapy & Performance. In this comprehensive article, I will explain why enlisting the services of a sports performance trainer is essential for your child to reach their athletic zenith.
What is Youth Sports Performance Training?
Youth sports performance training is a multifaceted approach that prepares athletes, both physically and mentally, to tackle the unique challenges of their chosen sport. Unlike generic fitness routines or traditional sports drills, sports performance training hones in on specific movements, skills, and muscle groups that are crucial for excelling in a particular sport.
Consider this scenario: Does your young athlete struggle with flexibility? Such a limitation could be holding them back from realizing their athletic potential. Sports performance training programs are designed to identify and correct such weaknesses. Similarly, if an athlete possesses natural strength but lacks power, specialized training can be employed to enhance muscle contraction speed and force generation.
Another common area where athletes face challenges is agility and speed. Sports trainers possess the knowledge and techniques to unlock an athlete’s speed potential and improve their agility. For instance, training programs for swimmers may focus on bolstering shoulder muscular endurance, while football or soccer players may concentrate on lower-body exercises to boost flexibility and agility.
To illustrate the impact of sports performance training, consider the case of Alex, a high school pitcher. After working with our sports performance trainer, Alex not only increased his throwing velocity by three miles per hour but also added an extra fifty pounds to his deadlift. This improvement in skills enabled him to continue playing baseball at the college level, showcasing the tangible benefits of sports performance training.
Distinguishing Sports Performance Training from Regular Coaching
While school coaches play a vital role in an athlete’s development, there are distinct differences between their coaching approach and the specialized training offered by sports performance trainers. Here’s a breakdown of these differences:
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Injury Prevention and Reduction: Athletes who undergo sports performance training are better equipped to prevent injuries due to their improved conditioning, skill development, and body awareness. These athletes are less prone to injuries on the field.
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Enhanced Athleticism: Sports performance training focuses on enhancing an athlete’s physical attributes, such as strength, speed, power, agility, and flexibility. This holistic approach ensures that the athlete is better prepared for the specific demands of their sport.
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Mental Toughness: Sports trainers play a significant role in shaping an athlete’s mental resilience. They instill a “no-quitting mindset” and provide guidance and accountability, which can be instrumental in helping athletes persevere through challenges.
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Sport-Specific Development: While school coaches typically teach the fundamentals of a sport to the entire team, sports performance trainers concentrate on an individual athlete’s needs. They tailor training to enhance an athlete’s performance in their specific sport and position on the team.
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Consistency and Dedication: Sports trainers have the primary responsibility of training athletes, ensuring that they receive consistent guidance and dedicated attention to their athletic development.
Consider the analogy of an athlete as a race car engine. In its factory condition, the engine runs well and performs adequately. However, it’s only when skilled engineers fine-tune the engine that it can produce significantly more horsepower. Sports performance trainers serve as these skilled engineers, increasing an athlete’s “horsepower,” while it falls to sport coaches to provide the finishing touches and fine-tune the athlete.
The Seven Benefits of Sports Performance Training
Effective sports performance training offers a multitude of advantages that can empower young athletes to reach their fullest potential. Let’s delve into these seven key benefits:
Benefit #1 – A Stronger Body: Every sport demands a degree of strength. However, achieving success often requires specific muscle groups to be trained more than others, depending on the sport or position. Sports performance training includes general exercises like squats and deadlifts, as well as targeted strength exercises designed to enhance athletic abilities.
Benefit #2 – Injury Prevention and Reduction: Resistance training and physical fitness exercises prepare young athletes’ muscles and joints for the physical demands of sports. Improved conditioning reduces the likelihood of injuries on the field, and athletes acquire skills that not only enhance performance but also prevent injuries.
Benefit #3 – Increased Speed & Power: Sports performance training employs techniques used by professional athletes, including NFL players, to develop explosive power. Training methods focus on proper body alignment, landing mechanics, and controlled force during jumping and running. Reactive Plyometrics, another technique, enhances tendon and muscle responsiveness, leading to increased power.
Benefit #4 – Enhanced Flexibility: Flexibility is crucial for sports performance and joint safety. Different sports and positions require varying degrees of flexibility. Regular training increases joint mobility, improves posture, reduces back pain, and lowers the risk of injury.
Benefit #5 – Improved Stamina: To prevent young athletes from running out of energy in critical moments, certified sports performance trainers devise comprehensive plans that ensure athletes perform at their peak from the beginning to the end of a game or competition.
Benefit #6 – A No-Quitting Mindset: One of the significant benefits of working with sports performance trainers is the positive transformation in an athlete’s mental attitude. Trainers understand the importance of mental resilience in overcoming challenges. They hold athletes accountable and employ positive reinforcement to help them push beyond their limits. The mental strength gained through sports performance training prepares athletes not only for sports but also for life’s challenges.
Benefit #7 – Long-Term Life Success: The impact of sports performance training extends far beyond the athletic realm. Students who engage in such training gain confidence from improved fitness and endurance. They develop discipline and focus, essential traits that positively influence all aspects of their lives. Regular exercise habits can guard against depression and stress, promoting mental well-being.
When Should Young Athletes Begin Sports Performance Training?
In most cases, structured sports performance training can commence as early as the age of 10. However, it’s important to recognize that each child develops at their own pace. The readiness of a young athlete for sports performance training is determined by several factors, including their physical maturity, motivation, and willingness to engage in the training process. Safety is always a top priority, and at Back In Motion, we ensure that the training program aligns with the athlete’s readiness.
What to Expect from Our Sports Training Sessions
Our sports training sessions are customized to address each athlete’s unique strengths and weaknesses. A typical session encompasses various components to optimize athletic development:
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Dynamic Warm-up: A thorough warm-up routine is essential to prepare the body for exercise.
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Speed and Explosiveness Drills: These drills enhance an athlete’s speed, explosiveness, and agility.
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Strength Training: Age-appropriate strength training exercises are incorporated to build the necessary muscular foundation.
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Sport-Specific Conditioning: Training includes sport-specific conditioning work to improve game-specific performance.
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Flexibility Training: A complete flexibility interval ensures increased joint mobility, improved posture, and reduced risk of injury.
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Cool-down: Each session concludes with a cool-down period to aid in recovery and minimize the risk of injury.
Our sports training sessions are typically one hour in duration, providing ample time to address all necessary components for athlete development.
Are You Ready to Begin Sports Performance Training?
If you’re eager to see your young athlete reach new heights in their sport, whether it’s making the team, reducing the risk of severe injuries, or securing a college scholarship, sports performance training is the answer. Our customized BIM Sports Performance Program is designed to help your athlete achieve their sports-related goals while instilling discipline and fostering lifelong healthy habits.
Don’t leave your child’s future in sports to chance. We invite you to connect with our experienced NSCA certified sports performance trainers at our Fort Myers, FL location. We are confident that our team can elevate your athlete’s performance, and we back this confidence with a money-back guarantee.
To take the first step toward unlocking your child’s athletic potential, simply reach out to us for a free sports performance consultation. You can contact us at 239-610-4960 or fill out a brief form to get started.
Conclusion
In your role as a parent, you hold the key to unlocking your child’s athletic potential. Sports performance training is the catalyst that can propel your young athlete to new heights of success. By enrolling your child in a structured training program near you, you provide them with the tools and guidance they need to become stronger, faster, and more agile. Beyond physical improvements, sports performance training cultivates mental toughness, instills discipline, and fosters a positive mindset that can benefit your child throughout their life.
The journey to athletic excellence begins with a single step. Whether your goal is to see your child excel in their sport, safeguard against injuries, or pave the way for a college scholarship, sports performance training is the pathway to success. We encourage you to explore this opportunity and take the first step toward shaping your child’s athletic future. Together, we can help your young athlete achieve their dreams and build a foundation for a lifetime of success.