Wellington is a sports heaven for young athletes. In fact, phase one of the city’s $12 million sports upgrade at Wellington High School was completed this last September. It included artificial turf on the football field and updates to the track. Eventually it will include batting cages, synthetic-turf multipurpose fields, and a new separate practice field. (Source)
In addition, the Village Park Athletic complex provides facilities for Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Hockey, and too many others to mention. There are youth leagues for basketball, baseball, volleyball, and soccer. Kids who would rather compete on an individual basis can choose martial arts, wrestling, rowing, gymnastics, and a host of other physical activities.
If you’re the parent of a student in Wellington, there is a sport your child will love. Youth sports are sometimes a little like youth music lessons — something a kid does as a right of passage and abandons later. Then, there are those kids who simply fall in love, find their passion, and have a gift for the game. They are the ones you want to encourage and invest in. If you’re unsure where to begin to get your junior all-star the extra youth sports training he or she needs, we’ll help point you in the right direction.
Soccer
Soccer players need to build stamina, strength and speed. They also need to be limber and agile. The standard kids soccer drills aren’t enough in themselves to give a dedicated soccer player the edge they need. Youth soccer training should build endurance while exercising for an active range of motion.
Young soccer players are most likely to sustain injuries below the waist, especially the ankles and knees. It’s also common for soccer players to run into each other. They can suffer from overuse injuries such as tendonitis and inflammation. Well rounded exercise plans — that include stretching, cardio, and strength training — will help prevent these types of injuries.
Football
When most people think of football players they think of muscles: strength and power. But football players also need speed, agility, and quick reaction times. Even more importantly, the type of conditioning and mix of training needs to be customized to the players position. For example, a running back needs to be faster and more agile and a left tackle needs to be larger and more powerful.
If your child is serious about playing football, it’s not too early to begin some introductory kids football training. However, it is important to work with someone who has extensive knowledge about how to train at all ages. Common injuries include sprains, strains, fractures, and even concussions and proper training can help prevent these before they occur.
Football is the favorite sport of high schools across the country. In most circumstances the competition for a spot on the team is fierce. If this is what your young athlete wants, allow them to start working out as soon as they want to do that.
Baseball
Baseball requires infrequent, somewhat random bursts of power as opposed to soccer or basketball which require almost non-stop movement during the time a player is on the field or court.
Youth baseball training, outside of practices and games, should prepare the young athlete for strength more than endurance. Their legs need to provide explosive power at a moment’s notice. In addition, while agility is needed for handling the ball, power is needed to get it to its intended destination.
“Baseball players most often injure their shoulders or elbows. Shoulder-related injuries range from tendonitis of the muscles that keep the joint (the rotator cuff) stable to cartilage tears within the joint itself. Elbow problems include tendonitis of the muscles on top of or below the forearm and strains of the ligaments on the inside of the elbow.” (Source) If you’re working with a trainer, ask them for specifics about how they will train your young athlete in order to minimize these types of injuries.
Basketball
Basketball requires speed, dexterity, eye-hand-foot coordination, and balance. A motivated, talented young basketball player will spend 30-60 minutes in motion — sprinting, jumping, turning, passing, dribbling, and reversing direction.
They need leg strength, upper body strength, and hand strength. Youth basketball training should prepare the young athlete to be agile, quick, light on their feet, and extremely well coordinated.
Basketball players are most likely to sustain injuries to the ACL, ankles, and heels. They also often suffer from bruises and muscle strain. A “pre-hab” exercise program can reduce the occurence of basketball injuries and allow the athlete to recover quickly if an injury does occur.
Local Youth Sports Training
No matter what their sport, all young athletes will need some combination of functional training, agility, all over strength building, range of motion exercises, and cardi-vascular training.
Committed young competitors need strength and conditioning outside of their regular practices to play at their highest level and avoid injury. Overall, their training should be safe, fun, and improve their performance.
Our personal trainers have experience working with the unique needs of young athletes in any sport. They can work with you and your family to design the best workouts for any sport and any age. Youth sports training is a small investment that pays off big.