Minutemen Youth Wrestling

When deciding whether your young athlete should be involved in a weight training program it is important to know both the potential benefits and limitations of such a decision. Some of the benefits include the following: · Increase in muscular strength – There is a lot of research evidence that shows that kids get stronger when they weight train using correct and safe procedures. This is true even for kids who haven’t started puberty. · Injury prevention – It has been demonstrated with high school-aged athletes that weight training reduces the rate of sport-related injuries. · Improved sport performance - Weight training has been demonstrated to help adolescent athletes perform better in sport skills that incorporate throwing and jumping. · Enhance self-esteem – The positive outcomes that can occur from weight training can significantly improve a young person’s self-perception. Some concerns that your young athlete may face include: · Safety – Weight training can be very safe when it is performed under the supervision of a qualified instructor who is knowledgeable about the growing bodies of young athletes. If exercises are performed incorrectly there is the potential for overuse injuries and damage to the growth plates of growing bones. · Equipment size – To perform exercises correctly the weight training equipment needs to be adjustable to fit the smaller bodies of young athletes. If the equipment does not adjust to fit your athlete the risk of injury increases. · Time – Weight training is a commitment in both effort and time. For many kids scheduling a consistent weight training program in a calendar that includes school, homework, sports, etc. can be a difficult thing to accomplish. Determining whether your young athlete should begin a weight training program requires careful evaluation of his or her individual circumstances. Hopefully the factors discussed above will assist you and your athlete in making a more informed decision regarding participating in weight training. This tip was contributed by Dr. John Ozmun, Chairman.