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The journey from childhood to champion takes time, committment, and hard work. When your child walks through our door, we’ll teach her more than just how to be a better athlete...we’ll instill a love for movement that has been consistently proven to enhance body image and self esteem, improve grades, strengthen social skills, and nurture healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Do yourself and your child a favor...
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TABLE OF CONTENTS WhyAthleticRevolutiontm?............................................................4 Our International Mission...........................................................6 Programs & Philosophy.................................................................7 Champions’ Code of Expectations..........................................9 Knowledge Base
Kids and Exercise Machines.............................................................................11 Sport Diversity - The Application Behind The Theory............................12 The Importance of Play..........................................................................................13 Teaching the Basics of Movement - The Key to Youth Fitness..............14
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WHY ATHLETIC REVOLUTI Our Experience Guarantees Your Success... Founded by some of the most well-known and highly-acclaimed Youth Fitness Specialists in the world, Athletic Revolutiontm has the distinct advantage of being the international 'name brand' when it comes to sports performance and fitness training for participants ages 6 - 18. Our training system has been successfully field-tested on more than 20,000 young athletes and youth fitness participants throughout the world and is regarded as the most complete and comprehensive program available.
g on of operatin ti a in b m o c r pe e to lances the pro a b m ical knowledg ra g g lo ro p io s g y in h d p in d a n Your tr pment a sed limits an lo o e p v e m d -i l lf a e ic s s y ir h the mechanics, p reach beyond to s te le th a ng e. empower you c performanc ti le ki th a ir e th -Mike Rudnic maximize Father of two
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I O N tm? The Difference You've Been Looking For... The Athletic Revolutiontm message to parents and coaches is simple Children and Teenagers are not little adults; that statement’s basic message should be obvious. We wouldn’t expect our ten year old daughter to find a full time job and we won’t be surprised if making the mortgage payment on time isn’t the first concern our fifteen year old has when he wakes up in the morning. Why then in the sporting and fitness world do we expect young athletes and kids to train, compete, think and react like adults? Too often, young athletes and kids are exposed to training programs that are often well beyond their structural and neurological abilities and taught to emulate elite sporting stars in their mental approach to the game. Is this the way to produce world-class athletes, or are there different concepts that we need to learn, understand and implement? At Athletic Revolutiontm we know the difference and have blazed a global trail that ensures the success of your child in every aspect of sport and fitness.
Throughout m y athletic exp erience, I hav number of co e had the opp aches and sp ortunity to be ecialists. This in developing trained by a approach wa my strength a s by far the m nd overall ath have never be ost productiv letic ability. I en as healthy e can personall nor as strong starting Divis y s a ... y that I The training h ion One athle as helped me te as a true fr any training I e b shman and th ecome a have ever bee e system is u n exposed to. nparalleled to Former Brown
-Drew Janes University lin ebacker
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OUR INTERNATIONAL MISSION Athletic Revolutiontm is dedicated to the quest of enriching young lives through fitness and sport performance training via innovation and application of physical, character and leadership qualities that are delivered by the most welleducated and internationally connected coaches in the world. Athletic Revolutiontm and our coaches can guarantee that our progressive system of training will enhance your child's or team's sport performance, general fitness and well-being, as well as provide them with an intellectually stimulating and emotionally supportive environment that will sow the seeds for a lifetime of sporting excellence and health.
bsolutely This system is a ughter became essential. My da speed-oriented more agile, more ger. and much stron
-George Zartsky llege athlete er of Division 1 co
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PROGRAMS & PHILOSOPHY The Most Sought After Training System In The World... With Athletic Revolutiontm, you are embarking on an internationally field-tested and success-proven system of training for participants ages 6 - 18. The Athletic Revolutiontm 'Developmental Training Model' has been successfully tested all over the world and is based on the following structure Discovery (Ages 6 - 9) - Creating A Champion The purpose of this phase is to introduce participants to a wide spectrum of non-specific exercise stimulus that aids in the natural development of coordination habits. Athletic Revolutiontm coaches utilize the principle of 'Outcome-Based Coaching' which allows young participants to learn the physical skills of exercise through an experimental and self-discovery based means. Exploration (Ages 10 - 13) - Transitioning To Champion Not unlike the 'Discovery' phase of the Athletic Revolutiontm Developmental Model, 'Exploration' is based on young participants establishing 'athletic intelligence' through a carefully planned programming structure that allows them to learn and comprehend both simple and complex motor skills via explorative play. Unlike 'Discovery' however, 'Exploration' also includes an educational portion within which Athletic Revolutiontm coaches breakdown and instruct participants on specific aspects of exercise execution. This transitional phase allows young participants to bridge the gap from a play model of fitness to a more programmatic structured version. Transformation (Ages 14+) - Becoming A Champion The 'Transformation' phase is where more concerted training application takes place. Whether the goal is sporting excellence, fitness, wellness or obesity prevention, this portion of the Athletic Revolutiontm Developmental Model is based on solid execution and fundamental training habits so that each participant can maximize their respective goals.
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CHAMPIONS cisions e d t s e b the en one of e b s ledge of a w h o n n o k i r t i u e l Th vo e thletic Re etic career so far. ion they bring hav A h t i w g thl ss Trainin e for my a the energy and pa ls. My confidence d a m e v a that I h as well as of my athletic goa g n i n i I urge any a d r t n y a h n , t r a g e n m h e e ig str to achiev 't be any h tion to strongly e n m d l d u e o l l c e s ue eti prop the comp g techniq f n i o n i d a a r e t h e ta in th ants to ge letic Revolution. w t a h t enke e t athle ith Ath -Andrew H er w g n i n i k a tr y linebac it s r consider e iv n ufts U Former T
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NS’ CODE of EXPECTATIONS As an Athletic Revolutiontm Champion, you will be responsible for helping to create the best possible training atmosphere for success. Athletic Revolutiontm is creating a culture of athletic success and you are a part of this process. You are helping to build something bigger than yourself. You will be expected to know, understand, and comply with the following rules: 1. You will learn from your coaches at Athletic Revolutiontm and apply this knowledge to the best of your ability to become a better athlete and person. We are building athletes to excel in sport, the classroom and life! 2. You will not argue with your coaches. We set the rules, you will follow them. 3. You will show up 5 minutes early to your training session. Tardiness is not tolerated. This is a matter of respect to your peers and coaches. • Parents: In most cases it is up to you to make sure your athlete arrives at Athletic Revolution™ in a timely manner, as such we ask that you too understand that punctuality is a trait upon which champions are made. Please get your athlete here prior to the start of their session. 4. You will go through each activity to the best of your ability. We are not asking each athlete to be a superstar but we expect you to give your coaches a superstar effort! 5. Anything less than 100% commitment to the program is unacceptable. 6. You will be expected to apply all nutritional and motivational material given to you in your life outside of training at Athletic Revolutiontm. 7. Respect yourself, your peers, your parents and coaches. 8. If you are going to miss a session you must inform the coaches within a reasonable time frame. We need at least 12 hours notice to get you rescheduled. 9. There is absolutely NO SITTING during your workout. Unless your coach asks you to sit you will be on your feet during the entire training session. This will be enforced! 10. You will treat the other athletes in your training group like family. There is no place for mocking of an athlete or teasing at Athletic Revolutiontm. Your high school or team affiliations do not matter at Athletic Revolutiontm. 11. The entire workout, from start to finish, will be done as a group. 12. Your workout will be completed as written. Modifications to your workout must be approved by a coach. You are, under no circumstances, allowed to change your workout on your own. 13. If you do not comply with these rules the coaches at Athletic Revolutiontm reserve the right to ask you to leave the facility for the day. If this becomes a recurring issue we will ask you to the leave the program permanently! 14. Rules may be added at any time by the coaches as they see fit. I fully understand and agree to comply with the code of expectations at Athletic Revolutiontm. I also understand that I may come to my coaches with any concerns that I have regarding these rules, my experience or my development as an athlete at Athletic Revolutiontm. Champion:________________________________________ Date:_______________________ Parent:________________________________________________________________________ parents’ guide• ATHLETIC REVOLUTION
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KNOWLEDGE BASE by Brian J. Grasso
Founder and CEO - International Youth Conditioning Association Vice President - Athletic Revolution
Kids and Exercise Machines There is no real danger in kids performing machine based training under the proper supervision and appropriate guidelines. Many studies done the world over have concluded that strength based training programs done on this kind of fitness equipment is very safe for young children (again under appropriate guidelines). My issue is not whether or not kids CAN perform this kind of training: my question is WHY they need to. Back tracking for a second, I have watched (as I'm sure we all have) a very young baby struggle to get to their feet. In terms of strength output, this equates to a near maximal load. No one seems to be concerned about it until that child becomes eight or so years old and wants to lift weights... Then people want to call the police on you because you had the ignorance to let a child perform strength training! The bottom line is that kids CAN handle strength training based loads... heck they do everyday - hopscotch, tag, bowling, ANY sport - all these things require varying degrees of strength. Now the question of why. I just have never been convinced by any article, book or study championing child strength training that kids SHOULD use machine based fitness equipment. The reality is that sport AND life are based on the functionality of movement. Juan Carlos refers to it as the Four Pillars of human movement; Paul Check has a similar model which incorporates six stages. My point is that whether you are dealing with a young athlete or just a young fitness participant, your goals should involve obtaining health and/or sporting proficiency on a useable level. Machines provide support (I have trained so many young athletes who simply cannot produce stability in all three planes), and the force application is both pre-set (which just begs for biomechanical dysfunction) as well as pre-guided (unfortunately sport and life are not). My other concern with machines is that they inhibit two very important concerns when dealing with young athletes (actually when dealing with anyone): 1. It is very hard to train unilaterally when using machines (one side of the body at a time). Unilateral training, in my mind, is one of the most crucial components of developing young athletes. 2. You simply cannot train (either produce force through or learn to stabilize) the transverse plane. As referenced in many Kinesiology based books, over 85% of our core musculature is oriented horizontally or diagonally - we are designed for rotation, yet machines don't allow for it. My suggestion for working with young athletes (and this is based on several factors including age, emotional maturity, current physical proficiency) is as follows -
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Don't engage kids in exercises that promote external stability or useless force production. The key to working with young athletes in any sport is to promote mobility, stability and balance in conjunction with force. Young athletes need to have a virtual warehouse of athletic based skills in order to reach optimal levels. This is achieved by moving and stabilizing the body through various planes and producing force through various vectors. A common sequence as put forth by esteemed professionals such as Paul Check is as follows: flexibility before stability - stability before strength - strength before power. Incorporate unilateral strengthening activities (one leg at a time, for example). Most force production in sport is unilaterally based. This strategy also assists in training balance and avoiding unilateral overuse injuries. Add dynamic flexibility activities into workouts on a regular basis. Range of motion style flexibility is proven to be far more important to athletics than traditional static flexibility. While bodybuilding-type strength training is entirely useless to young athletes, a well educated professional should start teaching the movements and techniques associated with the Olympic and Power lifts at an early age (11 - 12 years old). These lifts include cleans, squats, push-press, snatch etc. Keep the exercises unweighted (i.e. use a broom handle rather than a weight bar) and concentrate on developing perfect and explosive power through technique. Don't underestimate the importance and value of basic 'games' such as tag, tug of war and single leg tug of war. ****************************************************
Sport Diversity - The Application Behind The Theory
Multilateral development is a theory which urges young athletes to participate in several sports over their childhood and adolescent periods prior to specializing in one. The basis is that varied athletic stimuli will serve to broaden the youngsters’ 12 • ATHLETIC REVOLUTIONtm
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‘warehouse’ or ‘portfolio’ of general athletic ability and develop a thorough or expansive base on which to build and eventually specialize. While the concepts are well known and the research citing success far reaching, it is still not an embraced reality within North American youth sports. By examining elite athletics, you can most certainly see the impact that multilateral development can have • • • •
Michael Jordan - played baseball and football as a youth Dave Winfield - a multi-sport phenomenon drafted by the NBA in addition to MLB Gary Roberts - an esteemed NHL veteran, played lacrosse at a high level as a youth Kurt Browning - 4-time world figure skating champion was an avid hockey and baseball player
While these are just a few examples, the reality is that elite athletics is dominated by individuals who participated in more than one sport as kids. By no means am I suggesting that excelling in more than one sport is important, but actively participating in a variety of athletic endeavors as you grow physiologically and psychologically is key. These realities extend beyond just developing good athletic ability. In fact, one of the problems I’ve encountered and often explained to parents and coaches in youth training seminars is that there is more than just a physical burn-out associated with specialized sporting endeavors. The obvious key is that specialization will result in a decreased amount of overall athletic ability which will inevitably become a hindrance as young athletes mature. In my experience, the athletes with the most diverse athletic history are often better equipped to learn and develop skills at the higher ends of a given sport once specialization has been determined. Above and beyond that however, there is also a mental stimulation component to athletic development. If baseball is a 12 month sport, for example, at what point does a 9 year old begin to lose interest? To answer that question, just think about the average 9 year old’s attention span in general. That’s not to say that your 9 year old isn’t truly enjoying every
second of playing baseball throughout the year, but inevitably, he will be ‘enjoying’ the game and ‘focusing’ on it more at certain points and less at others - that’s the nature of being a kid. It’s in these down times that bad and lazy habits can be developed. Keeping a youngster truly energized and excited about playing and learning new skills is a key component to athletic development that is very often overlooked. Another overlooked feature of why multilateral development remains the best option for young people is the tactical aspects associated with sport. Even if your son engages in numerous other informal modes of athletic stimulus, he is only being truly challenged with the tactics and game speed of baseball. Baseball is a notoriously slow game, especially at the youth level. Developing optimal ‘quick-wittedness’ and ‘game smarts’ may best be done via participation in several sports. My point here is that the arguments either for or against multilateral development are typically waged on the physical spectrum. In reality, the successful development of a young athlete is also heavily influenced by items such as mental and emotional perspicacity and tactical (sporting) smarts. While the multilateral development versus early specialization debate tends to wage endlessly in North America, other nations have adopted its concepts and applied its principals, due to both practical success as well as scientific research. Dr. Michael Yessis in his wonderful book, “Secrets of Soviet Sports & Fitness Training”, offers this input “Sport scientists. have found that athletes benefit from participating in sports other than the one in which they specialize. By doing so, they can tap a broader array of physiological skill, as well as take advantage of a psychological relaxing diversion. It’s common for (Soviet trained athletes), for example, to play twenty minutes of basketball as part of a warmup of their day-to-day training sessions, (even if they are wrestlers). In the west, the tendency is to believe that the way to become a good runner, for instance, is to run, run and run some more. The Soviets, however, know that during certain periods of the training program,
there are other sports that can be used to help make a runner quicker and more flexible, thus developing the all-around physical qualities needed to be a champion”. The former Soviet Union and other members of the Eastern Bloc are not the only nations that adhere to developmental principals. Australia is perhaps the best current day example of the power of a strong, national development system. Guided by the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), a National Talent Identification and Development program has been instituted country-wide and in conjunction with state and territory governments. The Talent Search, as it is referred to, is a coordinated effort to search for the sporting talent in Australia’s young people. The program is designed to help sports identify talented athletes (ranging in age from 11 - 20) and assist in preparing them for domestic, national and international competition. Young athletes are guided through developmental programs which facilitate giving them the best opportunity to realize their sporting potential. In the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, the United States led all nations in total medals won with 199. In fourth place, Australia’s athletes collected 115 medals. With a population of 19,546,792 people, Australia has 271,280,551 fewer people than the United States. With 14 times fewer people, they won only 84 medals less than the United States. Developmental strategies work. ****************************************************
The Importance Of Play
A common misconception within the North American youth sporting world is the concept of ‘play’ for conditioning purposes. All too often, well intentioned youth sport coaches or trainers follow the leads established by the elite members of their respective sports and configure training programs and sessions into hard-driving or ‘endless repetitions of one exercise’ type affairs. It cannot be overstated enough how much this practice is counterproductive and impeding
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to the optimal development of young athletes. Let’s examine that from a variety of perspectives -
THE MISTAKE - immersing a young athlete into one sport will NOT produce world-class champions.
Mental Young athletes are young CHILDREN. They do not posses the attention span to concentrate on one athletic skill for a prolonged period of time. Understanding this concept is paramount for coaches, trainers and parents - once a child becomes bored with a movement, they will inherently become frustrated and careless. This will lead to poor execution and incorrect form. Incorrect form can lead to acute or chronic injury and repetitive movements involving poor execution will inhibit potential development. Remember, it is allencompassing athletic skill that leads to proficiency in single sports - not specialization.
By using the concept of ‘play,’ practices can be transformed into fun and enjoyable experiences for young athletes and also serve to help optimally develop their athletic skills. Never discredit the benefits of very basic ‘game oriented’ activities. Take the game of tag as an example...a schoolyard game that doesn’t offer any real athletic development or conditioning benefits to a young athlete… or does it?
Emotional Young athletes require constant POSITIVE and CONSTRUCTIVE feedback from their coaches. Pulling a ‘Lombardi’ and chastising young athletes for poor performance, bad behavior or incorrect exercise execution is not conducive to optimal development. Children learn, develop and grow when they are immersed in a positive and uplifting environment. I am not suggesting for even an instant that you remove discipline or respect from the equation, but never confuse discipline and respect with fear and loathing - a child fearing the repercussions of a poor performance is NOT useful within the concepts of optimal athletic development. Conversely, a child knowing that they will be supported and nurtured after a poor performance and given every chance to improve IS perfect within the concepts of athletic development. One thing worth stating is to never forget how loud non-verbal communication can be in the ears of a young athlete. Being forced to reproduce the same drill over and over again in order to achieve ‘perfection’ will often feel like a punishment, even if that wasn’t your intension. Physical All great sports technicians were great athletes first. You simply cannot become a world-class baseball player, for instance, without acquiring superior ATHLETIC skill. Having said that, it is the job of every youth sporting coach, parent and trainer to ensure that young athletes are involved in as much diversification as possible. This could mean playing several sports throughout the year rather than just concentrating on one or two. It could also mean that coaches diversify their practice schedules by adding cross training concepts into the mix. DON’T MAKE 14 • ATHLETIC REVOLUTIONtm
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Starts and stops Acceleration Top speed Agility (change of direction) Tactical cognitions (developing a strategy so as not to get caught)
Here is a short list of some other games that coaches and trainers should consider when developing a training program for a youth sporting team. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Team Tag Tug-of-War Single Leg Tug-Of-War Wheel Barrel Races Partner Jumping Races
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Teaching the Basics of Movement The Key to Youth Fitness In the initial phases of training with a young athlete (technically referred to as General Preparatory or GPP), the undeniable key and focus (outside of fun!) should be aptitude development. This aptitude should transcend to both movement-based skills in their basic elements (balance, jumping, throwing, linear and lateral motion progressions etc) as well as strength-based exercises. I have always firmly believed that basic squatting techniques, for example (along with squatting variations and unilateral efforts), should be introduced into the training sessions of young athletes. That being said,, how does one begin the process of teaching movement habits? When working with truly young athletes (6 - 7 years old), you need to adopt a progression template within
which to work. No template can ever be applied to 100% of your athletes 100% of the time - that is the beauty of coaching: understanding what to apply, when and for how long (i.e. knowing when to progress or regress on an individual basis). Trust me when I say that no system is foolproof and that any strength coach or trainer that claims to ‘have all the answers’ is completely full of crap. For that exact reason, one of my industry heroes is Mike Boyle. He is a) straight to the point with no fluff and b) bold in his assertion that he is still developing and evolving as a coach himself. After 10 years of working with young athletes, I have reached one undeniable conclusion - the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know and the more I want to change my methodologies. Having said that, these are the first three progressions I use in teaching a movement habit Skill: Lateral Deceleration Firstly, break key points down into skill sets that are easy to remember so that kids can recite them both to you and to themselves (this makes teaching and cuing much simpler). I have four points I want my athletes to learn/know/commit to memory with respect to lateral deceleration: 1. Bend your knees and drop your hips. 2. Be on a flat foot or slightly on the ball of the foot. 3. The toe/foot of the decelerating leg should be square to the angle of the body (i.e. not out). 4. The foot placement should be outside the box (The ‘box’ is a reference to an invisible line drawn from the shoulder to the floor. Any placement outside of that line is good; within or too close to the line will result in a poor deceleration and potential injury.)
Progressions These represent the first three of my progressive steps: 1. Repeat Statically - have the athletes assume an athletic position or stance. From here, they will ‘hit’ the decelerating position upon command. Be patient with this step and make sure all your athletes are comfortable and competent with the motion. Add fun to this by calling out different legs unpredictably. 2. Repeat Dynamically - when you feel your athletes are ready, have them perform one or two moderately paced side shuffles prior to ‘hitting’ the decelerating position. The side shuffles should be slow and easy. At this point, you will begin to ascertain if further teaching is necessary (it likely will be). With the additional movement prior to the deceleration, a common mistake you will see is athletes not planting their foot outside of the box far enough. This results in a poor alignment and a less than satisfactory deceleration (even at these slow speeds). My colleague, Lee Taft, calls this a shoulder sway (because the shoulders lean towards the decelerating leg rather than sitting back in a ‘braking’ type position). I love this term and reflects what the actual concern looks like. 3. Repeat Randomly - Now that the athletes are comfortable with the motion, create games and situations within which they react to a particular signal and move (unpredictably) different directions. On your ‘point’ for example, the athlete will take one or two moderately paced side shuffles and then ‘hit’ a deceleration. Have them hold the position so that both you and they can ascertain what is right and wrong with their posture.
Have the kids understand each of these items individually and then in conjunction with each other.
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