Start The Kids Young!

I don’t know if you’re this type of parent or if you have this type of parent but when I was younger my parents were this type. What type is that you ask? It’s the parents who believe working out at a young age will stunt a child’s growth. I’m here to tell you that working out and lifting weights will NOT stunt a child’s growth!

Don’t get me wrong, if a child trains poorly and injures themselves it might hinder their growth BUT if a young athlete trains properly, he or she will only see benefits. To establish what is safe for young hockey players to do in the gym you need to look at the physical maturity of the athlete to determine what is deemed appropriate.

I would not recommend young hockey players to lift heavy weights and perform low repetitions as this can place extra stress on their growth plates. When training young hockey players the focus needs to be 100% on form and technique. If the athlete can develop proper motor skills and muscle strength within these movements they allow themselves a greater opportunity of future athletic development.

It’s also important to make the workouts fun for younger athletes. I have found they’re more eager to work hard and they actually learn better when the environment is enjoyable. The number one reason we engage in training, at whatever age, is injury prevention. If an athlete is injured it doesn’t matter how strong or explosive they are if they can’t play hockey. Younger hockey players need to remember that to avoid an overuse injury and prevent overtraining, their program needs to be properly planned out and training should be limited to 3 times per week.

To make things a little easier I’ve decided to give an example of a workout plan that a hockey player aged 13-15 years old should follow.

So remember:

• Form and Technique is most important
• 3 times per week of weight training
• Stay away from heavy weights and low reps
• Working out will not stunt a child’s growth
• Have fun!

Along with proper training, it’s very important to make sure you’re properly hydrated, this visual guide makes it easy to know when and how much fluids to drink. Being dehydrated is extremely detrimental to your sports performance. To learn more check out this article “Do You Know Your Sweat Rate?”