Seeing your child succeed on the field or court is by far one of the best feelings as a parent. As children age, some get stronger and some take longer to develop. It might seem as if the competition at their age group has become too tough for them to handle, whether it be mentally or physically. Even if it seems that they have the drive and willingness to compete that may not be enough in some situations.
They are left with wondering why everyone in front of them may be physically better than them even though they work harder. That's where sports performance comes in. Whether you want to see increased speed, strength, stamina or confidence, sports performance can be huge in the development of your athlete.
Speed and agility can sometimes be considered as a natural gift however, this skill is learned and practiced through multiple drills and repetition. Oftentimes you can see professional athletes who may not seem as fast as the next guy but they outdo the competition with foot work and being quicker laterally.
There are multiple drills you can do to be able to focus on speed development. This could be done with little to no equipment as long as the reps are done as hard as possible as well as properly. Learning these exercises you will see a significant change in speed as your child performs.
As you child ages they will have body structure and hormone changes that can affect how they perform in their athletics. To counteract this strength training is important as it balances out these effects by supporting healthy growth and development in the bones and muscles.
Benefits of Strength Training:
There are myths out there about when you should start allowing your child to work on developing strength but, kids are actually able to start at the age of 7. This doesn't mean they will be doing compound lifts such as bench press or back squats as those can be harmful to the body if done before a certain age range. By strength training it means sports specific exercises to increase muscle in areas that can benefit motions they use in any certain sport to avoid injury and increase performance.
Maybe you have the fastest or the most athletic child out there but you notice they often have to take breaks or tire out really fast which starts to affect their play. Sports performance training would teach them how to use their energy at full effect when needed as well as train their bodies to be able to take on activity for longer periods of time.
Endurance Benefits:
These simple yet effective things are huge when it comes to peak performance. So many things can go wrong if they are focused on how tired they are versus winning the game or performing a stunt. Endurance can be a huge mental block in those late situations. Also overcompensating on a movement because of tiredness can cause injury to other muscles.
The final and in my opinion most important upside to sports performance is the confidence it instills in your young athlete. Self esteem would be at an all time high knowing that they worked hard as something and the outcome was everything they thought it would be. This would also keep your child in sports longer because they would know what it takes to properly prepare their bodies to take on a full season or multiple seasons of athletic activity.
All-in-all, sports performance can help athletes reach their full potential and unlock capabilities they never thought they had. It allows them to stay ahead of the competition and gives them all the tools they need to be successful in their sport. Whether it be wanting to be faster, stronger or just more confident in their abilities, this is seen as a great way to progress into being the best they can be.