Athlete Development & Sports Training Fundamentals
Youth Athlete Development Objectives
The development of young athletes focuses on three core objectives:
Holistic Athlete Formation
This objective emphasizes that working with individuals in their maturation and growth process will significantly impact them. These impacts can be sought in different areas such as physical, behavioral, or attitudinal development.
Preparing Athletes for Future Performance
This refers to the need for coaches to prepare young athletes for a successful future career in their sport.
Immediate Performance Optimization
While never forgetting the first two points, the coach should strive to help their athletes achieve good sports results during their training. This will increase their motivation, encouraging them to continue in the sport, while also providing valuable experience for the future.
Core Principles of Sports Training
Effective sports training is built upon several fundamental principles:
Principle of Continuity
The training process should be structured on an ongoing basis, ensuring consistent effort and not leaving excessively long gaps between training loads.
Principle of Progression
Training loads must progressively increase in intensity and complexity over time to stimulate adaptation and improvement.
Principle of Alternation
There must be an alternation between periods of work and rest, and also between different types of work within the training plan, to optimize recovery and prevent overtraining.
Principle of Individualization
Because the response to training is entirely individual, the training plan must be adapted to the unique needs and characteristics of each athlete.
Understanding Key Physical Qualities
Force (Strength)
Definition of Force
Force is defined as the muscle’s ability to develop tension to overcome an external resistance.
Types of Force by Muscular Contraction
Isometric Contraction
Occurs when the muscle develops tension but is unable to overcome the resistance, resulting in no movement or change in muscle length.
Concentric Contraction
This is when the muscle shortens as it works to overcome resistance.
Eccentric Contraction
This occurs when the muscle lengthens while still under tension, often resisting a load (e.g., lowering a weight).
Types of Force by Resistance
Maximum Force
The highest resistance a muscle or muscle group is capable of overcoming in a single effort.
Speed-Strength (Quick Force)
The ability of a muscle group to produce significant force rapidly, often against sub-maximal resistance, leading to high-speed movements.
Strength Endurance (Force Endurance)
The ability to sustain muscular contractions or exert force repeatedly over an extended period against a slight or moderate resistance.
Resistance (Endurance)
Definition of Resistance
Resistance, or endurance, is the body’s ability to sustain physical effort or carry loads over an extended period.
Energy Systems for Activity
The body utilizes different energy pathways depending on the intensity and duration of the activity:
Anaerobic Alactic Pathway
Utilizes cellular reserves of ATP and CP (creatine phosphate). This pathway is dominant for very short-duration, high-intensity activities, lasting approximately 10-30 seconds.
Anaerobic Lactic Pathway
Used in high-intensity activities of medium duration, typically lasting between 30 seconds to approximately 2 minutes.
Aerobic Pathway
This pathway is primarily used in mild to moderate intensity, long-duration activities, relying on oxygen to produce energy.
Speed
Definition of Speed
Speed is the capability that allows us to perform an action in the shortest possible time.
Types of Speed
Reaction Speed
The ability to minimize the time between the presentation of a stimulus and the onset of the associated motor response.
Acyclic Speed
The ability to perform unique, single gestures or movements as quickly as possible (e.g., a jump, a throw).
Cyclic Speed
The ability to perform repeated gestures or movements as frequently as possible (e.g., running, cycling).
Flexibility
Definition of Flexibility
Flexibility is the capacity of a joint or group of joints to move through a large range of motion.