Repetition vs. Repetitions: Training Youth Athletes

The mother of mastery is deliberate repetition! As Coaches, we are always trying to find better ways to gain maximal results while promoting movement proficiency for our athletes. Variety plays an important role! Reps, sets, stress fluctuation, tempo and exercise selection are a few of the variables that need to be manipulated in order to produce maximal adaptation.

Of these variables, many coaches/trainers make the mistake of constantly tampering with exercise selection. At Donskov Strength and Conditioning this is the LAST variable to change in youth training! Why? Competent movement skills! If you don't practice, you will NEVER master! Coach Boyle recently answered a question about why his young athletes Clean so often. His response: "Skill acquisition!"…"Beginners need repetition, not necessarily repetitions." Let's look how this philosophy applies to sports. Below is some supporting data from Hockey Canada.

What the Experts Found: Experts from Hockey Canada compiled the following data with regard to a youth hockey (60-minute) practice and game.

Game Numbers:

• Players will have the puck on their stick for an average of 8 seconds a game.

• Players will average 1 to 2 shots per game.

• Players will take an average of 18 shifts per game.

Practice Numbers:

• 1 efficient practice will give a player more skill development than 11 games collectively.

• In a 60--minute practice, each player will have the puck on his or her stick for approx. 8 -- 12 minutes.

• Each player will take a minimum of 30 shots on net.

These numbers clearly indicate that practice is where development takes place in youth sports. It is also where development takes place in the weight room! Practice is deliberate REPITITION! Just like skating, stick handling, passing, and shooting develop fundamental skills on the ice, building solid skills in the weight room takes constant repetition. If it's important DO IT OFTEN! It doesn't have to be a loaded movement. Many times these can be added to a dynamic warm-up. Coaches, the next time you decide to change the exercise selection, ask yourself this: can my athletes' clean, squat, dead lift, push and press with masterful skill? If the answer is to this question is no, it is imperative that you practice. Your athletes will never master movement if it's not practiced consistently and repeatedly. If you don't practice, your athletes will always be in a game like atmosphere with the puck on their sticks for 8 seconds!

Resources:

Hockey Canada Minor Hockey Development Guide: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/multimedia/e/develop/players/downloads/mhadev.pdf

Anthony Donskov, MS, CSCS, PES, is a former collegiate and professional hockey player, founder of Donskov Strength and Conditioning Inc., (www.donskovsc.com) and Head Instructor/Director of Off-Ice Strength and Conditioning for Donskov Hockey Development (www.donskovhockey.com). He can be reached at info@donskovsc.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Donskov-Strength-and-Conditioning-Inc/111694352189187

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Donskovsc

Looking for information you can trust in a place you can connect with Strength Coaches and Trainers who, like you, just want to be the best that they can be?

You want to learn, grow and network to advance in a career you love?

This is the place to do it.

"StrengthCoach.com has helped me tremendously since its inception. The articles and videos continue to be really helpful in learning what's currently going on in the Strength and Conditioning profession. However, what I find most valuable is the ongoing forum discussions which feature dialogue between some of the best people in the business. You get an insight to what people are doing with their clients/athletes."

Sean Skahan, Strength & Conditioning Coach, Boston University Hockey

Imagine a place where you could go to get the latest info on everything Strength & Conditioning and training and interact with some of the best Strength Coaches in the World!

Welcome to StrengthCoach.com.

It really has become “The Best Source for Strength & Conditioning Information”

Come join us. Try it out for 3 days for just $1

Join the community and interact with so many like minded coaches.
As a member of StrengthCoach.com, you get:

	Unlimited Access to the private member-only forum- Coach Boyle is on everyday
	Beginner, Advanced, High School, Business, FMS and Nutrition Forums
	"Critique My Form" video forum
	Brand new articles, videos and programs every week
	Over 2,500 archived articles, videos, webinars, audio interviews, and programs
	10% Discount on all Training Equipment orders from Perform Better
	Updates to workshops and lectures
	A FREE Downloadable pdf of the "StrengthCoach.com Top 10 Articles- The Essentials"
	A FREE Downloadable pdf of the "StrengthCoach.com Top 10 Articles- Performance"

If you decide to stay on after your 3 day trial membership, you get 2 more incredible bonuses!

	Coach Boyle's book, "Advances in Functional Training" (in PDF format) In *Advances, you'll learn how to— Reduce and prevent common problems like low back pain, knee pain, neck and shoulder pain* by identifying compensations, improving mobility and flexibility and focusing on movement patterns Minimize the risk of common injuries like lifting-related back injuries, tendinitis, upper-body injuries, ACL injuries and sports hernias Unlock greater power and performance by learning how to properly train the hips and core Help your athletes stay in top shape all season long with the right conditioning methods in the preseason, off-season and in-season Develop explosiveness to improve forty-yard dash times and overall game speed Select the right equipment for your gym room—Mike gives his recommendations of the equipment you do and don't need to improve strength, conditioning and overall athleticism Select the right exercises for your athletes—Learn to pick the exercises that have the biggest payoff and minimum risk Build safer, more effective programs for your athletes—Mike provides insight into how to program for speed, power, strength, hypertrophy, and more. He even gives sample programs and templates so you can see how he puts programs together, so you can go from there to build your own. … and much more. Whether you train elite athletes looking for an extra edge in performance without compromising safety… or everyday men and women looking to maximize their time in the gym so they can enjoy their life outside of it… If you're a serious coach or trainer always looking for a better and safer way to train the people you work with, Advances in Functional Training is a “must have” resource to add to your library. This is one of the few fitness books you'll come back to again and again as you train your clients and seek to give them every advantage you can. FREE DOWNLOAD ONCE YOUR 3 DAY TRIAL IS UP!

Coach Boyle's Book "Designing Strength Training Programs and Facilities" (in PDF format) "Designing Strength Training Programs and Facilities" is a "how-to- book." The book moves from the task of equipping a weight room, through a discussion of programming concepts, and eventually into actual workouts with detailed explanation. I hope that this book will be what every aspiring, strength and conditioning coach is looking for. A basic primer on how to get things done and why. The concepts are meant to be simple and utilitarian. FREE DOWNLOAD ONCE YOUR 3 DAY TRIAL IS UP!