Accentuating Your Child's Natural Abilities

Not every child will be a sports super star or even a National champion. Deep down parents realize this but still, as they say, hope springs eternal for our children. Having said this now is the time to help the young trainee make logical choices in how they train.

Some children show potential to run distances while others seem better suited to sprints or feats of strength. There are a limited number of children with the genetic make up to excel in these widely varying activities. One is clearly aerobic whereas the other leans more toward the anaerobic type of training.

Spending lots of time trying to get a child to run long distances when they are better suited to becoming strong and powerful will cause frustrations for both parties. In fact, pushing in this direction can actually weaken the potential of the child to get strong and powerful. Assuming desire is at the same level for both of them, in the long run, they will never reach the same levels as the one who has the genetic makeup to run long distances. This has nothing to do with their desire but instead to the fact their body is not built to run long distances. There are too many fast twitch fibers compared to the runners' slow twitch make up.

A person who is naturally anaerobicaly strong will be at a distinct disadvantage to one who is naturally aerobic in makeup.

The crux of all this is to follow this principle of training and exercise program design:

Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negatives by working on those parts of the skills, movements and physical conditioning qualities that are behind in the learning curve. Keep in mind that constant negative harping on the lagging parts will become a sore spot for the child. It won't take long before they'll be less inclined to continue with their training.

Helping a child to maintain their motivation to work out means emphasizing their natural abilities; the ones they excel in and which make them happy at the same time. After all, every one of us wants to be good at something and physical activities are no different from the rest.

A child who enjoys exercising will more than likely remain engaged in vigorous physical activities for the rest of their lives.

Danny M. O'Dell, MA. CSCS*D

Author, nationally and internationally recognized fitness advocate, speaker and NSCA certified strength and conditioning coach.

Danny M. O'Dell, M. A. CSCS*D is the co-owner of The Explosivelyfit Strength Training Gym and Explosivelyfit.com both located in Nine Mile Falls, WA. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, recognized with Distinction by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has a Masters Degree in Human Services and is a strength and conditioning coach in a local School District along with being a member of the Washington State Coaches Association.

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