In the context of long-term athletic development, I always highlight the concept of window of adaptation. Young, untrained athletes can make massive improvements in a short amount of time when they prioritize fitness qualities or skills that haven’t been challenged previously. It’s on us as coaches to a) identify where the massive growth potential exists, b) make the athlete/parents/coach aware of it, and c) close the gap with good programming and quality coaching. For an example in action, our 10-year-old daughter, Lydia, fell off a swing set and broke her arm on January 29.

As “luck” would have it, she jumped on our Hawkin Dynamics force plates four days earlier, so we had a nice baseline in play. She started training (in a sling) about ten days after her surgery. In just four weeks of one-armed strength training (roughly 10 sessions), Lydia put 0.5 inches on her hands-on-hips countermovement jump (7.8 to 8.3 inches!) and “squished” her graph (a sign that braking and propulsion are both taking place more quickly: good stiffness). This image compares 1/25/25 (top) with 3/12/25 (bottom); she had four pins put in her arm in the middle.

Strength training isn’t just safe for kids; it’s massively helpful. All the work she put in at the gym during her rehab timeline was instrumental in smoothly transitioning back to gymnastics when cleared by her surgeon. And, she set the stage for more long-term success by taking advantage of an open window of adaptation while she was on the shelf.

Related Posts

Podcast: When and How Should My Kid Start Strength and Conditioning?

Strength in the Teenage Years: An Overlooked Long-Term Athletic Development Competitive Advantage

The Truth About Strength Training for Kids

Mike Boyle on Long-Term Athletic Development and Inseason Training

Podcast: Does Early Sports Specialization Work?