Fact or Myth with Ed Shone!

October 24th 2019

Sport training programs, in order to stay relevant, must keep up with modern trends and challenge themselves daily in order to provide appropriate developmental scenarios.

As the sport grows, so does our understanding of the components that go into the overall picture that is training, in particular youth training. Below are some common misconceptions!

Children should not lift weights……

MYTH! - It is acceptable for children to lift weights, in the appropriate fashion with a recognized, certified coach. Children should not lift weights incorrectly!

We need to do endurance work in season…..

MYTH! - The aerobic system will start to show signs of detraining after around 2 weeks, and a player will get more than enough work in game. Speed on the other hand, will start to show signs of decreasing after 4-5 days! Train speed!

Ladders will get me more agile/faster…..

MYTH! - Being agile also includes reacting to exterior, unexpected stimulus, such as a defender. Ladders can be a useful addition to the warm up!

Technology is only as good as the person using/interpreting the results…..

FACT! - Part of the attractiveness of some technologies is the ease of use for players, however gathering the information is one thing, but how is it being used to make decisions going forwards?

Youth players don’t need a break/are mini adults…..

MYTH! – Youth players play because they enjoy it but there are a million other things they could also be enjoying that will ultimately make them happier overall.

Hands on knees to recover…..

FACT! – Recent research suggests that hunching over/hands on knees after exercise actually helps recovery rather than standing tall.