Athletic girls should strength train early to enhance performance and reduce risk of injury

Strength training is essential for all young athletes. Children's neuromuscular systems are like "sponges", ready to absorb and learn whatever skills they are taught. This makes children highly trainable. Most sports require quick, explosive movement, so we must conclude that young athletes need power to perform their sports skills at their best. The most effective way to help them improve their overall power is to help them gain strength. Girls, in particular, who typically do not get the access to the weight room that the boys get, can reap huge benefits from regular strength training, especially at the high school level, where competition heats up for both boys and girls.

Young athletes in all sports will perform best if they have enough strength to overcome and accelerate their body weight on the court or field. Training will also help them achieve structural balance protecting their joints and avoiding injury. Sports medicine research has reported that there are over 100,000 ACL injuries in the US each year. Studies have shown that a female soccer player's risk of sustaining an ACL injury is two to eight times greater than her male counterpart, and two-thirds of ACL injuries are "non-impact" injuries that may have been prevented if the athlete landed effectively after jumping or decelerated effectively when trying to cut across the court or field. Research has also shown that combining strength training with neuromuscular and proprioceptive exercises in an athlete's training regimen, like those for example, in the Jump! program at Volt Fitness in Glen Rock, NJ, can dramatically reduce the number of ACL injuries.

So we know it works, but is it safe? Strength training for young athletes suffers from misconceptions that discourage parents and coaches from having their young athletes’ strength train. In fact, strength training for young athletes improves bone mineral density and growth rather than stunting it, many young athletes are missing out on reaching their potential because they don't lift weights.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and National Strength and Conditioning Association have all published position statements endorsing resistance training for children and adolescents, as both safe and effective. Some of the basic conclusions and recommendations are listed below.

A properly designed and supervised resistance training program:

• Is safe for youth
• Can enhance the muscular strength and power of youth
• Can improve the cardiovascular profile of youth
• Can improve motor skill performance and may enhance sports performance in youth
• Can increase a young athlete’s resistance to sports-related injuries
• Can help improve the psychological well-being of youth
• Can help promote and develop exercise habits during childhood and adolescence.

Note that the caveat guiding all recommendations is that any resistance training program that a young athlete follows should be properly designed for optimal safety and the performance of that program should be properly supervised. In other words, the right program done correctly will always benefit your child. The wrong program or poorly performing the right program can be detrimental to the young athlete’s performance and health. The weight room is not the place for random approaches or horse-play. Be smart and seek out the help of an experienced and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, so you can make sure that you follow a safe and effective program. Remember that in an athletic world that is more competitive than ever, only the strong will survive.