As more and more parents are getting their children into more and more organized sports a sad thing is happening. The increased rate of kids being seriously injured and requiring surgery has been exploding. I personally have known kids as young as 10, 12 and 14 that are beyond having their first knee surgery, some of them are on their 2nd or 3rd. I personally find this very troubling.
Many studies recently have come out which talk about why this growing number of injuries is occuring and many of them point to one simple thing: kids aren't being allowed to be kids. Instead of climbing, jumping, tumbling, rolling, wrestling, etc. they are playing tee-ball, soccer, volleyball, etc.
Now, I'm not against getting your kids into sports, far from it. I know the value of athletics first hand and I know how it's not only a great way to get kids activel but also a great way to teach life lessons such as team work, respect, building character and more. However, when a child is allowed to simply be a kid they natrually play in a way (climbing, tumbling, wrestling, etc.) that builds up their muscles, their bones, and their connective tissues. This leads to a more durable, more resiliant, and stronger and fitter child. One that isn't as susceptible to serious injuries. When the child is taken from being able to play naturally and build this natural strength and resilience, and they are put into sports without having their bodies being strong and stable, that's when the bad things start to happen.
Now, because of this their are some various school districts throughout the country that are addressing this issue by haveing an hour long, organized play simulation time. In other words, they are bringing kids into an organized type practice where they are guided through drills (similar to sports drills) that are supposed to mimic the type of play that kids would naturally do; and the resulting fitness, strength and durability that comes with it.
Really....WTF! Wouldn't it instead make more sense to just let your kids play naturally and be kids? Maybe have them play one sport (instead of the 3-6 sports that I've seen some kids being put into) and really enjoy themselves while also giving them the free time to explore and be kids. Doesn't that make more sense, or am I just crazy? Do we really need an organized session of simulated play time, can't the kids just climb, jump, run, and twirl the way they naturally would?
On a related note, another valid option would be to make sure that the kids were able to exercis properly to strengthen themselves up, become more fit, and build up stability and resilience. It's funny that, even with more and more parents putting such emphasis on organized sports, that parents are still hesitant to let their kids strength train.
Now, I know that there's this huge myth out there that says that if you let your kid train with weights or kettlebells or perform hard bodyweight exercises that somehow your going to damage their growth (epiphysial) plates. But this is simply not true.
There have been numerous studies that have shown that while injury to an epiphysial plate may cause bone deformity there is actually little risk of this occuring with strength training especially when you compare it to other sports.
Dr. Mel Siff says it best when he said, "As for the risk of weight training stunting growth, closure of the epiphysial plates is related primarily to hormonal influences, not injury." In Facts and Fallacies of Fitness, Dr. Siff noted, "It has never been shown scientifically or clinically that the periodic imposition of large forces by weight training on the growing body causes damage to the epiphysial plates. It is extremely misleading to focus on the alleged risks of weight training on children when biomechanical research shows that simple daily activities such as running, jumping, striking, or catching can impose far greater forces on the musculoskeletal system than very heavy weight training.
Dr. Siff also noted, as varified by Charles Poliquin, that bone density scans have proven that youngsters who do competitive Olympic Weightlifting have higher bone densities than children who do not use weights.
Also, as shown by Russian research and published in the book School of Height, young athletes that lifted heavy weights stimulated more bone growth.
In other words, if you want you kid to remain healthy and injury free, let them play naturally and build their bodies up. From there, find a good strength coach to teach them how to strength train properly. Doing these two things will help your hcild grow up fitter, stronger, healthier, and with less chance of becoming one of the growing population of kids that's already needing surgery because of their sports related injuries.
Talk with you more later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
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