Good Evening,

I hope you had a good weekend.

More staff news for everyone. Coach Rylie is running the Boston Marathon this year. She is raising money for the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation.

This foundation aims to inspire young individuals to reach their maximum potential through sports, education, community, and fitness. Gronk Nation provides grants to sports programs to inspire the next generation of athletes.

If you would like to help Rylie get to her goal of $10,000 raised for the foundation. Use the link below.

​https://www.givengain.com/ap/rylie-dalzell-raising-funds-for-gronk-nation-youth-foundation​

We are back at it tomorrow. We have a few slots left in our middle and high school training programs. Our winter programs do prorate.

Let us know if you or your athlete needs anything. Have a great week!

Colin

Windows Of Opportunity

Youth undergo two critical periods of athletic development before and after peak height velocity ( maximum velocity of growth in stature relative to a child’s growth spurt ) in which they are more adaptable to training stimuli.

The average age of peak height velocity ( PHV ) is 12 years old in girls, and 14 years in boys; however these are best regarded as an approximation.

There are two critical periods of accelerated adaptation. While athletic skills are trainable throughout childhood, the windows of opportunity are considered an ideal time to learn and practice proper movement mechanics.

The first window of accelerated adaptation occurs prior to PHV between the ages of 6-8 years in girls and 7-9 in boys. This period is distinguished by the first real noticeable increase in sprint speed and explosive strength improvement.

For optimal improvement of their motor abilities, children at this stage may benefit most from training that requires high levels of neural activation that can also be considered “fun”, such as plyometric and sprint training.

During this first window of opportunity, special attention should be paid to body awareness and body control with proper movement mechanics. Once motor skills are able to be successfully performed, speed throughout a wide array of athletic movements will develop.

The second window of opportunity occurs approximately 12 to 18 months following PHV and often coincides with peak weight velocity (PWV ). The PWV is associated with a rapid growth in body mass and usually occurs during the PHV in boys around 14 years and about 6 months after PHV in girls, usually around 12.5 years.

During this time, adolescents undergo periods of rapid gains in muscle mass. Increases in muscle mass, resulting from larger muscle fibers, allow for a greater force-production capacity, leading to increased strength which has been closely associated with running speed, change of direction speed and plyometric ability.

In fact, 70% of the variability in motor skills may be attributed to differences in muscular strength. Since strength is the foundation for power and speed, increases in strength during this stage will assist youth in further advancements in their speed and agility performance.