In recent years, youth strength training and models of athletic development have become hot topics thanks in part to a shift in youth sports from leisure activities to year-round commitments. In order for strength and conditioning professionals to help the athletes of tomorrow achieve their performance and fitness goals, it’s imperative to develop safe, effective, and balanced programming for the youth of today.

As the final article of the three-part series on long-term athletic development (LTAD), this article will focus on enhancing physical fitness and participation in LTAD programs that promote physical fitness and physiological wellbeing, regardless of age, ability, and aspirations.

This TSAC research column explores how operational exposure and experience shape stress responses in military personnel. Visit NSCA online to learn more about tactical performance and exercise research.

All fitness components depend on body composition to some extent, and the demands of many sports require that athletes maintain standard levels of body composition.

Elite sport often gets more attention, but youth training gives strength and conditioning coaches an earlier chance to build athletes’ competence and confidence. Kelli Brightwell specializes in youth development and brings more than a decade of sports training experience, including four years at Michael Johnson Performance. Brightwell defines peak height velocity as the period during which height increases fastest. She then explains why its timing can differ among teammates of the same age. So what should strength coaches test, and what do the results mean? The answer changes with each athlete’s maturity and training experience. Brightwell addresses the growth-spurt “awkward phase,” when familiar movement patterns can break down as an athlete adjusts to a changing body. She also considers how sport sampling can expand children’s range of physical skills and help them discover what they enjoy. Learn how maturation can affect movement, testing, and programming — and why young athletes need foundations before specialization.

The purpose of this article is to examine components that affect speed to determine the degree that speed is governed by skill versus genetic factors.

This excerpt from Developing Agility and Quickness provides a needs analysis for field hockey and possible program design options for optimal performance outcomes.

This article describes the long-term athletic development programming pillars and suggests practical applications for strength and conditioning practitioners.

This article explores the concept of how lifestyle behaviors encouraged at the high school-level could affect fitness during adulthood, with a focus on both sport and strength and conditioning participation.

This Personal Training Quarterly article presents alternative ways of teaching the squat technique. Visit NSCA online to read more on exercise science, health, and fitness.