Are We “Forrest Gump-ing” Our Young Athletes?
Like everyone else in the 1990’s, I saw the movie Forrest Gump in the theaters and loved it. One of the scenes that stuck with me was when Forrest and his fellow army recruits were getting dressed down by their military drill instructor. “Gump!...
7 Fast and Simple Ways to Improve Young Athletes’ Nutrition
Providing your young athletes with high quality food choices they’re willing to eat can be a challenge amidst the hustle and bustle of family life. Kids begin to form their lifelong behaviors and attitudes towards food during these early years, so I think...
Speed Coach “Secrets” to Getting Kids Faster (Parent Edition)
Very few athletic traits are valued as much as speed. That’s why the youth “speed training” niche is a near billion-dollar industry in the United States and beyond. Individual coaches and companies have branded themselves as youth speed gurus, supposedly holding the...
Good and BETTER Tactics for Growing Your Youth Programs
As youth strength and conditioning professionals, we’re always looking for ways to expand our programs so we can help more kids. For the last few years, SPIDERfit Kids has been working with individuals and organizations to assess and determine the most effective...
What Age is it Safe for Kids to “Lift Weights”?
As a coach or fitness professional who works with young athletes, you’ll encounter the question, “When is it safe for my child to lift weights?” multiple times in your career. Clear and relevant answers to this question often get lost in industry semantics, providing...
Simone Biles: They’re Kids, Not Commodities
I don’t know Simone Biles and I can’t speak to her personal character or what she may do or say in the days, months or years to come. I only know the facts that are available. I’m not going to waste my time volleying arguments with anyone on social media....
How to Start Working With Schools as a Fitness Professional
In 2000, I had 5 years of experience leading group exercise classes for adults and two rambunctious children at home. I realized that every time I took my kids to the playground and let them loose, I liked them better. For the balance of the day, they were happier,...
4 Simple Steps to Keep Young Athlete’s Attention
If you work with kids, you know that their attention spans are about as long as mosquito’s hiccup. This can be the cause of a lot of the frustration that stands in the way of great coaches wanting to work with kids during their most impressionable years of physical...
The State of Kids’ Fitness Australia (2021)
So how about that last 18 months? If we ever needed an excuse to stay home, play Xbox, Netflix & Chill, and support local businesses by ordering copious amounts of takeaway, it has been the last 18 months. Sounds like a dream to some people, right?...
Improving Coordination and Athleticism with 5-10-Year-Olds: If You Only Have 10 Minutes…
I was talking with a coach of 7- and 8-year-olds the other day. She wanted to know what daily exercises I would recommend helping her young athletes improve their coordination and athleticism if they only had 10 minutes. It’s important to note that any...
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