Ep122 | From Skipping to Power: Developing Young Athletes at FitWit Gym with Sam Braxton

In this podcast episode, the focus is on youth athletic development and strength and conditioning programs for young athletes. Coach Sam Braxton, the youth athletic development coach at FitWit gym, shares his expertise and insights on the topic.<br />Coach Sam's background in special education has provided him with valuable skills in assessing individuals, setting goals, and developing personalized programs. He has found that these skills translate well to strength training.<br />FitWit's youth programs cater to different age groups. For ages 5-12, the emphasis is on developing movement skills such as skipping and hopping. On the other hand, teenagers receive sport-specific training that focuses on power, speed, and injury prevention for their respective sports.<br />One key takeaway from the discussion is the importance of communication skills for coaches. Coach Sam highlights the need to adapt cues based on each individual's understanding. To illustrate this, he shares a fun example of a child suggesting "shooting a rocket out of your foot" as a cue for a hinge movement.<br />The podcast also addresses the challenges faced by high school athletes who often play their sport year-round with little off-season. Strength training can help build resiliency, allowing athletes to maintain performance throughout a long season with less decline.<br />During the in-season, the focus shifts to flexibility and availability rather than peak performance. The goal is to manage workload and recovery to avoid overuse injuries and ensure athletes can peak when needed.<br />Understanding an athlete's yearly calendar based on their sports season is crucial for programming the right training at the right times - off-season, pre-season, and in-season. This helps optimize performance and minimize the risk of injury.<br />Early exposure to movement skills is emphasized as it lays the foundation for long-term athletic development and injury prevention as athletes mature and specialize.<br />FitWit offers programs for all ages and ability levels. If you're interested in learning more, contact details are provided at the end of the podcast.<br />Reach out to Sam:<br />Via e-mail: sam@fitwit.com