Welcome once again to the Get Down podcast, season 2. In this episode, I’m going to address the common mistake of misapplying tapering in youth sports training. I’ll begin with one of my own experiences in optimizing training schedules in school sports, focusing on the need for continuous development rather than peaking too early. The main points I’ll be talking about include the critical evaluation of training time allocation, the negative impact of tapering on long-term athlete development (LTAD), and the importance of maintaining regular training sessions to achieve compound growth. I’ll also emphasize that youth are malleable and can benefit from consistent training over premature specificity and tapering, which often leads to losing valuable training time and opportunities for growth. I would love to hear your feedback on this episode and hope to see you on the next one aimed at parents.
Takeaways from this episode:
Strategic time allocation is essential when planning youth training schedules, considering the need to balance sport-specific training with other developmental aspects.
Premature tapering applied inappropriately in youth development programs can slow down the potential for compound growth.
Encouraging athletes to train through competitions at various stages of their development not only enhances their resilience but also promotes a deeper understanding of the sport's demands.
Societal pressure often reinforces an instant outcome mindset among young athletes.
Integrating competitions into youth training programs serves as a valuable opportunity to build resilience, navigate the pressures of competition and develop mental toughness.
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