Developing Core Strength in Youth Athletes for Better Sport Performance

As parents of youth athletes, you are always looking for ways to help your child perform at their best. One area that often gets overlooked but is absolutely critical to their success is trunk strength, known more popularly as “CORE STRENGTH“. Having good core strength in youth athletes can make a huge difference in your their athletic performance, from improving their balance and posture to increasing speed and reducing the risk of injury.

In this blog post, we’ll explain why developing core strength in youth athletes is so important, how it affects performance in various sports, and the best exercises to help your child build a powerful core.

Why Core Strength in youth athletes is Essential for Athletes

The core refers to the muscles in the middle of the body, including the abdominals, lower back, and pelvic region. The core is a complex machine as it can be involved not only in PRODUCING movements such as flexing, extending or rotating the trunk, but also in RESISTING these vary same movements!

These core muscles are involved in nearly EVERY movement your child makes, whether they’re sprinting, jumping, throwing, or changing direction. That’s because a strong core provides stability, balance, and control, all of which are crucial for athletic success.

Here’s how good core strength in youth athletes core can benefit them in sports:

• Improved Balance and Posture: A strong core helps your child maintain proper POSTURE and balance by helping to resist unwanted and unnecessary movement. This is important not only for running and jumping but also for preventing falls and injuries. Whether they’re performing a cartwheel or sprinting down the field, balance is key.

• Improved Efficiency: Many movements in sports, like JUMPING or SPRINTING, require force to be transmitted through the trunk or core. An inefficient core results in “ENERGY LEAKS” effectively losing power while trying to generate the force needed for quick, explosive movements, reducing your child’s speed and agility. By improving core strength in youth athletes we can improve their reduce these energy leaks and increase their power and speed.

• Increased Power and Speed: As mentioned above, the core also produces movements. Imagine the trunk rotating in a RUGBY pass across the body, or jumping to arch the back and follow through in a powerful header at goal in FOOTBALL. Training these functions of the muscles results in more powerful actions like these!

• Reduced Risk of Injury: A strong core acts as a stabilizer, reducing the risk of INJURY, especially in the lower back, hips, and knees. The core muscles help protect the spine and surrounding muscles during high-impact movements.

• Better Control and Precision: Whether they’re shooting a basketball, kicking a soccer ball, or throwing a football, a strong core gives your child better CONTROL over their movements, increasing their accuracy and performance.

How Core Strength IN YOUTH ATHLETES Affects SPORTS Performance

Core strength plays a role in almost every sport. Here’s a breakdown of how it helps in some common youth sports:

• Rugby: In contact sports like rugby, a strong core helps your child absorb IMPACT, maintain balance while being tackled, and push opponents off.

• Soccer: A strong core enables quicker CHANGE OF DIRECTION, better balance when dribbling or shooting, and more powerful kicks.

• Track and Field: Core stability is vital for running SPEED, jumping height, and the ability to control body movement during sprints or long-distance runs.

• Basketball: Core strength allows for better control when JUMPING, landing, and pivoting. It also helps with shooting accuracy and passing precision.

• Swimming: Swimming requires core strength for maintaining body POSITION in the water and generating powerful strokes.

How to Develop Core Strength IN YOUTH Athletes

Building a strong core in youth athletes doesn’t require fancy equipment or complicated exercises. In fact, there are several bodyweight exercises that are perfect for youth athletes. Here are some of the best core-strengthening exercises that can help your child improve their athletic performance:

1. Planks

Planks are one of the best exercises for building core strength in youth athletes by resisting extension. They engage the core, including the abdominals, back, and hips.

• How to Do It: Have your child start by getting into a push-up position, but instead of bending their arms, keep their arms straight and hold their body in a straight line from head to heels. Focus on keeping a straight line and not letting the hips sink making a “banana back”
• Time Goal: Aim for 20-30 seconds, gradually increasing the time as their strength improves.

2. Russian Twists

This exercise targets the obliques, which are essential for improving rotational movements in sports.

• How to Do It: Have your child sit on the floor with their knees bent, feet flat, and lean back slightly. Hold a weight (like a medicine ball) or their hands together and twist their torso from side to side, touching the floor beside them each time.
• Reps: Aim for 20 twists (10 per side) per set.

3. Superman Exercise

The Superman exercise helps build extension strength in the lower back, which is crucial for maintaining good posture and balance.

• How to Do It: Have your child lie face down on the floor with arms extended in front of them. Lift both the arms and legs off the ground at the same time, holding for 3-5 seconds before lowering.
• Reps: Repeat for 10-15 reps.

4. Deadbug exercise

Deadbugs work the lower abdominals and help improve core strength for jumping, running, and other athletic movements by resisting extension.

• How to Do It: Have your child lie on their back with knees bent and raised off the ground with hands pointing up towards the sky. Cue them to maintain a neutral lower back but not allowing it to arch up away from the floor. Have them lower one foot toward the floor, whilst maintaining the back position. Don’t touch the floor but rather hover 1-2 inches above it. If this is too easy, have them perform it with one foot, while the opposite hand also moves behind their head, like a lying march.
• Reps: Do 15-20 reps per set.

How Often Should Your Child Do Core Exercises?

To see improvements, your child should include core exercises in their weekly routine 1-2 times a week.

As your child progresses, they can increase the number of sets, reps, or the duration or difficulty of each exercise to continue challenging their core.

Final Thoughts: Build a Strong Foundation for Athletic Success

Developing core strength in youth athletes is essential if they want to perform at their best. A strong core improves balance, enhances power, reduces injury risk, and boosts overall athletic performance. By incorporating core-strengthening exercises into your child’s training routine, you can help them build the foundation they need for success in sports.

Remember, a strong core doesn’t just improve performance on the field, it also helps with posture, confidence, and overall physical health. So, encourage your child to start working on their core strength today and watch their performance improve across all aspects of their athletic journey.

Looking for more tips on developing strength, speed, and agility for your young athlete? Follow our blog for expert advice on athletic training, nutrition, and injury prevention to help your child excel!