ISSA Youth Fitness cheat sheet

Peak height velocity (PHV) in girls occurs around age 11-12; in boys around age 13-14; during the PHV window, coordination and joint stability temporarily lag behind rapid limb growth.

Growth cartilage (epiphyseal plates, apophyses) is less resistant to shear and tensile stress than adult cartilage; repetitive single-plane loading and high-volume jump/landing exposure raise injury risk before growth plate closure.

Chronological age is a weak proxy for training readiness; biological maturity (estimated via PHV, predicted adult height, or maturity offset) better predicts load tolerance.

Pre-PHV children typically respond to training with neural/coordination gains more than hypertrophy; post-PHV athletes gain more from strength and power loading as androgen levels rise.

Fundamental movement skill competence (run, hop, skip, throw, catch, squat, hinge) should precede or accompany sport-specific loading; deficits persist and limit later technical development.

Youth aerobic fitness is trainable but children have lower anaerobic capacity and faster fatigue; short high-intensity bouts with adequate recovery suit immature metabolic systems.

Heat tolerance is lower in children: lower sweating rate and higher surface-area-to-mass ratio increase heat gain; hydration and shaded, intermittent activity reduce risk.

Strength training is safe and effective for youth when technique is supervised, loads are progressive, and 1RM maximal testing is avoided in favor of submaximal or estimated measures.

Bone responds to impact and ground-reaction forces; moderate jumping and multidirectional loading support bone density, while excessive specialization without variety is linked to overuse injury.

Fundamental movement skills split into locomotor (run, hop, skip, jump, gallop, slide), stability (balance, landing, rotation), and manipulative (throw, catch, kick, strike, dribble) categories; program all three.

Motor skill learning progresses through cognitive (conscious, error-prone), associative (refining), and autonomous (automatic) stages; instruction density should decrease as skill becomes automatic.

Coordination drills should be brief and high-quality: 5-15 second efforts with full recovery preserve technique better than long continuous repetitions.

Bilateral and contralateral patterns (opposite arm-leg skipping, cross-body marches) build interhemispheric coordination and are useful warm-up content for young athletes.

Rhythmic and reactive drills (mirroring, signal-based direction changes, ladder patterns) train agility and auditory/visual reaction, distinct from straight-line speed.

Balance progressions move from double-leg to single-leg, eyes open to eyes closed, and static to dynamic; use firm surfaces before unstable ones.

Object control drills (catching with two hands, then one; striking a stationary ball, then moving) should be sequenced from predictable to unpredictable stimuli.

Demonstration plus short verbal cues (one or two key words) outperforms long verbal explanation for children; visual models match how children learn movement.

Skill practice should be game-based and variable early (different speeds, directions, distances) to build adaptable coordination rather than a single rigid pattern.

Children's attention span roughly follows age: approximately 3-5 minutes of focused instruction per year of age for young children; keep instruction blocks under 60-90 seconds for ages 6-9.

Session structure that fits youth attention: brief dynamic warm-up, short skill/technique block, then game-based application; total session 45-60 minutes for most school-age groups.

Activity time (time on task) should dominate the session; aim for a high proportion of active minutes by minimizing lines, queues, and long demonstrations.

Small-sided games increase ball touches, decision count, and engagement versus full-sided play; scale field size and player numbers to group size.

Choice and autonomy (choosing a game, order, or equipment) increase intrinsic motivation; competence and success experiences reinforce continued participation.

Grouping by ability or maturity rather than age alone reduces mismatches that cause frustration or boredom; rotate teams to avoid fixed labels.

Positive, specific feedback (naming the behavior) is more effective than generic praise; keep correction-to-encouragement ratio weighted toward encouragement.

Fun is multidimensional: challenge, social connection, and perceived improvement all contribute; removing competition entirely is not required for enjoyment.

Transitions and equipment setup should be pre-planned and rehearsed; downtime is the most common cause of behavior and attention breakdown.

Use RPE or repetition-in-reserve (RIR) scales rather than percentage of 1RM for youth; a 1-3 RIR target keeps most sets submaximal and technique-focused.

Set volume for youth strength work commonly starts at 1-3 sets of 6-15 repetitions at moderate load; progress load before adding sets or exercises.

Progress one variable at a time (load, volume, density, or complexity); the 10% rule is a practical ceiling for weekly increases in volume or training load.

Session order: skill and speed work first while fresh, strength/power next, conditioning last; fatigue degrades coordination and increases injury risk.

Bodyweight and light implement progressions (medicine ball, resistance band, dumbbell) are sufficient for most pre-PHV athletes; heavy barbell loading is not required.

Plyometric volume should be counted by foot contacts per session; beginners start low (roughly 30-50 contacts) and build gradually with quality landing mechanics.

Rest intervals for coordination and power work are longer (1:5 to 1:10 work-to-rest) than for aerobic games; incomplete recovery reduces the training stimulus.

Monitor readiness with simple markers (sleep, soreness, energy, mood); two or more consecutive poor days warrant a lighter or skill-focused session.

Deload or lower-load weeks every 4-8 weeks, and after tournaments or growth spurts, help manage accumulated fatigue and growth-related soreness.

Use the child's name and eye-level positioning when giving instructions; short sentences with one cue per instruction improve comprehension and compliance.

State the what, why, and how in plain language: name the task, give one reason it matters, and demonstrate the key action.

Consistency rule: the same rule, cue, and consequence apply every session; unpredictable responses from coaches undermine trust and increase anxiety.

Behavior expectations should be stated positively (what to do) and posted or repeated at session start, with a small number of clear rules.

Feedback sandwich or correction sandwich is optional; more important is immediate, specific, behavior-focused feedback delivered privately for sensitive corrections.

Parent communication should be proactive and scheduled (start of block, after assessments), covering goals, progress, and load management rather than only problems.

Avoid comparing children publicly to peers; use self-referenced progress (previous personal best, technique checkpoints) to protect confidence and motivation.

Ask open questions and check understanding by having the child demonstrate or explain back; this confirms the message was received, not just delivered.

Document attendance, injuries, and progress notes; shared records keep messages consistent across coaches and support safe load progression.