Not totally totally off topic, but it doesn't really fit into the other categories: 9 Tips To Keep Young Athletes In The Game They are listed in a CNN article: from June edition of the journal Pediatrics: [quote] Keep workouts interesting; use age-appropriate games and training to keep practice fun. Take time off from organized or structured sports participation one to two days per week to allow the body to rest or participate in other activities. Permit longer scheduled breaks from training and competition every two to three months while focusing on other activities and cross-training to prevent loss of skill or conditioning. Focus on wellness and teaching athletes to be in tune with their bodies for cues to slow down or alter their training methods. Encourage the athlete to play on only one team during a season. Don't increase weekly training time, repetitions of exercises, or distance by more than 10% each week. Encourage the athlete to take at least two to three months away from a specific sport during the year. Athletes, players, and coaches should learn about appropriate nutrition and fluids, sport safety, and avoiding overtraining. If the athlete complains of nonspecific muscle or joint problems, fatigue, or poor academic performance, be alert for possible burnout, which may include physical symptoms like fatigue and lack of enthusiasm about practice or competition. After all, if an athlete pushes himself or herself too far, he or she may end up on the sidelines with an injury that lasts for weeks or months. [/quote] Some sports teams wouldn't work with this type of schedule though, like the year-round soccer teams, or ice hockey teams, or gymnastics teams... Listed fact there: "Young athletes may be at increased risk of injury or burnout if they play the same sport on multiple teams or if they don't take a break from athletics during the year." Article: "9 Tips To Keep Young Athletes In The Game The American Academy Of Pediatrics Offers Recommendations To Prevent Injury And Burnout" - http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/05/health/webmd/main2887099.shtml How different gymnastics is huh? If you miss 3 months practice at a time, or even a couple weeks that could cause more injury for lack of practice if you are not really careful to not push it too much too fast and don't take time to do some drills etc. before jumping into some of the skills right away. It is really important though in gymnastics too to not pack in competitions one right after the other, and too much close together.

I should show this one to my PV coach. We have track practice everyday, with pole vault-only practices on weekends most of the time. And he likes it when we do multiple sports. He's even letting me miss practices when I have gymnastics-didn't say I could only choose one. Most of the rules though-he's pretty good. Pole vaulters have the most fun at practice, we only vault everyday in spring, once a week in summer, then other training the rest of the time, if we're injured, we can't vault(he can always tell), and we def. talk about staying healthy, especially drinking water and sleeping enough.- Believe me, the difference is huge when you go from 6 hours to 10/11, very helpful before a big meet. My gym coaches are really good with all of them , except we never talk about nutrition.

If we do gym then it will be excellent to make us fit,active and young.But if we don't then try to engage in some kind of physical exercises and workouts on daily basis.Don't increase weekly training time, repetitions of exercises, or distance by more than 10% each week.Des Moines Muay Thai