Middle School (or Junior High) training is around the ages of 11-14, give or take a year. During this time, playing is still the dominate developmental choice, however, you start to add some organized training of strength and conditioning at the later part of this stage. Below I will describe ways what you should be doing in each category in this stage. I have also included a template so you can see exactly what we do.


*Note - I do not start to add seasons of training until stage 4 because I don’t feel that it is necessary.

 

Motor Skills

In Stage two, you can begin to add some complexity to your skills by doing more difficult versions of the basics you learned in stage one. This is the stage that can really separate you if done correctly. Generally considered, stage two is between 11-14. This is the age where you first start to get faster, smarter & stronger. It is also a great age to play without coaches. Just playing with friends can really go a long way in developing skills & fun for athletics.


Conditioning

In Stage two, you can slowly begin to organize some conditioning sessions, or better yet, mix it into playing. This is a very delicate, yet important stage because you are setting the foundation for the future. If you didn’t prepare enough then you won’t be able to handle the demands of the next stage. However, if you over did it, you probably lost a lot of that necessary speed and quickness that all athletes need, not to mention possibly burnt yourself out. Therefor, it is best to keep it fun, yet slowly and progressively develop your heart through various activities such as relay race, swimming, biking and playing.


Flexibility

In Stage two, preserving and/or correcting movements is ideal at this time because you are still young and developing. Most girls are fine, but some boys begin to tighten up a little. Practicing a basic squat pattern from the bottom up will help to preserve your most basic patterns. Make them fun and progressive and you will want to do them. Static stretching only would be used in specific situations such as extreme tightness or in some specialization situations like dancing.


Strength & Power

In Stage two, in addition to playing and the other categories discussed on other pages, you can begin to add some basic strength training. Light dumbbells & bodyweight exercises are a great beginning to develop strength. Med balls & light plyo’s are a great addition to develop power. As long as it’s fun and progressive it’ll work.


Speed

In Stage two, med balls and short quick busts are a great way to begin to train your body to move quickly. Still mixing motor skill work with quickness work progressively seems like the best way to make improvements. Formal races are great between friends, but not such a good idea with an adult. Relay races are another great idea. Keep things short and quick. Work all directions, not just straight. Work on being the person with the quickest first move.