A competent youth athlete training program is incomplete without power development.
Power is what makes athletes explosive.
Power = strength + speed.
It is what helps athletes jump high, sprint fast, and react quickly. Scientists define power as how quickly force is produced (Cormie et al., 2011).
The explosive and powerful triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles correlate directly to linear acceleration mechanics. The force you put into the ground, the demand for faster twitch of muscle fibers, and the direction of the power being developed during a jump, have a direct link in predicting test speed AND game speed.
In other words, jumping matches sprinting so closely that it’s the perfect addition to any speed and agility program.
One of the best ways to build power in youth athletes is through plyometric training. This includes jumps, bounds, and explosive movements–starting with teaching young athletes how to jump and land correctly, then progressing to more elastic and plyometric progressions.
The concepts learned during correcly delivered principles transfer later to loaded movements and explosive Olympic lifts such as the Clean or Snatch.
Research shows that plyometric training improves sprint speed and jumping ability (Markovic & Mikulic, 2010).
Power training teaches the body to move fast and strong at the same time.
Think of it like this:
- Strength is your engine
- Power is how fast that engine works
Without power, strength does not fully translate to performance.
That’s why power training is a key part of sports performance training for youth athletes.
References
Cormie, P., et al. (2011). Sports Medicine.
Markovic, G., & Mikulic, P. (2010). Sports Medicine.