A couple years ago I was trying to figure out why a young goaltender was stuggling to make saves in games. His save percentage was .86 in spite of the best year-round training and what appeared to be excellent skills. So I began to watch him more closely on and off the ice. On the ice, I noticed he rocked back on his heels before moving from side to side which meant that his balance was poor. Then, I watched him do the agility ladder off ice with the rest of team and saw immediately that his feet would get tangled up and he could not do the movements.  This is an exteme example of training for certain movements but poor overall physical development. 

Sport specific training is a big business with "experts" promising "Bigger, Stronger, and Faster". But does it work? Maybe, maybe not. The bigger issue for so many young people is that they never had the opportunity to develop wide ranging athletic skills. They did not lay down the foundation to excel in sports because they went straight to a very narrow set of sport specific movements and then focused on those. They ignored general development steps essential to becoming a well-rounded athlete. 

Recent research shows that young people who do not develop good body movement skills not only drop out of athletics at an earlier age but suffer from a whole host of health issues later in life. In our increasingly sedentary urban lifestyles, it is doubly important to give our children the physical literacy they need to be healthy adults. 

In order to help kids develop balanced movement skills, parents need to insure that their children are exposed to a wide range of activities while they are growing up. Playing several sports that require different physical skills is essential. Sports that require running, stopping, changing diretctions, and jumping are a good start. Gymnastics and martial arts training help to develop body control and the strength needed to play hockey and similar games. Soccer helps youngsters develop their running skills and foot coordination. Lacrosse has a bit of everything and all of these games are FUN to play. 

Unfortunately, concentrating on only one sport is actually self defeating in the long run. A wide range of athletic experiences is the ideal mix for young people to help the develop into strong and health young adults.