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I have a 13 year old son who is in a tight spot as far as his weight goes.....
- In the past having enough weight for a division was never a problem...but this past offseason (through June of this year) he has been training with a speed coach so he can move from center to fullback/linebacker positions.
- He is moving up from Pee Wee (max weight 125 pounds) to midget (max weight 175 POUNDS) and of this moment he only weighs 134.
- The max weight kids will probably be linemen...but in talking to some coaches they ideally like their fullbacks to be in the 140-150 range and fast.
So....what can he safely do to put on weight (while not giving up speed) before June.
Really the only thing you can do is get him eating more. More food more often. Don't force it, but increase the number of healthy snacks he has and increase the portion sizes at meals. As long as he is working on speed and power there won't be a problem losing speed.
Danny
__________________
Limitations are for people who have them.
Your son is 13. His performance is an issue certainly but his weight is not. Please don't treat this as an issue, and it is unfortunate that the coaches may be making it one. The bottom line for an athlete of that age is learning to give his best effort...period. It doesn't matter how much he weighs.
You may also be placing an unnecessary stress on your son by forcing weight gain. Again he should be preparing to play his best not worrying about "making weight".
You should not be worrying about him making weight. Your job as Dad is to be supportive of him giving his best effort. If he gets to play where he wants, great. If he doesn't, still great as long as he gave his best.
That being said. In the 13-15 age group relative strength rules and is highly correlated with all forms of success in athletic activities requiring strength or speed or endurance. Attempting to artificially elevate his weight without the ability to concurrently increase relative strength levels (which he lacks) is a huge mistake as his performance will suffer (in other words...he will lose speed, guaranteed. And speed kills!).
He should perform at the weight that it optimal for him when the season rolls around. Over the next 2 years his adaptability will increase dramatically as will his ability to perform. Let it happen, don't force it.
Developing an athlete is a process which takes place over a period of years. Forcing such issues at this stage of development is mistake. When it comes time for him to work toward a college scholarship in 3-5 years, then he can drive himself and manipulate such things safely with a greater range of adaptability.
The concerns now are developing age-appropriate training habits under proper supervision, supportive nutrition, and developing/nuturing a love for the game and competition. The weight takes care of itself.
This was not meant to be harsh or sound like a lecture. It's just important to remember to let just let him play.
Bill Hartman
Board of Directors, International Youth Conditioning Association
Your son is 13. His performance is an issue certainly but his weight is not. Please don't treat this as an issue, and it is unfortunate that the coaches may be making it one. The bottom line for an athlete of that age is learning to give his best effort...period. It doesn't matter how much he weighs.
You may also be placing an unnecessary stress on your son by forcing weight gain. Again he should be preparing to play his best not worrying about "making weight".
You should not be worrying about him making weight. Your job as Dad is to be supportive of him giving his best effort. If he gets to play where he wants, great. If he doesn't, still great as long as he gave his best.
That being said. In the 13-15 age group relative strength rules and is highly correlated with all forms of success in athletic activities requiring strength or speed or endurance. Attempting to artificially elevate his weight without the ability to concurrently increase relative strength levels (which he lacks) is a huge mistake as his performance will suffer (in other words...he will lose speed, guaranteed. And speed kills!).
He should perform at the weight that it optimal for him when the season rolls around. Over the next 2 years his adaptability will increase dramatically as will his ability to perform. Let it happen, don't force it.
Developing an athlete is a process which takes place over a period of years. Forcing such issues at this stage of development is mistake. When it comes time for him to work toward a college scholarship in 3-5 years, then he can drive himself and manipulate such things safely with a greater range of adaptability.
The concerns now are developing age-appropriate training habits under proper supervision, supportive nutrition, and developing/nuturing a love for the game and competition. The weight takes care of itself.
This was not meant to be harsh or sound like a lecture. It's just important to remember to let just let him play.
Bill Hartman
Board of Directors, International Youth Conditioning Association
Bill...
First of all...thanks for the info and I didn't take it as a lecture.....
Second...I beleive what you say above is all true....
BUT
There are outside influences that are causing us to worry about his weight.
- He plays in a weight limit league where if he does not gain weight he could be outweight by the other players by as much as 40 pounds....hence I worry about his safety. I dont think the coaches would ever think of playing him at a corner position because he is very very strong for his size and age.....so I am concerned of the position he would be placed into.
- The other thing is that we have one youth football program in our town and the hypocracy and politics are overwhelming....he is strong like a OL/DL but not as big....blocks as well as any fullback, has great hands, and doesnt fumble but has been deemed "too slow" by his coaches...hence the work he put in this offseason.....
Fullbacks are almost always slower/stronger than the halfbacks, and faster/weaker than the lineman. Sounds like fullback is right where he fits at this stage in his development, regardless of the politics.
Bill had a great answer earlier, and I'll give you some personal experience that hopefully doesn't sound preachy. I was always the skinny kid, but could play baseball like nobody's business. Every summer for four years I outhit most guys in Legion ball by .200 points, and every school year those same guys would make the high school team while I was cut. The coach never liked me, I never really understood why, but it was clear he was never going to put me on the team. His answer was "too skinny", but frankly, if I had put on some weight, he would've had another excuse.
My parents didn't force the weight issue -- they focused on me having fun with the sport and continuing to learn and improve as a player. And beyond sports, they wanted to support me through four straight years of being the last player cut, when I knew I should have been starting at least as a junior. They reminded me that I had done my best, this was not in my control, and I could learn some poweful life lessons. And they told me that five years later nobody would care if I played high school baseball (they were right).
One price of all this was lack of college scholarships, so I had to walk-on to play baseball. But I earned a spot, was the first pinch hitter in the opening game as a freshman, and ended up starting more than 30 games my freshman year. I chose not to pursue baseball as a career, but if I had wanted to do so, I could have. And that political, unfair high school coach couldn't have done anything to stop it.
Here's the point (finally, can you believe it?): Don't waste too much energy on the unrealistic demands of a monopolistic league or coach! YOU know your son's gifts and strengths (sounds like a strong dude already). YOU have an idea which skills and techniques will be important for him at his natural positions. Help him become a better overall player, athlete and person.
As Bill noted, at 13 years old, every year will bring big changes in a football league as guys' bodies change dramatically. Last year's lineman is this year's safety (it's happened). Last year's corner is this year's tight end (I've seen it). If your son "very very strong for his size and age", then he'll be an asset to the team wherever they put him. Adding weight just for the sake of poundage will do nothing for his football skills. It will make him slower, though, which doesn't seem like it would help the coaches' opinion of him.
Right now I'm sure this weight thing feels like the biggest pressure in the world for him (and maybe you too). But in the big picture... heck even the 2 or 3 year picture, weight won't matter as much as his other skills and athleticism. And in the 10-year picture, none of those things will matter as much as his ability to find a way to contribute to the world using HIS gifts, not making himself miserable to fulfill someone else's unreasonable demands.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Originally posted by RedLefty: Fullbacks are almost always slower/stronger than the halfbacks, and faster/weaker than the lineman. Sounds like fullback is right where he fits at this stage in his development, regardless of the politics.
Bill had a great answer earlier, and I'll give you some personal experience that hopefully doesn't sound preachy. I was always the skinny kid, but could play baseball like nobody's business. Every summer for four years I outhit most guys in Legion ball by .200 points, and every school year those same guys would make the high school team while I was cut. The coach never liked me, I never really understood why, but it was clear he was never going to put me on the team. His answer was "too skinny", but frankly, if I had put on some weight, he would've had another excuse.
My parents didn't force the weight issue -- they focused on me having fun with the sport and continuing to learn and improve as a player. And beyond sports, they wanted to support me through four straight years of being the last player cut, when I knew I should have been starting at least as a junior. They reminded me that I had done my best, this was not in my control, and I could learn some poweful life lessons. And they told me that five years later nobody would care if I played high school baseball (they were right).
One price of all this was lack of college scholarships, so I had to walk-on to play baseball. But I earned a spot, was the first pinch hitter in the opening game as a freshman, and ended up starting more than 30 games my freshman year. I chose not to pursue baseball as a career, but if I had wanted to do so, I could have. And that political, unfair high school coach couldn't have done anything to stop it.
Here's the point (finally, can you believe it?): Don't waste too much energy on the unrealistic demands of a monopolistic league or coach! YOU know your son's gifts and strengths (sounds like a strong dude already). YOU have an idea which skills and techniques will be important for him at his natural positions. Help him become a better overall player, athlete and person.
As Bill noted, at 13 years old, every year will bring big changes in a football league as guys' bodies change dramatically. Last year's lineman is this year's safety (it's happened). Last year's corner is this year's tight end (I've seen it). If your son "very very strong for his size and age", then he'll be an asset to the team wherever they put him. Adding weight just for the sake of poundage will do nothing for his football skills. It will make him slower, though, which doesn't seem like it would help the coaches' opinion of him.
Right now I'm sure this weight thing feels like the biggest pressure in the world for him (and maybe you too). But in the big picture... heck even the 2 or 3 year picture, weight won't matter as much as his other skills and athleticism. And in the 10-year picture, none of those things will matter as much as his ability to find a way to contribute to the world using HIS gifts, not making himself miserable to fulfill someone else's unreasonable demands.
Lefty,
This is probably some of the best advice that I have heard yet.
I am going to back off the weight thing (I actually wasn't really pushing it....he tends to snack a lot and not always get 3 meals a day. I also have had him with a speed coach since Aug of last year who is also wanting to monitor his diet just to make sure he is getting enough "fuel" as his workouts combine a lot of track type work, plyometrics, swimming, and uphill running. Gaining weight isn't a super important issue with him only to make sure that he is maintaining his weight.
Also of note and I only say this becuase you yourself understand what it is like to be told you are "not good enough" to play and know different. In his football league his coaches are only required to play him 2 times a game regardless of whether he shows up for practice (always there), or how he does in practice (constantly has the parents saying "why isn't he playing?"
It wasn't always like this for him that is the frustrating part.....he was a 2 way starter his 1st and 2nd years....and won the Defensive MVP in his second....the coaches changed and he fell off the depth chart.
quote:Originally posted by Those Darn Parents: as his workouts combine a lot of track type work, plyometrics, swimming, and uphill running.
What sort of plyometric work does he do?
I've read that some types of plyometrics are dangerous for young athletes and should be avoided (See Craig's thread in this forum) [/quote]I know what you are talking about as far as the dangerous plyos....he doesnt do those. This would be a typical workout day with his coach (it veries depending if they are working on explosion or track work
- Starts off with a good 5 minutes of stretching.....on some stretches my son will do them on his own and on others he gets assisted by the coach
- Then they start off with these "drills" one is a one legged squat type drill, then a drill that slowly works his hips....then there are a couple of other drills that are difficult to explain...all for about 10 feet.
- Then he will run around the track for a lap...backwards....and he is taught to extend his feet backwards as he is running and maintain good arm technique (arm technique is focused on through everything)
- Then plyo's....the one that I remember in particular is jumping back and forth across a line....off the front of the feet....but not "bouncing"....lifting the feet just high enough that they clear the line....
- They do some different plyo's like that and then they will either run different track exercises....or they will go to the hill and run uphill followed by "jumps" and "squats"
Incidentally....I know absoltuely nothing about this stuff (I am trying to learn) but I can tell you that he went from moving like he had weights on his feet to where you can barely see his feet move when he does the "plyo line drill"
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