Athlete Development

Here's a number every sports parent of a girl should know: after puberty, young female athletes tear their ACL at rates that can be up to six times higher than boys, depending on the sport. That's according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The good news is that a lot of that risk can be trained down. Here's why it happens, what the research says helps, and why strength training does even more for girls than protect their knees. Why Girls Are at Higher Risk An ACL

"How do I make my kid faster?" It might be the question we hear most from parents. Most games are decided in the first few steps: the first step to the ball, off the line, or past a defender. One of the tools we use to build that first step is resisted sprinting. Here's what it is, what the research says, and when your athlete is ready for it. What Resisted Sprinting Is A resisted sprint is a short, all-out sprint against a little extra resistance. That resistance can come fr

Homeschool families ask us a version of the same question all the time: "My athlete plays club sports, but there's no school weight room or athletic period. How do they keep up?" The answer is strength training for homeschool athletes, built into the school day the same way math and reading are. Here's what that looks like and why it matters. The Gap Homeschool Athletes Face Athletes in traditional schools often get a built-in athletic period, a weight room, and a strength co

Parents often ask us when the best time to start training is. Most expect the answer to be "right before the season." It's actually the opposite. Off-season training for youth athletes is where the biggest gains happen, and the athletes who use that time well walk into their next season ready instead of playing catch-up. Here's why. In-Season Is for Competing. Off-Season Is for Building. During the season, an athlete's week is packed with practices, games, travel, and homewor

Parents often ask us about training programming, but one of the biggest performance factors has nothing to do with the workout itself: what an athlete eats and drinks. Here's what actually matters, and why. Proper Nutrition Does More Than Prevent Hunger Good nutrition supports several things at once: proper growth, energy reserves for training and competition, faster recovery between sessions, and even a lower risk of injury. Skipping meals or under-fueling doesn't just affec

If you're a parent of a young athlete, you've probably heard the myth: "Lifting weights will stunt my child's growth." It's one of the most common questions we hear from parents in Argyle and the surrounding North Texas communities — and it's worth setting the record straight. Where the Myth Comes From The idea that strength training is dangerous for kids traces back to outdated research and stories of poor form or unsupervised training. The truth, backed by decades of sports

Training young athletes is a rewarding challenge. It requires understanding their unique needs, abilities, and goals. Over the years, I have worked with many youth athletes aged 7-18, helping them improve their skills and confidence. In this post, I will answer some of the most common questions about youth training. My goal is to provide clear, practical advice that can help young athletes and their parents make the most of their training time. Essential Youth Training Tips f