Product Description

This book is different from other books on sports training and fitness for children. Its most important contribution is in the explanation of "sensitive ages" for development of movement abilities (endurance, coordination, speed, strength, flexibility) and what exercises you should use for developing these abilities at any given age. The existence of sensitive ages is related to sex differences and the need to develop separate programs of exercises for girls and boys from the onset of puberty. The exercises that fully develop the potential of a 12-year-old girl will harm a 12-year-old boy. Exercises that are good for the boy are less challenging for the girl and thus hold her back. The consequence of not doing just the right kind of exercises at just the right age is reduced fitness and athletic potential lost forever. In the case of girls it is easier to inflict lasting damage because their sensitive ages are shorter than boys'. Another unique feature in this work is a set of physical education lessons and workout examples that show how to teach skills while maintaining a high level of activity and effort intensity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #382571 in Books
• Published on: 1996-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 250 pages

From Scientific American
I read it with pleasure and I think it is worthwhile for teachers of physical education. It also reveals a lot of research that is not published in English, German or French.

Review
This book represents the cumulative knowledge and experience of the author and many of his colleagues related to the progressive preparation and training for children in organized sports. Unfortunately, much of the extensive experience of the Eastern Bloc countries and the Soviet Union itself has never been published or shared with the rest of the world. This book represents a significant contribution to our knowledge of progressive sports training in children and, in particular, shares the author's concept of the `sensitive ages' for enhancement of muscle strength, speed, endurance, coordination, and flexibility...this text is written in a careful and simple progression of ideas which should be comprehensible to anyone who has had a secondary school level of scientific training and who is also involved in physical education at either the community-based or school-based level. I strongly recommend this book to anyone dealing with or responsible for progressive sports training of young athletes. The truism that children are not simply small adults is especially borne out by this small gem of a book. -- Lyle J. Micheli, M.D., Director of Sports Medicine at Children's Hospital, Boston; President of American College of Sports Medicine; Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Customer Reviews

Sensitive, Caring, Very Thorough
... Dr. Drabik has put together a masterpiece on children's development. This excellent book has practical wisdom as well as excellent drills that are easy to follow. I would encourage the author to include photos in the next publication -- this would give the book an even more effective educational appearance. I have found that the cover of the book was honest in terms of it's content -- very warm and caring.

As a parent as well as a coach of children's sports I found this book to contain excellent information that I can pass on to my clients in my fitness training business. May I encourage Dr. Drabik to come to the United States and do seminars with his excellent material that's contained in this book.

Do not hesitate to buy this book
Excellent book, very well written. It's progressively written in that it establishes the foundational theory and then elaborates greatly on the subject matter. I would also encourage Dr. Drabik to come to the US and do a seminar.

Good book but not great. Reads more like a text book
A very good book that gives you an idea when the best stages to develop a young childs physical abilities. Coodination, endurance, speed, strength and flexibility for different ages and sexes. It is good to know what children are typically able to handle at certain ages. I know I've seen over eager parents try to have their children train like adults in hopes of making the next Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan only to burn the child out.

The problem I have with the book is it reads too much like a text book and not enough info to help actually coach. Lots of bars and graphs come in handy when it comes to showing the "sensitive" times to developing physical movements when it comes to age and sex. They can get a little over whelming when it comes to coaching. If you are doing a research paper on training young chldren then this would be an excellent book. On the other hand if you are a coach hoping to use the info right away you are pretty much going to get a bunch of guidelines. There are exercises and activities listed in the book but I honestly think if you are a good coach you could come up with something more fun for a young child. Then again you are probably better off having your child take swimming lessons, low level gymnastics or even just giving them time to just just play outside with their friends then actually setting up practice times.

Another thing I had a problem with is that the book is a little too cautious when it comes to training. I don't know what it is about PHD's but when they recommend exercise intensities. It is always low intensity, low volume repetitive training. So basically do not let your child lift weights, play football, competitive gymastics or anything that might injure them. We don't want them to injue their growth plates so just have them jog.

The strength training part is worthless in my opinion. It is kinda silly that the book does not recommended young athletes squat or deadlift for fear they might injure their back. I'm not saying 6 year old needs to lift but if you have a high school kid wait until their 20 to lift as recommended you pretty much set the child back in physical training. I'd high recommend the books, "Starting Strength" and "Practical Programming for Strength Training" by Rippetoe. Lots of "real" coaching info you can apply to a young athletes training.

This is a good book but it reads more like a text book for college then a book you can use to coach. If you are writing a paper this is a great book. If you are a coach I think the general guidelines will help out but not much else.