| Clueless Distance Dad |
| ||
|
It seems that the general consensus is that youth running for girls is pretty dangerous. I am wondering if it is more safe/effective for boys to start at a younger age. My 6th grade, 11 year old son has been jogging 4 miles with me every Saturday for the past couple months. He can keep up fine but it's only once a week so I didn't really think much of it. He just had a fitness test in school where he ran his first timed mile. I was shocked to learn that he ran 5:11, especially since I never cracked 6 till freshman year in high school. He came in first in his class so naturally he is hellbent on starting youth track/xc. #1- How much promise does 5:11 for a an 11 year old boy show? He runs the 4 miles every Saturday, 2 days of soccer per week, and swim meets during the summer. Is this time just the result of an active lifestyle or does it show true talent? #2- Regardless of how much talent he has, I am more than willing to let him start him youth track as long as I know it is safe? Can boys handle more training from a younger age and not burnout in high school? I want him to have an enjoyable high school career which quite frankly is much more important/fulfilling than youth track will ever be... |
| Adam C |
| ||
|
Was was the consensus reached that youth running for girls is dangerous? |
| careful. |
| ||
|
Just mileage to build a base and maybe some strides. NO FAST HARD INTERVALS |
| misogynists galore |
| ||
|
Well, at least you recognize you're clueless. |
| tryjht |
| ||
|
It's not any more dangerous for girls or boys than any other sport. With that said, you're asking the wrong questions, "talent" and "promise" do not matter at 11 years old. What matters is that he's having fun. "Can boys handle more training from a younger age and not burnout in high school?" Define "burnout". Is it constant injury? Lack of improvement? If you run into these problems with an 11 year old then you probably shouldn't even be coaching yourself. If you define burnout as a loss of interest, all you need to know is to keep it fun and let his interests guide him. You certainly don't want to be responsible for turning him off from running but it's also not your responsibility to force his path in that direction. |
| no intervals! |
| ||
|
This is the truth! 5:11 for an 11 year old kid is a very good time, it could be result of an active lifestyle,but who cares what it's from. If he has a head start cardiovascularly it's just that a head start. I would encourage him to run middleschool track and cross country, but I would not let him touch the track for work outs until he's in highschool. When I was in middle school we ran an easy 3 or 4 miles at practice, playing tag before meets. The only work we ever did was some occasional hills that was maybe 2 or 3 times a season. The rest of the time was just running easy and having fun. EASY running is all any kid under the age of 14 NEEDS to be doing. |
| marathondude |
| ||
|
5:11 is VERY good for that age. I coach in a large district and 5:11 would often win the 8th grade boys mile. The comments above are interesting and my viewpoint is different. Prior to a track season I would do no/minimal intervals unless it sounds fun to the individual (even then, error on the side of caution) However, doing interval-based track workouts while on a middle school track team is appropriate for middle school aged children - it's track! Guidelines would be to avoid having hard workouts every day, sprinkle in some games, and have an option to stop early - For example, give them a choice of 3, 4, or 5 x 200 meters, depending on ability, history, motivation. In addition, some kids respond well and enjoy "easy distance runs" while others experience more success with intervals. The mindset is a huge factor - Intervals are more natural than easy distance for many kids. |
| Bullet the Blue Sky |
| ||
|
I'm going to call B.S. on 5:11 for an 11 year old. We have some mile races in town for kids (up to age 15) and there was only one year out of 12 where the winner was under 5:10. And kid that did that has 2 parents that ran D1. His dad was a *very* good runner. This kid was a state champ in XC and on the track. He's now running D1 and I think his 5k PR is under 14:10. |
| careful. |
| ||
|
u must live in a pretty shitty area if there are no 15 year olds that can break 5:10 |
| marathondude |
| ||
Perhaps. However, 8th graders are usually 13-14. I'd say less than 10% are 15 years old in 8th grade. Sometimes it's won in under 5:10 - Sometimes. 2nd place is usually in the 5:15-5:20 range. |
| webfoot |
| ||
|
Let's look at some statistics. Athletic.net has a good sampling of middle school performances. Less than 200 out of 5,500+ middle school boys can run 5:10 or faster. http://www.athletic.net/TrackAndField/Division/Event.aspx?DivID=35080&Gender=M&Event=52
|
| runner85 |
| ||
|
Not to be a wet blanket, but unless that middle school has a track, the "mile" run is almost always measured incorrectly. If it was actually a mile that is a very fast time for 6th grade. either way it has sparked his interest and ignited some motivation, so roll with it. As for burnout concerns, they are overly talked about by parents who don't have an understanding of running. Keep the running to easy distance runs and short strides. No hard interval sessions like others have stated. Something about increased blood PH levels or something can hinder future development of young athletes. Some drills to help improve form can be good at a young age as correcting poor biomechanics gets harder as you get older. Also the number one thing is to keep it fun. If he wants to run, good for him, if he gives up on it that's fine too. The only problems that I could arise is something relating to the coaching at the youth track club. Too many races, hard track sessions, etc. could make it less fun for a young kid. Also, if he does join a team, try to prepare him for losing. That could be a big blow to some kids. He is probably so excited because he is best in his class. If he starts racing kids who have been in track for a while and start losing it could be a motivation killer. Keep expectations low so races are successes and not failures if he loses or runs a slower time. On another note, where is this consensus that young girls running is "dangerous" That sounds like someone who is still afraid of the boogeyman said that. It really shocks me how people just say random things and other people believe it for no logical reason. Running seems to be something that everyone entitles themselves to spread "knowledge" and act on their ideas for no real rhyme or reason. I would just assume everything anyone tells you is wrong until you figure out the reasons and detail about the general consensus of random people. |
| Parenting From The Hip |
| ||
Agreed. I am sure he is a good runner, but I remember our middle school mile. It was four cones set up in the parking lot, no measure turns or anything, just a square. WTF? |
| webfoot |
| ||
|
It's the middle school mile! Don't you mean FTW?
Agreed. I am sure he is a good runner, but I remember our middle school mile. It was four cones set up in the parking lot, no measure turns or anything, just a square. WTF?[/quote] |
| Parenting From The Hip |
| ||
LOL, yes! |
| dsrunner has the day off |
| ||
|
probably a gym class test estimated as 1 mile but a bit short. doesn't mean he can't run 4:50 for a true mile by end of 8th grade and top in the class is top in the class. add 1 day of low key intervals, like 3x400m w/ 400m walk or 7x200m w/ 100m walk or perhaps some hill reps 45-75sec duration. then set a goal on the 4 mile he already does -- he sets the goal. if he has the genetics for adaptation and performance he'll respond very quickly to moderate doses of intensity. alternative would be building speed through the 4 miles, finishing strong or adding walking breaks and running faster. w/ the fartlek, you two take turns choosing the pace and the distance for the surges. so works out to 2d soccer (midfield) 1day intervals or hill reps 1 day distance or fartlek |
| youth coach |
| ||
|
I try to keep everything as aerobic as possible, incorporating fartleks, and various timed work interval sessions tha allow kids to push their own pace over a period of time, as opposed to completing a given distance-oriented distance in x split. We do incorporate time on track everyday, but spend a substantail portion of training on the trails and grass. BUT, in the modern parenting culture, it is virtually impossible to just broad-stroke and say, "Keep it fun." Parents somehow have such odd work schedules (unlike me) that they can attend and monitor virtually every practice their kid has ever participated in, and a certain percentage of them will (secretly) implement their own traiing plan to supplement your own. I can't count the number of parents who have never competed in track and field or cross country who become "experts" from the sidelines. And you will come across a lesser, but still substantial number over the years who hire personal trainers or private coaches to fix what you, according to them, didn't achieve developing their love of track and by "keeping it fun" while they are young. If you only keep it fun, you will be labelled an incompetent coach by that parenting sector. I suggest you implement track workouts to keep the pushy parents at bay, for your own sanity. |
| middleschoolcoach |
| ||
|
Youth running is such a delicate balance. Run them too hard and they will not have fun. But if you don't run them enough to improve, they will lose motivation. As a long time middle school track coach we do run some fast intervals. A harder workout for us might be 5-6 x 200 for sprinters or 4-5 x 400 for distance runners. That type of workout would be in the fourth or fifth week of the season. One of the signs of if kids enjoy it is if they come back the following year. If kids come back the following year and the program is growing or at least staying the same, it's a good sign. In five years our program has grown from 60 to 100 girls, and from 40 to 80 boys. |
| Currently A Sophomore |
| ||
|
When I was in 6th grade I began to compete in youth track and often times I find myself wishing that I had started running earlier. In sixth grade I gave up swimming and Water polo to pursue running, my mileage prgorsession per week from 6th grade to freshman year was: 6th: 15-20 7th: 30-32 8th: 40-43 9th: 50-53 I regret very little of starting early. Although much less talented than your son, I ran 9:40 for the 3200 my freshman year. The key is to move slowly and be patient with the mileage. The only thing I regret from only focusing on running was that I lost a lot of strength gained from previous sports. This shouldn't be to much of a problem for a soccer player, but if he does decide to focus on running, find a comprehensive strength program that he can consistently complete. |
| MAURICE |
| ||
|
Youth Coach has it exactly right. I too am a MS coach, though I do only XC, not track (although I pretty much coach kids year round). I'm amazed how quickly the typical parent goes from grateful & appreciative to experts on running who are convinced I'm an idiot.. I'm self employed, so virtually all time spent coaching as a volunteer is time I could've spent working & making $$ for my family, yet there are parents who barely speak to me because they seem convinced their kid would be running in the Olympics if it wasn't for that dumba** of a coach.. Typically by the end of XC, I've had it. The last 2 seasons I told the parents of the kids who qualified for USATF Nationals that they could coach their own kids the last 2 weeks of the season. I needed a break from the prima donas & their head case parents.. |