Coach Brett Klika is the Director of Athletic Performance at Todd Durkin’s Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA. He specializes in youth fitness and athletic performance, overseeing a staff of 8 strength coaches developing programs for over 300 youth per week, both athletes and non-athletes. In addition to coaching, Brett currently authors for a variety of publications, produces DVD’s on fitness and athletic performance and presents around the world on topics in fitness, wellness, and sports performance. Brett can be reached at brett@fitnessquest10.com .

In my career I have the opportunity to interact with a vast array of parents, coaches, and other fitness professionals eager to improve youngsters’ physical adeptness. I attempt to navigate these professionals through the sea of misinformation and provide time tested, and practical strategies to improve youth fitness and athletic performance. This has turned into hundreds of pages of writing and endless hours of speaking and personal consultation. All of this time and effort has been spent answering a few common questions that I address on a near daily basis while working with youth. Below is a “one stop shop” for some of the most common questions I address, and short, concise answers.

1. Q. How old should my son/daughter be before beginning weight training?

A. Weight training is the introduction of overload to a movement. Overloading a movement with external weight of any kind is only safe and effective when that movement is done biomechanically correct. Furthermore, overload must be introduced in a progressive fashion, always allowing the movement to be executed properly. I recommend that all youth be involved in a movement training program with an experienced professional as young as possible (usually about age 6). The professional my chose to add overload to movement once an array of physical skills and biological capacities have been developed. The question of when to add this overload has more to do with a youngster’s physical fitness and biomechanical abilities than with age. While I am familiar with research on safe weight training with children as young as 6, I recommend consulting with an experienced professional who specializes in youth fitness and athletic development. In my experience unfortunately, I do not recommend the introduction of weight training to youth by parents or athletic coaches.

2. Q. Are supplements safe for kids?

A. The umbrella term “supplements” covers everything from Vitamin C tabs to pro- hormones. Most parents and coaches are asking about creatine, protein-based weight gainers, and NO2 products. In my reading, I have not found definitive research that would suggest that these are dangerous. However, “supplements” are only effective when they “supplement” a perfect diet and training program. I have never met a youth that has both, or either for that matter. The only traditional supplement I recommend for kids is some sort of meal replacement shake that they are willing to drink. These are NOT ideal nutritionally, however, they offer a reasonable nutrition profile and most kids are willing to drink them. Get your kids to eat multiple small meals made up of non-processed food while following a professionally designed training program. The results they will see from this regiment are far superior to any over the counter supplement. As a matter of fact, it is not even comparable.

3. Q. How long will it take for my son/daughter to improve their speed, vertical jump, etc?

A. The factors affecting a youngster’s physical performance are too lengthy to name. There is no piece of technology available that can maximize a youngster’s athletic performance more than a well-designed, longitudinal, progressive, consistent, all encompassing, athletic development program. To permanently improve true game performance and specific physical ability it may take months or years of consistent training. Research has demonstrated that in order to learn a skill, it must be practiced about 10,000 times. Most youngsters see an improvement in general performance merely from improving their physical fitness. This can be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time, usually about 6 weeks of consistent, frequent training. If they were to stop after 6 weeks however, the improvements in physical fitness would diminish, and in turn, their performance improvements. Athletic performance is a longitudinal process in youth that should be viewed as a multi-year commitment.

4. Q. How do I improve my son or daughter’s flexibility?

A. Improving flexibility in pubescent youngsters presents a significant challenge. The bones are growing at an accelerated rate. The places where the muscles originate and attach grow further apart. The muscle responds by contracting slightly to protect itself from the forced elongation. When the muscles are in a near constant state of slight contraction, a significant decrease in mobility (flexibility) is observed. In order to get the muscle to relax, it has to believe that it is not being over-stretched. In order to do this for youngsters, I recommend the following:

• Frequent massage or fascia work. Massage therapy can help break down tight fascia in order to help dampen the contraction. This can also be done using a foam roller or tennis ball.

• Dynamic Mobility Warm-Ups. Youngsters should warm-up with progressive range of motion based exercises. This helps improve the pliability of tissue, allowing for greater range of motion during exercise. For an example of these warm-ups, please see the video below.
  • Post work-out static stretching. This is the traditional stretching modality. It is ideal to do this when the muscles are warm and pliable. The helps convince the muscles that the elongation is OK, so they can dampen their contraction.

  As I mentioned, these are the most frequently asked questions. If you have a specific question you would like to see addressed, feel free to contact me at brett@fitnessquest10.com This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Hopefully I am able to navigate you through the sea of misinformation to create youngsters that become happy, healthy, pain-free adults!

  
  

Spotlight Sports shared this article with SportsForce. The article can be found in the February/March edition of the magazine.

By Elizabeth Marks, Instructor at Revolution Prep

From UCLA’s infamous “Undie Run” to “Floatopia” at UCSB the decision to go to college is considered a no-brainer. Moving away from home, meeting new people, pursuing your dream career, and experiencing all that college has to offer, culminates to create the experience that so many parents and college graduates fondly refer to as “the best four years of their lives.”

Unfortunately, college admission has become exponentially more competitive in recent years. And now with the economy in a state of disarray, budget cuts mean fewer classes, fewer professors, and ultimately, fewer enrollment opportunities.

So how can you compete? How can you compete against students with four-point-whatever GPAs who are the heads of every club and the captains of every varsity team? Simple. Ace your standardized tests.

Okay, easier said than done. But rest assured, it can be done. And while scores of people believe you can’t study for your SATs, I challenge you to try, and we’ll see who signs that college acceptance letter in the end.

Of course GPA and extracurricular activities are important. Roughly 50 percent of the admissions decision is based on GPA, and another 25 percent is based on after-school involvement – and rightfully so. The average student spends 8,000 hours over four years developing his or her GPA, and typically another 1,000 hours on sports, student counsel, volunteering, etc. However, in the 3-4 hours it takes to finish the SAT or any other standardized test, the entire remaining 25 percent of the admissions decision is determined.

So it’s obvious where you get the most bang for your buck. Standardized tests are the easiest way to drastically impact your application in a relatively short amount of time.

But conquering these tests doesn’t happen over night. It’s like running a marathon. You wouldn’t expect to wake up tomorrow and run 26.2 miles, so how can you expect to wake up and ace the SATs? The more you prepare and practice ahead of time, the more successful you will be.

Standardized tests are not a measure of your intelligence. They measure how prepared you are to take them, and that’s it. The majority of standardized tests are more deceptive than they are difficult; so don’t be fooled. Taking AP Calculus as a sophomore by no means guarantees a competitive SAT math score. Know the test you are taking. Be prepared for the types of questions it will ask you to solve, take practice exams to build up stamina for those Saturday, 8 a.m. four-hour tests, and study the specific material being tested.

There are a variety of ways to prepare for these exams. For highly studious, self-disciplined students, studying from a book is a very cost-effective way to prepare. If the mere thought of the SAT puts you to sleep, consider taking a course with a friend. Or if you play sports and hold down a part-time job, there’s always private tutoring.

So whether you study from a book, take a class, or hire a private tutor, proper test preparation is essential to being a competitive college applicant. Each test is different and requires time and thorough preparation to surmount. But your test scores are your competitive edge. Preparing for six weeks pales in comparison to the four years of reward. So reach for your dream school. Take the time to improve your scores and get that much closer to making your dream college become a reality.

Spotlight Sports is a bi-monthly magazine is dedicated to covering high school student athletes in the North County and parts of San Diego. Features a unique style and format whereby each school has a full page dedicated every issue. Each issue also includes a pro athlete interview, training tips, preparation for college info, and much more. You can also download the subscription form: Download

In today’s world, nearly every young person has a virtual life on personal websites such as Facebook or MySpace, and it is safe to assume that a potential college coach will try to find your online identity. First impressions on the Internet are hard to erase, partly because pictures and information on the web can be easily copied, downloaded and reproduced. Even after the original is gone, it most likely still exists on some website, somewhere, with someone. Thus, we recommend a student-athlete should keep his or her digital profile clean, private and respectable. This goes for both high school and college athletes. In the real world, employers often do a detailed background search including a web search before they will hire someone.

We’ve heard plenty of stories from college coaches where they have found pictures of student-athletes online, drinking alcohol and/or partying. Right off the bat this tarnished their image with their potential coach. Remember, college coaches are looking for someone that is going to represent their program on and off the field. An easy way to check what’s out there is to Google yourself. If you don’t like what you see, contact the site or user and request that they take it down.

Just to get an idea of the importance of the issue, here’s a quote from USA Today:

“Florida State athletes were given ten days to cleanse their profiles in December. That came after administrators there asked coaches to select random student-athletes’ names and plug them into a Facebook search. “They were surprised and dismayed,” associate athletics director Pam Overton says. “They were surprised at the pictures, that students would allow themselves to be exposed in the public domain.” http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/internetprivacy/2006-03-08-athletes-websites_x.htm

Here are a few tips on how to keep your online identity presentable:

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Hello, my name is Josh Strobl, and this is the first of several blogs that I will be contributing to share some of my competitive sports experience and knowledge. The reality about making the transition from youth to high school to college sports is that there are an infinite number of questions, and many of them go unanswered. My goal is to shed light on the process and provide you some valuable insight and answers to frequently asked questions.

A little bit about myself, I grew u p in San Diego, California where almost all sports are played year round. My parents were not former athletes but they enjoyed sports and gave me every opportunity to play any sport I choose. I grew up playing baseball, soccer, tennis, and basketball as a youth. Prior to high school I found myself playing baseball most of year for a San Diego based traveling team. In high school I ran track & field, played football, basketball, and baseball. Eventually I would play collegiate baseball as a catcher and third baseman, but I did experience a sports burnout at a young age and opted not to play baseball as a high school freshman. This leads me to the first topic: choosing a sport and playing as many as possible.

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I don’t have any swimming stats from college, I never finished a mile around the track at my college while spectators stood by, and I certainly haven’t cleared a high jump bar beyond high school. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t take the journey towards college sports.

As a two-sport high school athlete who didn’t play college level sports, you may be wondering why I am writing on this subject. Here at SportsForce we are dedicated to assisting student-athletes reach their potential and a big part for those that want to pursue sports after high school is finding the right college fit for you.

At seventeen, deciding what you want to major in through college is terrifying, factor in where you want to live, laying out your schedule and deciding what sports program might be right for you, these decisions can be downright crippling. I went down this path. I swam competitively all my life. I loved it and wanted to keep swimming in college. As a straight A student, I also loved writing, learning and all that good stuff. I needed a school that could nurture me academically and socially, but also offer a swim program that would allow me to maintain my life. I had swam competitively since I was six years old, and couldn’t imagine life without it.

I had looked into many colleges with DII and DIII swim programs. Some were great schools, but I was in love with the University of Rhode Island. As in “Division I athletics” University of Rhode Island.

After much thought I decided I wanted to go to URI, it had the academics, the location and social opportunities I looked for, I would figure out the swimming part later, I thought. At freshman orientation several meetings ran at the same time for students to attend. Varsity athletics and the Honors Program were at conflicting times. Being more terrified of hard schoolwork than a heavy athletic program, I went to the varsity athletics meeting. I sat in on the swimming meeting, spoke with the coach, and though I was still terrified, got excited to swim for URI. I was a little nervous about how doubles sessions and away meets would work with my class schedule, but figured I would find a balance, as many, many athletes do.

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Use the Summer to Step Your Game Up

Are you taking the rights steps to reach your athletic potential? Are you looking to have a breakthrough season or potentially win a starting position on the team? Either way you’ve got to have a plan to reach your potential.

The majority of this year’s high school sports seasons have ended and the rest are coming to a close. With summer right around the corner, it’s time to take advantage of your free time and step your game up. Here are few key areas to focus on .

Manage Your Time:

We all know that the summer is the prime season to relax and hang out with your friends. However, with proper time management, you can definitely find time in your day to get workouts in and still enjoy the good life that summer has to offer. Sit down and create a specific schedule tailored to the demands of your sport. I recommend you schedule your intense workouts in the morning as it’s more difficult to do them as the day moves on. Also you should assign certain days for specific areas of your training program such as resistance training, speed / agility training and conditioning. Some days you might have a training session and practice, in that case I recommend handling your strength and conditioning workout in the AM and your practice in the PM. Once you create this schedule, be sure to stick with it. This will certainly pay off once your season comes around. To make sure you keep up with the schedule, post it on a calendar in your home or at least hang it up somewhere visible in your room.

Set Personal Goals:

It’s always great to actually notice and feel some improvement in your conditioning and skills. Go ahead and set some goals for yourself so that you can feel inspired to get out and train each day. The key point here is to write your goals down and be specific. Goal example: “To improve my overall strength by 10% over the next 3 months.” You can measure this by keeping track of your workouts and the amount of weight you are using per lift / exercise. Once you start seeing the slightest progression in your game, you will definitely want to continue making progress with your training program. You can set pre-season goals, so that you’re in top shape and ready once pre-season practices start, as well as set goals for the season to motivate you to strive for perfecting your overall abilities in your sport.

Tackle Your Weaknesses:

The downtime you find during the off-season provides the perfect opportunities for you to analyze your weaknesses and tackle them head-on. There is always some aspect of your game that could use improvement. Take a moment to reflect on past performances and list the areas where you believe you could improve the most and why. I’d also ask someone you trust, whether it’s a coach or one of your parents, what areas of your performance could you improve the most. This will help provide clarity on what areas you should focus on.

Your weaknesses could range anywhere from rehabbing an injury to improving your flexibility to working on your jump shot. In general, progression in any sport is highly dependent on athletes’ abilities to address their weak points directly in order to become successful, complete and consistent performers. Read the rest of this entry »

Getting the most out of your time is important to every college student, whether you’re an athlete, an honors student, a part time student or someone taking on more credits than imaginable. As with many things in life, the mantra, “work hard, play hard” works well in the college atmosphere. I hope to offer you a few tips to get the most out of your time in those four years, or whatever they may be for you.

Though I did not play a sport in college, I did work 20 hours a week and was active in many clubs and organizations. Trying to balance these commitments with class and studying, I learned a few tricks to get the most out of my time and still manage to push myself and enjoy the college experience.

One way to avoid a time crunch during your college years is to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) classes in high school. Most schools offer a variety of AP subjects, which will not only count for credits in high school towards graduation, but also offer you the chance to earn credits for college. To count for college credit, you must pass the test at the end of the course, and be sure that your school of choice will accept these credits. This can ensure you have some general education classes or Gen Eds finished before you even step foot on campus. Just be sure you know where you send the scores, your school will process them apply them to your transcript, so long as they have received the scores in the first place. This is something that is important to follow up on.

Despite getting some credits out of the way, scheduling classes around your extracurricular activities can still be tough with many higher-level classes only being offered at one time or only one semester during the school year.

An easy option to work around this is to take down your course load if you can. Summers are a great time to squeeze in classes you may need. You can either take shorter, more intensive courses from your university over the summer or take them from an accredited college in your hometown. I was able to knock out some Gen Eds during summer courses, allowing me to take fewer credits during my senior year.

There are also many different types of classes out there which may be easier to work into a hectic schedule. Some classes meet just once a week for a longer block of time, while there are also opportunities for independent studies. Don’t be quick to panic about classes running into your schedule, from colloquiums, to independent studies, there is many options around the usual Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes. Many schools are now offering online courses even for students who live on campus, allowing for more flexibility in scheduling.

Really researching and planning out classes and credit loads can be time consuming, but it will pay off when your schedule is able to accommodate all of your obligations and still leave time to enjoy the college life.

From 6am practices to weeklong road trips, life as a college soccer player demands passion and commitment. My name is Alex Fuller and I am currently a junior at Point Loma Nazarene University where I play on the Women’s Soccer Team.

Soccer has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up in a family centered around soccer. My dad played at the collegiate level for Notre Dame and my 5 younger siblings have all either played or currently play club soccer. Club soccer definitely requires major dedication. Similarly, college soccer calls for tremendous perseverance and determination. Being a member of the PLNU Women’s Soccer Team has been both challenging and rewarding. It has been a difficult road but at the same time, the most fun and fulfilling part of my life.

Life as a college soccer player is like being on a rollercoaster; with its ups and downs. There is nothing like being introduced to the crowd before a game or driving up to a hotel that reads “Welcome PLNU Women’s Soccer Team!”. I cannot begin to explain the satisfying feeling I get from representing my university through soccer and playing in front of screaming fans. At the same time, when I have to wake up before the sun rises for practice, I am not as giddy about my commitment.

A college soccer player’s daily routine consists of 4 things: class, food, practice, and sleep. Personally, I have to have all of my classes scheduled before practice at 3pm. Night class is almost impossible during season. If I am able to find 5 minutes to run into the cafeteria for a sandwich before practice, it’s a good day. In total, the amount of time I spend down at the field each day is around 4 hours. This includes time to get taped before practice, practice time, and time for icing and treatment after practice. By the time I leave the field for the day, the only thing I can think about is sleep, after I watch my daily episode of Seinfeld, of course.

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