5 Advanced Sports Training Techniques to Improve Your Child's Athletic Performance

Sports participation is an important part of many children’s lives. There are those who are driven to excel from an early age, and there are those who simply want to do the best that they can for the personal satisfaction their skills bring them. Either one is good, as long as it makes your child happy.

But for the children who are driven, sports training and repetition help to improve and refine abilities, and it’s no secret that the right training regimen is essential for elite level performance, just as it is for any skill. However, search the internet for ideas about sports training, and you’ll find the results are dominated by strength training, which is only one piece of the puzzle.

At Abbey Neurodynamic Center, we consider all physical and mental aspects of sports participation when developing a training plan to assist your child with their development as an athlete. In fact, there are five aspects of training that can contribute to your child’s skills and performance, and by addressing some or all these aspects, chances are good your child can take their game to the next level.

Important sports skills

Before breaking down the training, let’s look at the important skills your child needs and develops while playing sports. These skills are often transferable to other parts of their lives, and so they become central to the person your child develops into. Any of these skills can be developed through sports training:

• Speed
• Strength
• Stamina
• Hand/eye coordination
• Reaction time
• Object tracking
• Energy management

5 advanced sports training techniques

Dr. Richard Abbey and the team at Abbey Neurodynamic Center use sport-specific strategies to help develop your young athlete in ways that go beyond simple physical performance. We create a balanced and full-featured sports training package to develop burgeoning skills while bolstering weak areas. Here are the five advanced training aspects we offer:

1. Dynamic resistance

Weightlifting and bodybuilding are typically counterproductive for young athletes, placing unnecessary strain on their growing bodies. Experts often recommend resistance training as a movement-friendly way to build strength. Abbey Neurodynamic Center takes this a step further by using computer-based dynamic resistance training, resulting in a complete resistance/strength workout in only 20 minutes.

2. Adaptive conditioning

Stamina and recovery are key to players in many sports, and conditioned breathing is critical when activities feature quick bursts of energy followed by short recovery times. Adaptive conditioning uses controlled, stress-free air pressure that mimics the demands of sports activity, ensuring the best in-game performance.

3. Compression cardio

Strength and endurance come from the heart’s ability to move blood efficiently and on demand. Abbey Neurodynamic Center’s 22-minute cardio session promotes physical development as well as better sleep and mental focus, important conditioning points that are often overlooked.

4. Sports optimization

Concentration and focus can give your child an upper hand among competitors of similar ability. Coping with the mental demands of a sport is often the difference between good and great. Abbey Neurodynamic Center can work with your child to match mental preparation with the physical side, as well as work on sports recovery or concussion treatment should the game takes its toll.

5. Vision training

The ability to “see” the playing field is often touted as a skill possessed by elite players. This type of seeing goes beyond simple vision, and neuropsychology can boost information processing and hand/eye coordination, as well as create stronger peripheral awareness.

The enjoyment of any sport is typically enhanced when your child competes at their highest level. Advanced sports training through Abbey Neurodynamic Center may be the extra push they need to get the most out of their game. Contact the Palo Alto office at 650-210-7922 or leave us a message online to schedule your consultation.