Weight training and conditioning

I think the most important part of a young man working out, is teaching him proper technique. I didn't know the proper technique so I took my son to Sports Medicine & Fitness Institute in B'ham. AL. He started when he was 12 and he has been there for over a year. There is another real good facility around Marietta, GA called Velocity. You could go there but obviously you feel you know the proper technique, so just keep doing what your doing. But most of all, keep doing SOMETHING!!!

I'm still reading, it ain't time yet!!!

Slider24,
What's the gazzele?

"Gazzele" is a trademark name.
It is a piece of equipment used for low impact running or walking. very good cardiovascular exercise (JMO)

My son , at 13 this past summer, worked out with Velocity in eastern NC for 8 weeks. I am anxious for him to get back. His 40 yd. dash time dropped .25 seconds, and his vertical jump increased 50%. He had a buddy that shaved .5 seconds off his 40, and double his vertical. They will also design wiegtlifting programs taylored to the individual, and are very careful about plyometrics with young kids.

SoutherNo1,
Do they have a web site? 50% vertical is amazing! My son wants to dunk a baseketball and if he could get that much increase I believe he would be there. Can you feel me in on what kind of training he did for the Vertical?
Thanks

Knowledge is Power! Thank you Mavens and HSBBWEB!

Gentleman,
I wanted to share one thing with you from my experience. I saw more arm injuries to players between the age of 13 and 14 than I care to count. My son subluxated (partially dislocated) his shoulder while hitting, elbows, shoulders...most kids rehabbed back, but some didn't. When I went back and looked at the height marker I realized my son had grown 7 inches in 6 months.
All that bone growth and the tendons and ligaments are stretched to capacity and prone to injury. Work hard, but be safe and smart.
Glad to hear you're seeking professional help, but remember, always go with your gut instinct. If it seems like too much, it probably is!
Just my 2 cents!

_______________________
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer

Forgot how to cut and paste, but try www.velocitysp.com. You'll have to find out if they have one in your area. The course my son went through consisted of lots of agility drills, and working out with your own body weight. That was appealing to me with a 13 year old. They will get in to plyometrics, and weight training as he gets older, but they want you to be able to handle your own weight first. Also, the more athletic the trainee, the smaller the increases. But you WILL improve. I'm sure that my son will go back. The franchisee near here also has a location in Raleigh,NC which the Carolina Hurricanes use, and I believe they have signed up USA Baseball in Cary for team training.

OK, I'm probably gonna get flamed here, but I'll give it a shot anyways.

While I would NEVER argue against conditioning at ANY age, I would have to say that many of the kids/parents doing all this stuff when my son was 13/14 are now burned out. He wasn't doing this stuff and he's headed to a high D1 school because he continued to grow when others didn't and he continued to love to play the game. Yes, keep your kids in good shape and its never a bad idea to work hard, but don't measure your gains at 13/14 by MPH or vertical leap. Let them play against good competition and make sure they're having fun.

OK, let me have it!

No Justbb,
I absolutely agree with you. But, I also know what it's like at that age where you're "on the brink" of playing with the big guys. I hope everyone just uses good judgement.

Justbb gives good advice. And his son's turned out kinda "Ok"

_______________________
"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." Rogers Hornsby, Hall of Famer

You'll get no argument from me about burnout. My son was intrigued by the gains that his buddie made by taking the course, so he decided he'd like to give it a try. The course is administered with six in a class, thereby making it more attractive for younger kids. And, to take it one step further, the school my son attends is going to try and get a program implemented in conjunction with Velocity for boys and girls in grades 7-12. That , in my opinion, will help with making it more fun by doing it with all your friends. Lots of kids are getting no exercise at all these days, and this program lets the individual see some improvement in their overall physical condition. My opinion on the "burnout" is that you better be attuned to the individual child. They will go ,and go , and go to please the parents lots of times without regard to their own wants and desires. You can get caught up in the whirlwind that is youth baseball, and not ever realize that your child needs a break. We just got back from a tournament at Disney World on Jan. 2, and no sooner had we parked the car , I asked my son when he wanted me to call his hitting instructor to get back on a schedule. He stopped dead in his tracks and said, "dad, I think I'm ready for a break". So , I let him do nothing with baseball until he was ready to return. I hope I'm learning as much as he is.