We often get this question: Is youth baseball strength training safe? The answer: YES!

Often parents are told to keep their youth athletes out of the weight room and away from resistance training because it will cause the athlete to get injured. The myth of creating injuries from the weight room has been around for a long time and is still commonplace today (1,3). There is some truth to the idea that resistance training can harm youth athletes, however, it is no more likely to cause an injury than playing any other sport. One study found that it is more likely to sustain an injury by playing football, basketball and soccer than it is performing resistance training in a weight room (1). The instances of a youth athlete sustaining an injury typically comes from inexperience in the weight room by the athlete, poor programming by the trainer, or inproper coaching as well as other similar issues (1,3,5).

Studies have found that there are no physiological contraindications for performing resistance training in youth athletes( 1). The opposite has been found, that youth athletes should be performing resistance training to increase neuromuscular control, proprioception, and increasing both bone strength and density (1,2).

As long as the youth athlete is performing a training program appropriate for them as well as with guidance from a qualified professional, the athlete will have a low risk of injury.

Research on Youth Lifting

Youth weightlifting - if properly designed - is perfectly safe and produces solid results. I often hear the tired myth of "Weight lifting too early can stunt growth." Not a single research study has corroborated this statement with medical evidence. In an article written by John A. Bergfeld, M.D. (of Cleveland Clinic fame), he said:

Despite the previously held belief that strength training was unsafe and ineffective for children, health organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) now "support children's participation in appropriately designed and competently supervised strength training programs.

Later in the same article, he said:

As far as what age a child should start such a program, here is a good rule of thumb: If 7- or 8-year-olds are ready for participation in organized sports or activities such as little league or gymnastics, then they are ready for some type of strength training program. For children starting out in weight training, lifetime fitness and proper exercise techniques should be emphasized. Adults designing training programs should provide a stimulating environment that helps children develop a healthier lifestyle.

Avery D. Faigenbaum, EdD, CSCS corroborated Dr. Bergfeld's research and statements.

So the question moves from, is lifting safe? To what is the most appropriate way to strength train youth athletes.

How to Make Age Appropriate Strength Training Decisions

Depending on what the team’s playing level is, the High Performance staff will have different plans. For the 12u and under teams they will play games that are training the athletes speed, agility, and strength as well as their proprioception. For the 13u and older teams they will be spending most of their time in the weight room. This is all designed around research on Long Term Athlete Development.

Youth Baseball Strength Training for 12U

The goal of these games are to increase the athletes agility, speed, strength and proprioception while still being fun. They are meant to work on running faster, making quick cuts, jumping higher, etc. all while having fun and keeping the athletes engaged. Some examples of games and what they are trying to teach are - Tennis Ball Dunk Contest, which works on agility and proprioception; Obstacle Course Tag, which works on agility and speed; Medicine Ball Toss Competitions, which works on strength. Each of these games you can find a written explanation for and a video demonstrating it in practice here (link to free youth program/games). Each of these games are meant to be fun and competitive between teammates, but still are working on skills that will be useful in competitions as well as their training in the future. 

Youth Baseball Strength Training for 13U & 14U

The 13u and 14u teams still play games as warmups before they begin their resistance training but the majority of time will be spent in the weight room. At this age the goal of the training is to learn the foundational movements of how to squat, hinge, push and press. It is important to lay the groundwork during this time so as to prepare them for future training. At this age coaches emphasize the importance of correct technique over increased weight. One of the most common mistakes as a coach while working with these ages is to progress the athletes too fast or to allow the athletes to increase weights quickly. At this age the goal is to teach technique, it is not to advance a thirteen year old from goblet squats to back squats in three months.

Youth Baseball Strength Training for 15U - 18U

These teams have learned the foundational movements and are more advanced than the 13u and 14u teams so they will get different training stimuli within the weight room. For example if an athlete was performing a goblet squat at thirteen, they may be performing a front squat at fifteen. While the type of resistance training is becoming more advanced and athletes will be able to perform more weight, it is important to still focus upon the technique of the lift. These athletes are still youth athletes and are only beginning their experience with weights, they are not adult athletes with years of experience.

For examples of games that Driveline Academy uses as well as a free youth strength training program click this link (link to free youth training doc)