Guiding the Young Athlete

An informative 'all you need to know' guide for coaches, teachers and parents of children and adolescents presenting all the latest information and advice relating to exercise and fitness for the young.

Guiding the Young Athlete is a practical and comprehensive guide for teachers, coaches and parents which will help them to develop suitable, safe and effective training programs for the child.

There are major differences between the anatomy and physiology of adults and children involved in training for health and sport but, traditionally, parents, coaches and teachers have treated children as 'miniature' adults when devising training and exercise schedules. Unlike adults, however, children are unaware of the limitations of their bodies and are therefore particularly vulnerable to injury or exhaustion while developing poor training practices and inadequate nutritional habits.

Providing the latest information and advice on exercise and fitness for young people, the authors outline the health benefits of exercise, along with practical precautionary measures to avoid over-training and injury. They also demonstrate that is it possible and, in many cases beneficial, to develop sensible training schedules for children suffering various chronic syndromes. Sensible nutritional guidelines for the child are also included.

David Jenkins and Peter Reaburn are both parents of young, active families. Former physical education teachers, they are now university lecturers in exercise physiology and sports nutrition and the authors of Training for Speed and Endurance.