Parents always ask me:
“Coach, why are so many kids getting injured now?”

And they usually assume it’s one of two things:

• bad luck

• they’re “built fragile”

But the truth is more practical than that.

Most youth sports injuries come from three things:

1. kids specialize too early

2. they play a ton of games but don’t build strength

3. they don’t learn basic movement skills

The CDC recommends kids 6–17 get 60 minutes of activity per day, including muscle- and bone-strengthening activities at least 3 days per week. CDC+1

That’s not just about “being active.” It’s about building strong bodies that can handle sport.

The Biggest Mistake Youth Athletes Make

Most youth athletes practice their sport… and that’s it.

So they repeat the same movements:

• same throws

• same sprints

• same jumps

• same cuts

But they don’t strengthen:

• hamstrings

• hips

• core

• ankles

• upper back

That’s like driving a car hard every day and never doing maintenance.

Something eventually breaks.

The Fix: Strength + Movement Training

Youth strength training done correctly helps kids:
✅ build stronger tissues
✅ improve coordination and body control
✅ learn to absorb force (landing/jumping)
✅ improve sprinting mechanics
✅ reduce injury risk NSCA

This is why the NSCA supports youth resistance training: it improves fitness and can reduce sports-related injury risk when properly prescribed. NSCA

What Youth Training Should Include

A good program should focus on:

• squats

• hinges

• lunges

• pushing

• pulling

• carries

• jumping & landing mechanics

• sprint mechanics

Not max weight. Not punishment conditioning. Movement + strength + consistency.

What Parents Can Do Now

✅ Make sure your child has at least 2–3 strength sessions per week
✅ Prioritize movement quality
✅ Don’t let “being tired from practice” replace strength work

Because strong kids get hurt less and play better.

Book a Youth No Sweat Intro at bfpnc.com and we’ll assess movement, discuss sport goals, and build the right plan.