Society often looks at children as it�s hope for the future. They are the future presidents and corporate leaders�the rulers of tomorrow. Within athletics, we look at our youth and see the future Luc Robitailles and Manon Rheaumes. That�s why parents and coaches so often feel an obligation to help these future stars reach their potential. But we must also be aware of how our young athletes are themselves developing, both physically and emotionally.
Let�s look at some of the special attributes of younger athletes, keeping in mind that hockey is among the safest of all contact sports and that many of the risks associated with playing the game can be minimized.
If begun early in life, regular exercise can decrease the rate of disease experienced by many adults. Starting hockey at an early age can help a child improve his or her balance, coordination and strength. In moderate amounts, exercise can help strengthen bones (while overtraining may weaken the developing bones of a child).
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that children be involved in an average of 20-30 minutes of vigorous exercise daily. Hockey is a demanding, aerobic sport which is generally played for at least one hour, so if a child plays hockey every other day, the ACSM recommendation is met.
Factors in overall development
There are several physical factors that affect younger athletes. Since a young athlete�s bones are still growing, overtraining may cause orthopedic injuries such as: stress fracture (an overuse injury), fractures (from weakened bones), Osgoode-Schlatter�s Syndrome and Osteochondritis Dessicans (growth-related overuse injuries). The lower-leg bone, the tibia, has a growth area located where it is impacted when a player falls to his knees. Children who have not yet mastered their skating skills may experience repeated trauma to this area and become more vulnerable to a growth plate disorder or stress fracture at the lower leg.
Premature commencement of strength training also produces negative effects. Iceoplex (North Hills, CA) Skate Pro Tony Hernandez, a certified USA Hockey instructor with 25 years playing experience, has successfully molded young players into champions for eight years. He says, �We don�t want to take any young kids and try to make them lift weights and hurt their bodies.�
While these are the longshot, downside possibilities of kids playing hockey, the most common trauma is a form of psychological stress which parents often don�t even realize exists, but which is apparent to others.
I recently heard a disturbing dialogue between a father and son in the crowded lobby of an arena. The father berated his son, calling him a terrible and incompetent player. If this dad had a goal, it seemed it was to �motivate� by tearing down his son�s self-esteem. I couldn�t help but wonder how often this type of sad and destructive scene is replayed at arenas every day.
Hernandez advises that it is critical to accentuate the positive at all times. �Always support your child, whether they do well or badly in their game, because part of learning is making mistakes. I have a saying: If you�re not doing anything wrong, then you�re not doing anything.�
The consequences of brow-beating and other negative reinforcement can be devastating.
�Mental abuse,� continues Hernandez, �will tear children down and...make them withdraw and pull in. And if you�ve done that to your child, you�re killing their game right there. They�ll never want to put their skates on or want to get any better, even [if] they�re out there going through the motions.�
Other parents may wonder why their child�s game is not progressively improving, when what they should be pondering is whether he�s playing simply because the gear was put on him. It sometimes happens that your young champ is trying to make you happy by playing, but might not want to be out there at all.
This also could be a phase you merely need to work through. �If they don�t want to practice for some reason,� says Hernandez, �and they want a day off, or extra time to go visit a friend, let them do it. They�re little kids.�
Hernandez says that an easygoing, positive approach may just pay off in the end. �There is going to be a time and an age when they snap out of it at nine or 10 years old and they�ll say, �I want to go to the rink with you. I don�t want to miss skating today.� But if you�re negative with them, they�re just going to shut you out.�
The Kid�s menu
The emotional nourishment fed to your young champ must be supplemented with the physical nourishment needed to fuel his or her game. Remember: if adults don�t get enough to eat they feel weak and fatigued, but prepubescent children suffer greater consequences. Inadequate nutrition can delay development and stunt growth.
Parents would do well to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, breads and natural juices, so their young champs can develop good eating patterns at home. Quick and healthy snacks are handy alternatives to junk food for adolescents who have difficulty fitting a square meal into a schedule packed with school work, hockey, and friends.
Those of us tempted by the �junk foods� provided through vending machines found in most training facilities may develop a counterproductive diet of convenience foods�filled with �empty calories� that are high in fat and low in nutrients like calcium and iron.
When deficiencies in those two vitamins develop, bone growth and strength are affected and iron-deficiency anemia can develop, causing a marked decrease in the young athlete�s energy level. Good sources of iron include leaner cuts of meat, and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach. To improve the absorption of iron, it is best to eat foods high in Vitamin C at the same time.
The diet of a young athlete is equal parts mental and physical nourishment. Work on both, and you and your child will stand a greater chance of enjoyment and success in hockey. l
Carolyne Keeler holds a degree in Sports Medicine from Pepperdine University and has over 10 years experience as a team and clinical athletic trainer. She plays hockey at Iceoplex in North Hills, CA.
