No matter what Johnny’s dad thinks, he is not a small adult. This is a significant hurdle each youth coach must understand and overcome before doing anything beyond general playground effort level activity “training”. Because of Johnny is not a small adult, he must be treated differently as several factors need to be taken into account for reduced injury risk and future performance development.
Prepubescent youth should have the goal of fitness education placed far a head of physical development. Techniques and progression taught appropriately can build a foundation for reduced risk of injury and even enhanced future performance gains. A coach who understands these principles will be providing a far greater service to the physical and mental well being of a young athlete than the sole concentration on immediate performance improvements and team wins.