It’s time for Major League Baseball to start so here are my Divisional Champion predictions:
American League:
East - NY Yankees
Central – Detroit
West-LA Angels
Wild Cards-Texas & Toronto
National League:
East-Philadelphia
Central-Chicago
West-Arizona
Wild Cards-Miami & San Francisco
Who do you think will win the divisions and wild cards?
Mar 31, 2011 | By Tamika Nelson
Athletic training for children has gained popularity since the since the 1980s. Between 30 and 45 million children between the ages of 6 and 18 are involved in athletics ranging from recreational school activities to Olympic preparation. Sports training in children has been controversial because of the difficulty in defining "enough" versus "too much" training. Child athletes need an optimal amount of training to succeed while avoiding injury, overtraining and burnout. By adhering to certain guidelines and recommendations, children can participate in sport in a healthy and beneficial way while minimizing or avoiding negative effects.
TRENDS
Children are now frequent participants in endurance events that were once considered adult sports, such as marathons and half-marathons. More children are intensely training in one sport year-round with the goal of making varsity, elite or professional teams. This type of specialization is common in gymnastics, baseball, hockey and soccer, with some children playing on more than one team for the same sport. The number of multisport child athletes is also on the rise. Some athletes cross-train to improve their skills for their main sport while others are recruited by coaches from other sports who look for skilled athletes with good crossover potential.
BENEFITS
Athletic training in children leads to improvements in cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, power, balance and coordination. Regular exercise helps children to maintain a healthy weight and athletic children are less likely to suffer from childhood obesity. Athletic children also benefit psychologically from improved confidence and self-esteem.
MISCONCEPTIONS
It was previously thought that athletic training—specifically resistance training—would stunt a child’s growth. The belief was that growth plates at the ends of the bones would close early from physical stress. There is no evidence of this phenomenon in scientific research and it is now known that resistance training is both safe and beneficial for children. Precaution should be taken to ensure that the child is instructed and supervised by a qualified professional.
PROBLEMS
Overuse injuries, overtraining and burnout are the most common negative consequences of athletic training in children. Overuse injuries occur when one part of the body is repetitively used in training and eventually becomes injured from constant stress. For example, shoulder injuries are common overuse injuries in baseball pitchers. Overtraining occurs with excessive training and is characterized by physical and mental fatigue, decreased performance and unhealed injuries. Burnout is a potential result of overtraining and occurs when the child is no longer interested in sport because of the associated physical and psychological stress. Overtraining and burnout are usually caused by pressure from parents and coaches to succeed and can discourage a child from future sports participation.
PREVENTION/SOLUTION
Children who play a variety of sports have less injuries and lower burnout rates compared to children who specialize in one sport. The American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness recommends that children who play one sport train no more than five days per week and have at least one day off from any organized physical activity. Children specializing in one sport should also have two to three months off from training and competition per year. During this time, they can cross train and work on strength and conditioning to keep their skills up while allowing injuries to heal and giving their mind a rest. Sports participation should be a positive experience for a child and the decision to train and compete should always be primarily theirs.
