Specificity

What is specificity and how does it apply to training? To youth sport? To development? The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) describes specificity as "...the method whereby an athlete is trained in a specific manner to produce a specific adaptation or training outcome." It applies to ligaments, joints, nerves, and all other tissue in the body too, not just muscle. This is also known as the "S.A.I.D." principle- Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demand. Common practice for athletes wanting to excel at a sport. It would follow then that training for a sport by actually doing the sport would be the most efficient use of your time then, yeah? Maybe.

I see many kids in the community that are focusing on one sport very early in their development (for whatever reason). Soccer, hockey, distance running, golf to name a few. It begs the question: Is there a downside to early specialization? I would argue that there is, especially if the adaptations that are occurring are altering an athletes ability to move functionally.  How do we know if our kids are developing in a way that may leave them with muscle imbalances due to early specialization? What kind of motor patterns (see previous post below) are they reinforcing? Are we creating young adults that are going to have chronic issues later in life?

I bring this up because of an article that was brought to me from Stop Sports Injuries via the Twitterverse. The author writes about the importance of the "ready" or "athletic" position and it's role in reducing injuries in young athletes. For the record, I totally agree with the points made in the article, I just want to take the idea a few steps further.

In order to avoid the downside of early specialization there needs to be a measuring stick, a way to monitor balanced development, a way to gauge how an athlete's training regimen is affecting their movement. Only then can a focused, specific approach to that particular athlete's movement deficits be implemented.

Getting into the ready position is great, but; I suggest that it is most important to train an athlete to move into and out of that position effectively and with proper form. If an athlete has trouble maintaining the ready position, which is essentially a semi-squat, find out why. Is it a limitation of ankle flexibility? Is it a hip stability issue? What about hip mobility? Find the weaknesses that limit the movement and train those weaknesses specifically. That, to me, is an effective use of FMS, the S.A.I.D. principle, and a way to build balanced athletes that are resistant to injury.