08/31/2026
We have fun and lift heavy.
Training youth athletes should be about fun.
The goal is for them to train for many years, not hate doing it and quit. Encourage them to be themselves while also making sure they understand when its time to work, its time to work.
Those two go in combination.
Only having fun and little progress gets made or they never learn what true hard training is. They also need to learn that hard work gets done in the gym. That matters.
But only enforce rigid discipline because you are here to do the work, and you create an environment no one wants to be in. That might work in college or the pros, although not that well, but with younger athletes it only forces most of them out of training or sports in general.
If I can help a jr high kid love lifting I have done my job no matter what they go on to accomplish in sports, and quite often, if they enjoy training they work harder longer getting significantly better in the process.