I’m not writing this to toot our own horn at DSP. I’m writing this because I have limited time on this planet to make a difference.
I see a process that can help young people in so many ways and want to share it before I leave this realm.
I hope that is not soon, but one never knows. So here goes…
What folks don’t always understand about kettlebells is the fun factor. Young people simply love using kettlebells.
Without that emotional buy-in, even the most scientifically justified protocol isn’t going to work in the long run.
Our clients are in it for the long run. Most of them train all year round and it shows. Check out this video of one client’s Before and After.
Michael was a typical 11 year old with little ability to stabilize his core. He trained year-round for 18 months. Now he is 13 and swings the Beast (106lb) like it’s child’s play. Congratulations, my friend.
Do you really think a child in elementary school, middle school, high school, or even college athletes enjoy being told to walk into a weight room with no prior assessment and then put a barbell on their back?
Young athletes don’t like it, aren’t ready for it, and get hurt by it.
Listen to me…
If your coach is not assessing you before he or she puts you in the weight room, get out of there! That coach is not qualified to train you. GET OUT before you are injured and lose performance!
Confrontation is not easy, but you must do it to protect yourself. If it is too hard to defend yourself, then do it for your teammates and those that will follow in your footsteps.
Even young clients that have never touched a bell before love to swing it. It’s primal. Humans were made for movement.
Unfortunately that ability to move freely is hacked away by our cultural norms. In average, young Americans sit for 13 hours each day. Is it any wonder why their hips and glutes don’t work well?
Here is my short list of reasons young athletes love to train with kettlebells:
1. Community!
When a group of young athletes ages 10-25 train together, a special bond is formed through the mutual respect each develops for the other as they grip and maneuver kettlebell steel.
The studio is a meritocracy of effort. Middle schooler athletes admire what college athletes can do AND vice versa. The experience is genuine and athletes know it.
They are part of the same family regardless of age. It’s all about feeling good, focus, attitude, effort, and then feeling even better! Where else can you see camaraderie across so many ages like this?
How much is this worth to your athlete or child?
2. Everyone Can Achieve!
Not every child can see tangible accomplishment every time they step on the game fields, especially when they can’t stabilize their core!
Thanks to a curriculum that emphasizes mastery of basic human movements in three planes AND uses kettlebells as a primary tool, EVERY client at DSP gets to feel good about what they achieve. It starts Day 1.
If they put in the time and effort, all become extremely powerful and fast just like this 8th grade athlete doing a 310 lb. Hex Bar Deadlift. he has been training for two years with us.
3. Good Vibes!
You can feel the positive atmosphere in the studio. Everyone from the staff to the clients are enjoying what they do. This “feel” is helping clients change the way they interact with the world.
We know that neural pathways are deepened by emotional engagement. If you haven’t read the Talent Code, put it on your list. You’ll have a stronger understanding of the role of emotions and deep practice.
Young clients would rather miss a day of practice for the sport for which they are training than miss a day at DSP.
4. Confidence Grows Through the Roof!
Those that may have shied away from performing on the field are now DOMINATING their games. This means they have not only changed their bodies, they have also changed the vision of themselves in their mind-body!
Frankly, if a trainer isn’t unleashing the Giant Within, they aren’t doing their job.
The kettlebellis central in this confidence building. You can see the young clients’ initial fear and hesitation of picking up a piece of steel and moving it around their body.
Very quickly that gets replaced by genuine self-made confidence…and JOY. Nobody handed them anything. They earned it and loved the process. Loving the process is critical for long term development.
5. The Gift of Lasting Health
Sooner or later, everyone gets cut by The Game they love. No one can escape the truth. Thank goodness training for sport performance is also training for life.
While the young clients may not appreciate this right now, their caring parents do. Taking care of the amazing gift of a body (and mind) pays dividends down the line.
Posture, poise, and health starting at a young age matter tremendously.
The Future is Now
Coaches, players, and parents will all eventually find out what we know to be true. Training with kettlebells at DSP is special, just like our clients.
If you know someone that would like to be healthy, confident, educated, connected, and DOMINATE their sport, please tell them about DSP. You will change someone forever.
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