Fitness training under 14s

Leinster13

I'm currently coaching an under 12 team in a club in Madrid. Next year there's a possibility that I'll be moving up to under 14 level (in Madrid kids/youths play two years at the same levels - under 10's then 12's then 14's etc, which leads to some really big differences in size. This year I have a 10 year old who weighs 25 kilos playing with 12 year olds who weigh 60 kilos, but that is another story) The main change is that from playing across half the pitch we'll be playing full pitch (minus the five-metre from touch line). One of the things I'm worried about is fitness levels. We had a tri-team mini tournament today as a way of finishing the season but playing on the full pitch as a taster for next year and the kids played great for 10 minutes then just ran out of steam. The second match they just weren't able to keep up at all (they were playing against older boys who were already used to the full pitch and seemed fitter.)

So what I want to do next season is try to get some sort of fitness programme going. We only have two training sessions a week of an hour and a half each time and normally a match each Saturday. Season starts first week of September and there isnt really a chance of any pre-season work. Are there any coaches who would have any advice for me as to how to integrate fitness work in with the training sessions but still have time to work on all the other things I need to work on? Or any material which would help me? I've been googling but haven't really found anything useful.

Thanks for any ideas

WeeBushy

Incorporate some hard running into your normal drills. 14 year olds aren't going to want to do much fitness and will lose interest more easily so disguise it in normal training maybe. Passing drills but running flat out during them etc.

I would also imagine that as they get used to playing on a bigger pitch and grow naturally they won't seem as unfit.

justsomebloke

Wih so little training time I wouldn't be to bothered about specific stamina training. They would probably be better off playing a hype tempo mini game during the session where they can at least practice then specific stamina routines that have no rugby skills involved which as you mention won't keep them entertained

4PP

Hi Leinster13, I'm in/have been/will be/am in a similar situation. The only difference is here is France they go by "odd" numbers. Under 9s, 11s, 13s etc etc.

I understand where you're coming from on the size/age thing. We have a guy who turned thirteen in January. As is he is bigger than Chabal (Chabal started rugby down our way at the age of 16). Its quite funny actually 'cos when pictures appear in the local paper this kid is at the back but bigger than the coach .

His parents have been contacted (they'ed go so far as to say hassled) for him to sign up to one of the bigger clubs in the area. 'Tis true we are small fry but the lad doesn't want to know. He plays rugby with his mates/friends/copains/amis........call it what you will.......he plays because he enjoys it.

I could be wrong but I wasn't under the impression that Spain was a hotbed of rugby, anymore than the area of France I'm in.
With that in mind may I suggest that instead of applying fitness programs to pre/post pubescent adolescents you try to organise programs to encourage them to enjoy it, enough that they start dragging their mates to training.

Maybe if they fall in love with the game, see it as "fun" they may stick with the game untill their late teens which will be more than time enough to start thinking about becoming gym monkeys.

Please don't take me up wrong, I'm not preaching by any means. Experience has just shown me that kids are disparate, fitness levels for any child under 17 are at best hormonal.
Let the children have their childhood, real life will appear soon enough.

In anycase, by your method or mine 99.9% won't make a living out of it, so at least leave them fond memories.

Relax, enjoy the game

errlloyd

Gonna mix in a bit of what 4PP said, although I by no means expect you to suddenly start the grass-roots movement that will fuel the Spanish rugby team for years to come.

But mostly just stick the fittness in as part of normal drills. When I was playing under 12s I think my coaches used passing drills, switching drills and tackle pads to get our fitness up. We were kids, we loved hitting tackle pads, but they'd have us doing 15 metre run ups starting from press up position. I think we did them two at a time, and it'd kinda be a race.

Leinster13

Thanks for the comments all.
4pp interesting to hear from someone in a similar situation to myself. Agree completely with the idea of having fun. But I've also watched teams here at the club supposedly "having fun" being told they were "having fun" non-stop and going to training sessions at under 10 where in a full season they never once practiced passing or tackling. The kids seemed totally directionless, didn't know how to position themselves on the field and got hockeyed week in week out very Saturday. Coincidentally any new kids that came down to training very rarely stayed and very often we couldnt muster up 11 kids for the matches. And the kids didnt really have that much fun, partly I think because they knew they could do better (not win, just do better) My thought when I took over at u12 this season was that having fun didn't mean not trying to do your best. I thought we needed to structure the training sessions get all the kids involved as much as possible as well as teaching basic skills. I've also been more demanding in expecting parents to get involved, sending emails taking attendance at training etc. I place a lot of emphasis on trying to get everyone playing as much as possible, not just the good ones. The result? We've gone from 15 kids signed up at the start of the season to 32 at the end, attendance at training has been great and the kids have actually won more matches than they lost, again the kids know winning isn't important but they really like giving it their best on the field. As for making a living from ruby in the case of the kids here it would be more like 99.99999 won't make a living from rugby!!!!

With u14 next year I wasnt thinking of turning 12 year olds into gym monkeys but I didnt want the kids to end up walking round the pitch knackered, getting beaten by 40 points just because I didnt know enough about getting the kids fitter. The term training programme was probably too grandiose - really the posts have answered what I think I needed to know - do I add in extra specific fitness drills or integrate it into what they already do. Seems like its going to best to integrate it rather than what I did playing under 14 at school - I remember the trainer making us run never- ending figure of 8s round two pitches without the ball.

The whole size and weight thing is a nightmare here - we played against a team fom Marbella - one of their kids was a full head taller than his coach. Kind of difficult to tell a ten-year-old who weighs 25 kilos to tackle him!!! I keep telling anyone who will listen we should base teams round weight as I think they do in New Zealand. I wonder does that work well.

Thanks again for your comments.

Un saludo

shaungil

Re fun and competition point, I was firmly of the camp of pushing the fun side and not worrying about winning all year with my lads (under 7) until I saw them giving out to weaker players for throwing the ball away or to the opposition or someone not trying hard enough. This is from six year olds. Some of them are unbelievably competitive it's a balancing act and I don't know what they'll be like in five years time.

Leinster13

Yes it's a fine balance I think. The problem I have found in the club here with the kids up to under 12 is that "having fun" seems to mean not training properly, as I said before not once in a season practising tackling or passing. I'm trying to get them to train well and play as well as possible but also trying to teach them that if they lose, well, that's not so important if they did their best.

But kids are competitive and don't like losing, come to that, neither do adults!!

ormond lad

concentrate on developing skill levels and incorporate fitness work into handling drills etc

dmd79

There are a few things you can do to start getting the kids used to a full match game and keep their stamina going. I use a few of these drills over the summer, if you can try and get the lads over the off time "summer" and get them to do some tag on a full pitch with 7s rules, that helps.
1. If you have the numbers try touch rugby with a 50m x 25m grid, but every time one player gets touched the ball carrier and tackler must dash back to their try lines and then return back, alot of game rules can be incorporated here, i.e quick hands only or every second player must recieve the ball. You can vary your rules to get them more developed into the game. 10 mins and you will see a vast improvement.

2. Make your training area bigger so that the grids are bigger making the players work more, passing, passing and ruck forming continously over 25-30m grids will get the lads tip top pretty soon.

Warm ups for ten metres are a good one to right at the beggining incorporate 25/30m sprints in groups of 6/7 and get them to move left or right as one on their call, helps to.

Basicly you are looking for high intensity drills but still maintain the fun and keep the basics going, if you can try getting hold of some of dan cotrell,s training packs it could help as well.

Good luck

Leinster13

Thanks - some good ideas, although unfortunately summer training isn't on the cards - none of the kids stay in Madrid in the summer and you wouldn't want to do too much fitness in July/August when it gets up to 40º!!! We've still got two weeks of training left this year and we're at about 32º at 18:00 when we train which is well hot enough. I have picked up a few of Dan Cotrell's training packs and he's got some nice ideas.

dmd79

Leinster13 wrote: »

Thanks - some good ideas, although unfortunately summer training isn't on the cards - none of the kids stay in Madrid in the summer and you wouldn't want to do too much fitness in July/August when it gets up to 40º!!! We've still got two weeks of training left this year and we're at about 32º at 18:00 when we train which is well hot enough. I have picked up a few of Dan Cotrell's training packs and he's got some nice ideas.

Sounds like the life. Any positions free
I just saw now that you are doing 1.5 hour sessions, which is alot of time, if you break your sessions down into chunks of ten minute intense drills to increase their stamina im sure you will see a big change soon. Also beach training if you are near is alot of fun.

All the best to your up coming season.