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Do you think weightlifting and conditioning for middle school football is important?
Conditioning, absolutely. Weight lifting, no way.

Conditioning is something that can be performed with minimal harm to one's body.

Weight lifting at that age is very dangerous. First off, a youth is just at the beginning stages of puberty. Growth Plastes are expanding at the last possible time for that person. Yo9u run the risk of permanant injury if the child is not mature enough.

A simple pediatrician check-up can tell you if your child's growth plates have closed. Once closed, then there is minimal damage that can be done as long as proper technique is used.

There certainly are MS athletes mature enough, but these are alos the athletes who are done growing for the most part as well. I guess I would hope that my child cannot lift during their middle school years, because that is a sign that they are virually done maturing/growing. They are as tall as they are going to get.
I don't know. I have mixed emotions towards the weightlifting portion. I do think that there is a place for the weights as long as it's done correctly under adult supervision that has the child's interest at heart. Our program does lift weights and it is supervised by two adults (Chad Bates, Tom Sayers) both are Coach Howard's assistant head coaches that do it for the right reason and always have a safety first mentality. Both are trained on the correct procedure to work young men in the weight room facility and have many years of experience in doing so. They work with light weights and heavy reps and it has payed off for the team. 23 wins in two years and sending healthy young men to the high school level year in and year out is proof that it can work. However, I do think that if a middle school child is not supervised it can be extremely harmful to the kids. I do know that they use the new set's of rubber tubing and lots of plyo skills and drills to enhance the kids muscular development and stay away from putting any stress on growth plates and joints. We have access to use and information of our local East Kentucky Physical therapist if needed. Don't know about other middle school programs but I do know that Coach Howard and his staff are focused on safety and doing whatever it takes to develop our athletes of the future and doing it the correct way.
I think it should be on an individual/team basis. Lack of correct technique can cause serious injuries. The overload principle can be harmful when time isn't given to recover properly.

Letcher County's middle school football program is closely supervised and positive results have come from their hard work.

Not all youth programs are not highly monitored and quick fixes are being looked at by some individuals and teams which jeopardizes their long term health after sports are over.
If I am not mistaken, they don't allow weight lifting until they are in the 7th grade. Is that correct?
Weight lifting a little bit but not everyday like the varsity would do b/c you want your kids to develop good before lifting
IMO you gotta start young. I fisrt lifted weights end of my 6th grade year, alot of great highschool athletes started young:
1. Geringer from Russel
2. Hall from Raceland
3. Alot of great Greenup players aswell
GreenupPlayer1976 Wrote:IMO you gotta start young. I fisrt lifted weights end of my 6th grade year, alot of great highschool athletes started young:
1. Geringer from Russel
2. Hall from Raceland
3. Alot of great Greenup players aswell

The first time I ever sit down on a bench was my freshman year and I could barley do 150 but by my senior year I was repping 225 15X. My max was close to 400.
devilhorns05 Wrote:The first time I ever sit down on a bench was my freshman year and I could barley do 150 but by my senior year I was repping 225 15X. My max was close to 400.

When you lift doing every rep and every set will really get you strong most kids these days skip a few sets and reps, only a certain few go at it hard and do every set and rep!!
i know, right? Wrote:When you lift doing every rep and every set will really get you strong most kids these days skip a few sets and reps, only a certain few go at it hard and do every set and rep!!

Agreed I have seen so many young big guys lately and they were not even doing their own body weight. This is because of skipping reps.
If they stick to there routines, and not cut corners they will see results.
I Agree, hopefully Greenup has a good weightlifting program for our youngsters.
GreenupPlayer1976 Wrote:I Agree, hopefully Greenup has a good weightlifting program for our youngsters.

Coach Copley should bring that mentallity of hard work back to the county.
i agree about coach copley, if he sees anybody slackin it wont be pretty
Yes heard alot about how intense he was.
Belfry starts thiers from 6th grade up. Monday, tuesday, and Thursday.
Greenup County will start their middle school weightlifting program in April.
Bench350 Wrote:Greenup County will start their middle school weightlifting program in April.

Belfry starts thiers about a month after the season ends. So about mid to late november
shelby valley middle school is in the weight room 3 days a week and conditioning 2 days a week.
i started young ...
i was 8 years old benching 85
The middle school program at GC has been Averaging about 30players Monday thru Friday. Both 7th and 8th grade are doing 3/4 of the high school workouts/running. On Fridays they've been boxing/wrestling for about hour then working out.
I lifted weights as early as 5th grade. I am getting ready to turn 41 and my bones, knees, and everything is fit as a fiddle. Nothing is wrong if done correctly and in the right amounts. Take a young kid who is in 4th grade or 5th grade who is slightly overweight. When he does push-ups he cannot handle his upperbody weight. I see no reason in letting him do a bench work out with maybe 30lbs. Yea 30 isnt much and you dont want it to be much, but lets him use those muscles and have some type of resistance.
griffen<---how is the weight lifting at cougar land doing?