Sport Specific Training for Kids..an error in judgement?

With the training secrets of professional athletes being so transparent these days, and new, exciting techniques becoming avaialble, it's easy for trainers/coaches/parents to quickly jump on the bandwagon and implement these programs on kids all across the nation. But hold on, pump the brakes a little.... Have many of these "trainers" (lumping all mentioned into that above phrase since if you give fitness instruction, you are a "trainer" even if you do not have the credentials or official title) actually thought about the implications of giving a program of this intensity to a young athlete? Have they even looked at the child's basic movement patterns to see if they are even ready for such a program? I doubt it.
  I really don't care what sport you are in, or what level you play, movement is movement, and some of us just aren't as good at it as we could be. This is especially true of the young athlete who is still experiencing substantial growth. The neuromuscular coordination required to move the body without much conscious effort is immense, but that coordination goes right out the window when all of the muscle insertion points have changed position due to growth. That means a complete rewiring of the neuromuscular network. Have you ever wondered why a teenager can be so uncoordinated and clumsy? This has happened because of rapid growth coupled with a neuromuscular system that was used to things the old (shorter) way! So how do we address this with training? We train basic movement patterns to perfection. We build a solid foundation of movement before adding significant resistance. Without this foundation we will undoubtedly see compensation, improper movement, postural imbalances that will lead to an injury or, at the very least, poor performance.
  It really makes sense if you think about it. If someone cannot perform  a squat with their own bodyweight, do you really think vertically loading 300lbs onto their frame is going to improve that movement? No, but it is done over and over at the High School and College level, and is a very dangerous practice with possible severe consequences. There are some movements that can be corrected with the application of resistance at the right point, but I guarantee you the squat is not one of them.
 OK, so basic movement is paramount...for everybody. Master this and then we can look at adding specific movements. If I was to test an average High School lineman or a skateboarder in a movement screen, I would put money on the skateboarder to move more efficently and be easier to train than the lineman. I've seen it many times, the skateboarder is just a better athlete than the football player. Of course this is a very general statement and exceptions always apply. But I can tell you which of the two will have fewer back problems, knee problems, etc in a couple of years.
  The bottom line is, I'm not going to teach your kid how to jump higher and catch a ball in mid air rotation if he can't perform a simple test of hip mobility. There's no point, he can't physically do the training. So please think hard about the training you are exposing your children to, there is a lot of misinformation out there. If they haven't been given a comprehensive movement screen but are expected to squat, clean and deadlift extremely heavy weights, maybe it's time you begin to ask "why?".
  Not sure exactly what a Movement Screen is? Shoot me an e-mail or phone call and I can explain it in better detail, or better yet, come and try it yourself. Perhaps I can help you overcome some pain and discomfort you've experienced while playing golf or just getting up and down off the floor.
   Mark