MJP Speed, Agility, Strength Development

Just a step behind...so close...almost had it... If you can relate to these comments, then come see what MJP can do to help your athlete close the gap.

MJP is offering an 8 week training program (1x/week) at our facility in McKinney. (6051 Alma Rd. McKinney, TX 75070).
Age appropriate speed, power, agility, stability, control, coordination and stamina.

Training program begins the week of Sept 30th and ends the week of Nov 18th.
Training Time Slots:
6-8 years old
• Tues 6:00-7:00pm
• Fri 5:30-6:30pm

9-11 years old
• Mon 4:30-5:30pm
• Tues 6:30-7:30pm
• Thur 7:15-8:15pm
• Fri 6:15-7:15pm

12-14 years old
• Tues 7:30-8:45pm
• Wed 6:45-8:00pm
• Thurs 7:30-8:45pm
• Fri 6:30-7:45pm

To register or to find out more information, please call MJP at 469-424-6572. www.michaeljohnsonperformance.com/nextgen

Why does MJP separate kids by age as opposed to skill level?

PLAYERONE wrote:Why does MJP separate kids by age as opposed to skill level?

GREAT question, and I'm glad you asked!  
Short answer: MJP training is based on science.  Training athletes based on “biological age” it’s scientifically proven to be better for the optimal long term development of the athlete and reduce injury risk.  They get faster, faster; quicker, quicker; and stronger faster with age appropriate training.

Long answer:
Skill is very different than athletic development.  MJP develops athletes to be the most complete athlete they can be, and for training like this, we will bias the training towards the sport they play.

Our programming is scientifically based, and optimal athletic development happens based on "biological" age and not skill level or chronological age. Even if one 10 year old is faster than another, it doesn't mean they are ready to be trained in speed as an 12 year old.  At MJP, we assess the athlete to determine the biological age and place them into the training class that their body is ready for…not their skill or chronological age.  We certainly will take these in to consideration, but the biological age is most important.  A few clubs across the pond (and I noticed a game or two recently in Dallas) have developed “bio-banding” teams and have had tournaments to support this very same concept.  I’m sure you as parents see it on the field, especially at the U12-14B level teams (girls typically earlier U10-12), where some have hit their growth spurt (early developers; the 14 yr old that is always asked if he drove himself to the game) and others have not (late bloomers).  We do have athletes that are early developers that hit their major growth spurt earlier than the average.  Those are the athletes that we would "move up" in our program because their body is ready for the specific type of training that we provide in the next age group category.
We’ve worked with some of the most advanced soccer clubs in the world, and they understand the significance of training based on biological age vs. chronological age and the U.S. just started using it last year (Google Search "Bio banding soccer").  

Even longer answer...
There are key points in a child’s life where the body is craving specific types of training.  If you feed that hunger appropriately, the results are amazing and will be optimized. For example, Speed is optimally developed during two age windows, and once you pass the window you lose out on the advantage that window provided.  Yes, you can still get faster, but you can get faster in less time during those age windows. Same with rhythm, reaction and spatial orientation. Have you tried to teach someone over the age of 16 to dance or catch a ball for the first time? They’ll eventually get there, but at 16 yrs old, that time would be better spent on building maximum strength! (16 is a key age for strength)  There’s only so much time in busy schedules, so you have to optimize what the focus is on in order to achieve full athletic potential.

I hope this answers your question.  If you'd like to discuss further, please give us a call at 469-424-6572 and ask for Mike Gullo.