S B Coaches College - Kids Jump Down




		Kids Jump Down *Robb Rogers, M.Ed, CSCS*

Plyometrics have become a staple of our training programs, especially during speed, power and acceleration development phases. For years coaches have assigned various forms of jumps, hops and bounds in order to strengthen and enhance the starting and elastic response of the musculature being trained. From in-place jumps to single leg hops and triple jump bounds to depth jumps off of boxes, plyometrics are here to stay in our training programs. In some schools of training, plyometrics are considered inappropriate at best and dangerous at worst. To quote a sage colleague in the strength and conditioning industry, Meg Ritchie always stated there are no dangerous exercises, only dangerous coaches. I tend to agree with her. In most cases, all exercises and drills are safe if introduced at the proper time, in the proper sequence, after adequate preparation and with consideration to the progression as it relates to the individual. Most plyometric literature introduced in the 1970’s from the Soviet Bock countries stated that an athlete needed to be able to back squat 2.5 times their bodyweight in order to be adequately prepared to begin a plyometric training program. Well, in our system (?) of athletic preparation most athletes are too busy competing to ever reach this level of strength. Therefore, are plyometics contraindicated for our population of athletes? I would answer no.

Have you ever attended a soccer game between elementary age school children? During the course of the competition have you observed the siblings running around and playing? Inevitably they will end up jumping off of the bleachers at some point, gradually progressing higher and higher up the stair step pattern until it looks as if they will surely injure themselves from those heights. The same thing occurs indoors as kids will climb up on the furniture and jump off to land on the ground. As humans, we innately understand that in order to prepare the body to handle the loads of acceleration as we mature, we must train force reduction rather than force production. The ability to absorb force is the limiting factor in force production. The more force we can absorb, the better able we will be able to produce force. This is a training process that takes time to train the neuromuscular system to recruit motor units to absorb force first, before we ever begin to prescribe plyometric drills that shorten the amortization phase (from lengthening to shortening) of the stretch shortening cycle. Mike Boyle, one of the most respected and innovative strength and conditioning professionals in the field will require his athletes to jump down for up to four weeks prior to ever beginning to assign traditional elastic, stretch-reflex plyometrics to his athletes.

Factors to consider as athletes begin the plyometric phase of training include overall fitness, general coordination, stability, balance and proprioception abilities as well as the strength level. Have them step up on a box with an activated, perfect posture step up and then step off to jump down, landing in a squat stance with the back flat, knees over toes and bodyweight distributed evenly in a “full – footed” stance. If there are issues in the ability to absorb force along the spine, hip, knee and ankles these need to be addressed and remedied before any further training can occur. Inability to flex or excessive flexion and/or rotation/collapse can be cause for concern in the area of injury reduction. A tight muscle will cause and a weak muscle will allow poor force absorption patterns to occur. General poor compensation patterns observed in absorbing force when landing in a squat are front side loading when landing due to poor general coordination, insufficient backside side strength at the hip, poor hip flexor flexibility and/or glute medius strength and poor ankle mobility resulting in a corresponding inability to sit down and back (Fig 1) and valgus collapse at one (Fig. 2) or both (Fig. 3) knees due to poor hip flexor flexibility and/or glute medius strength. The Functional Movement Screen by Gray Cook and Lee Burton will identify these problems and assignment of the proper corrective exercises to increase strength, suppleness and neural activation will correct these concerns over time.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Once these issues have been addressed and the proper compensation patterns have been ingrained, jumping down can be the key that will unlock the innate power abilities of the athlete. Once jumping down and landing cleanly in a great squat stance is mastered, then additional load can be added in the form of a higher box or added mass with a weight vest. The weight vest will stress the core more than if box height is added. In order to stress the core’s ability to handle force absorption add a medicine ball held out in front of the athlete. This medicine ball adds tremendous forces to the pillar core as the athlete contacts the ground.

Remember, in order to maximize an athletes abilities to jump up, they must jump down first.