The Youth Fitness Podcast™

Venezuelan Competitive CrossFit athlete Amato Mazzoccas joins his Coach Connor Martin and Jeff and Mikki to talk about training as a Teen Athlete (he qualified for the CF Games Teen Division in all 4 of 4 possible years) pegboards, current goals, motivations, temporary obstacles, 315# Good Mornings and the path towards continued growth in competition.

Episode Highlights:

1:10 Getting started, a pegboard challenge and sporting history

5:03 From training with friends for fun to serious competition

6:51 How talent evolved to training the talent

8:04 Addressing any weaknesses, focus, coaching and continual assessment

10:24 Playing with the mental game

12:29 "Terminator Face" and the growing process from a teen athlete to a young adult athlete

16:12 The Crown Competition 2023, community and training with peers 

17:55 Overcoming the "5 Country Pandemic Detour"

24:03 Motivations and Goals

27:29 Recent PR's + 315# Good Mornings for reps

Hashtags and links:

#theyouthfitnesspodcast

#youthfitness

#functionalfitnessyouth

#thebrandxmethod

#theathletecoachnetwork

#jeffandmikkimartin

#teamtraining

#teenathlete

#crossfitgames

https://thebrandxmethod.thinkific.com/collections

https://www.instagram.com/theacn.app/

https://www.instagram.com/amatomazzoccas/

Christopher Thynne of CrossFit 162 West, Brand X ®Mentor, Ambassador and one of only four flagship Brand X® LABS in the world - Brand X® Stockholm, joins Jeff and Mikki to talk about his history and his path to massive Youth Program Success. 

Episode Highlights:

2:04 How a background in a broad array of physical activity. sport, adventure and play shape a great foundation.

4:28 "A Huge buffet of possibility" PE in the Uk and choice of a wide variety of sports in the curriculum from Gymnastics to Archery.

7:49 How sports experience differs outside of school in Sweden and offered Christopher opportunity to pursue Hockey, Soccer, Badmittan, Water Sports, Skiing, etc.

9:33 "The atmosphere is not sound" How his daughters sport experiences led Christopher to coaching.

12:21 Giving your kids what they need to succeed. 

17:24 Youth Classes as a core business at 162 West/Brand X® Stockholm, systems, growth and control.  

23:08 The first 2 steps to secure the Youth Business, Educating a team of Youth Coaches, Putting procedures in place.

23:37 "Didn't you back squat last year?" The 3rd Step Systems for Communication, educating parents, and connecting with youth clients.

30:48 Beyond Movement goals, External and soft goals. How do the kids feel about the class? Are they safe and seen?

35:42 Ensuring Coaches talk with the kids, not at the kids.

39:07 The Yin and Yang of Sports Training Programs, tracking Athleticism and Psycho- Social needs for retention

41:30 Team Training and How youth have to learn to exist in a new body during growth spurts

43:20 Changing culture and changing expectations, 50% of incoming team members can no longer move as previous generations did

46:32 Educating Parents and the Team Training "Parents Education Meeting" model

51:30 Brand X® Mentors and the importance of local youth experts

Links and Hashtags:

#brandxstockholm

#crossfit162west

#theyouthfitnesspodcast

#youthfitness

#functionalfitnessyouth

#thebrandxmethod

#theathletecoachnetwork

#jeffandmikkimartin

#teamtraining

https://www.instagram.com/brandxstockholm/

https://thebrandxmethod.thinkific.com/collections

https://www.instagram.com/theacn.app/

Since most every coach loves training high performing athletes, Jeff and Mikki discuss how that informs the practice of coaching youth, Doing What Is Best for Kids™ and how that practice informs the business of youth programs.

Episode Highlights:

1:14 Statistics, athletes and high performing youth

6:30 Serving the 90% and Doing What Is Best For Kids™

7:36 Barbell Club, Walk-ons to College Sport and hundreds of youth powerlifting records

10:44 Base Build Boost, progress and a path to success, Good works + Good business

11:24 Market Share and matriculation to ongoing youth programs

Hashtags and Links

#theyouthfitnesspodcast

#youthfitness

#functionalfitnessyouth

#thebrandxmethod

#theathletecoachnetwork

#jeffandmikkimartin

https://thebrandxmethod.thinkific.com/collections

https://www.instagram.com/theacn.app/

https://www.instagram.com/cfgs_mini_kids_teens/

Jeff and MIkki discuss parent communication on what their children need and how more information helps.

Episode Highlights:

1:12 Why Parents do not want to "label" their children and how that informs coaching

2:43 The tension between privacy and care and support

3:13 Kylee, Taylor and Suzy's stories

9:20 3 Important takeaways for coaches

Hashtags and Links:

#thebrandxmethod

#theathletecoachnetwork

#jeffandmikkimartin

https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/should-parents-label-their-kids/

https://www.instagram.com/theacn.app/

https://thebrandxmethod.thinkific.com/collections

Dr. Amy Saltzman talks with Jeff and Mikki on Mindfulness Teaching to youth. 

As the author of "A still quiet place for athletes" she offers great advice for defining, understanding and tactics for helping young athletes practice mindfulness.

Episode Highlights:

1:25 Defining Mindfulness "paying attention here and now with kindness and curiosity so that we can choose our behavior"

4:21 Internal & External kindness are not mutually exclusive

5:16 Harsh vs. Supportive Coaching and data

9:21 Changing culture and developing mindful coaches

10:52 Age differences in mindfulness coaching, presentation, repetition, youth and heat of the moment application

11:44 Peak emotional wave awareness, fight flight or freeze

12:55 Top athletes and mental health, distress, errors and pre event skill

16:33 Poise resilience responsiveness and compassion are learnable skills

Links and Hashtags:

#Dramysaltzman

#thebrandxmethod

#theathletecoachnetwork

#jeffandmikkimartin

#positivecoachingalliance

https://www.amazon.com/Still-Quiet-Place-Athletes-Mindfulness/dp/1684030218

https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/find-your-true-flow/202303/does-your-child-feel-supported-or-pressured

https://www.instagram.com/theacn.app/

https://thebrandxmethod.thinkific.com/collections

https://positivecoach.org

Keegan, Jeff and Mikki get together to discuss a few experiences with kids and teens that reflect important lessons about how kids think, how we respond and the responsibility to pay attention to what they need.

Episode Highlights:

1:25 Preschoolers and pre class preparation

5:53 Teens and coaching moments, "we finish what we start." The case of Not Fran, Kinda Fran and Fran.

Please Note: we do not recommend triple Fran for teens.

9:30 Band Aid awareness, Movement Exposure surprises and welcoming environments

Hashtags and Links: 

#thebrandxmethod

#youthfitnessstories

#youthfunctionalfitness

#theathletecoachnetwork

#crossfitfran

https://www.instagram.com/p/CXL2-IKp1f9/

https://thebrandxmethod.thinkific.com/collections

https://www.instagram.com/theacn.app/

Keegan, Jeff and Mikki outline a simple checklist and some takeaways on common soccer injuries that both Coaches and parents should have a basic awareness of, including causes and strategies to address, prevent or mitigate the chance of non contact injury. A progressive roadmap is provided to support youth player development.

Episode Highlights:

1:40 Common Youth Soccer Injuries include: Ankle Sprain, Knee Sprain, ACL Tear, Meniscal Tear 

2:05 What do we mean by "Flat Foot" and how it affects players

3:44 How Lack of Stability & Strength and Weak Glutes matter

4:46 Understanding the Roadmap of: Motor Pattern Training, Mobility and Stability to recognize and address potential performance issues

5:44 Motor Patterns and pre- skill training, acceptance and normalization of catastrophic injury 

7:24 "New range of motion is weak range of motion"

8:33 Applying the Brand X® Base Build Boost model

11:20 The most important Youth soccer S & C patterns: Lunge and Squat

13:27 Three Takeaways- Barefoot Training for building strength, Lunge Pattern focus, Increase experience in new range of motion 

Links and Hashtags:

https://thebrandxmethod.thinkific.com/collections

https://www.instagram.com/theacn.app/

#theathletecoachnetwork

#thebrandxmethod

#youthsoccer

#youthsoccertraining

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yLaKmA8qZ/?igshid=1uvcdec1kg7y6 External Rotation of femur & glute activation

https://www.instagram.com/tv/BxveXtdF6G4/?igshid=1fxm4jyets0k9 Stinky Feets V1 Barefoot Strength Game

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByNrgAjB8hW/?igshid=1t9m6ye1cnn7h Stinky Feets V2 Barefoot Strength Game

Guam Men's National Team Captain, Coach and player Jason Cunliffe, hops on the podcast to discuss a little of our mutual Brand X® history, one awful workout and his experiences, influences and methods training youth in Football and Soccer with Connor, Jeff and Mikki Martin.

Episode Highlights:

3:11 Finding Brand X®, "edge" and one bad workout

7:28 Some Great things about growing up in Guam

10:13 "Quality over Quantity"

12:28 Coaching the U-17 National Team, physical and emotional maturity,

life lessons, good human beings, tactics and "man managers"

14:55 Building relationships

17:47 Physical Literacy and top athletes

20:52 Youth Load Management

27:56 Base Build Boost in training, rushing to boost and ego

29:30 Is humility (and forward progress) a teachable quality?

35:55 Resilience, high level athletes and the experience of "First Loss"

39:39 Training and experiencing "a posture of endurance"

41:56 Goals and staying in the game

Links and Hashtags:

IG 

@JasonRQCunliffe

@theacn.app

@thebrandxmethod

#theathletecoachnetwork

#thebrandxmethod

#BankofGuamStrykers

#GuamMensNationalFootballTeam

#RaymondVerheijen

Jeff, Connor and Mikki get together to discuss a few experiences with kids and teens that reflect important lessons about how kids think, how we respond and the responsibility to pay attention to what they need.

Episode Highlights:

1:26 Taste testing

6:24 Assumptions on proprioception

10:25 Gyms are playgrounds

Links and hashtags:

www.thebrandxmethod.com

Find the Athlete Coach Network in the Apple Store

#AthleteCoachNetwork

#TheBrandXMethod

#YouthFitnessStories

Connor, Ben and Jeff discuss "Murph in the Garden", getting started in CrossFit, what Ben had been doing in sport and fitness prior to 2019, and how competition drives him to long term goals. Connor and Jeff talk about programming with and for Ben and what it takes for a young athlete to focus on the things they need to work on rather than just the more motivating strengths, and of course- the outcomes and rewards of that work.

Show Notes/Highlights

2:02 "Murph" in the garden and Great Stour Teens Class

5:14 Baseline and sporting history

6:44 Was Competition always a goal?

7:44 Programming & gaining experiences competing in European and British Championships

11:18 The Mental Shift required for learning, progress and resilience

12:40 How experience and training made this year different

16:45 Ben's vision for the next few years

Links and Hashtags

www.thebrandxmethod.com

Find the Athlete Coach Network in the Apple Store

#TheBrandXMethod

#TheAthleteCoachNetwork

#CompeteEliteHQ

#CrossFitOpenTeenDivision

#CrossFitGreatStour

#BenCole

#BritishTeenFitnessChampionship

#EuropeanTeenFitnessChampionship