The word “junior” means younger.
The junior athlete is someone who is not yet an adult.
Here we talk about sports in primary and junior high school days
when the body grows and skills develop much.
The Fig1 shows Scammon's growth curve from childhood to adulthood. Human development differs depending on the organ and the system. It is important to select the sports suitable for the child development.
Primary school days are good peiod to learn skillful movement. The nerve system grows very much at this period. Experiencing various body movements and doing them accurately and smoothly is important. Especially the sports which needs body balance such as skiing and skating should be practiced at this period.
Not only the sports experience itself but also watching the athelete and obtaining the image of motion is very helpful to develop the sports skill.
Muscle strength increases as the body height and weight grow. High school days are the good period for muscle training. But be careful that every individual grows differently.
Enjoying sports and making well organized body with the basic skills are the important points for the junior age sports. Not emphasizing too much about winning or losing.
