Nobody Was Looking at West Texas

Why I train young athletes the way I do — and what the research says about getting kids strong.

By Dayne Douglass · Dayne Train Strength

I grew up in West Texas. If you've never been out there, here's what you need to know: it's a long way from everything, and that includes college recruiters. You can be very good at football in West Texas and still have nobody show up to watch you.

I was an all-state linebacker for two years. That helped. It didn't hand me anything. I had to earn a roster spot at Texas A&M–Commerce, and then I had to earn the right to stay there. In 2017, as a true freshman, I was on the team that won the NCAA Division II national championship, 35–17 in Kansas City. I played the next two seasons on a playoff team until COVID shut it down.

I'm telling you that not to brag, but because it shaped every single thing I do as a coach. I know what it feels like to be the kid nobody's watching. And I know what it took to change that.

The problem I see every week

Too many kids start lifting in high school with no plan. They copy a workout off social media, max out on bench every Monday, skip anything that isn't a mirror muscle, and wonder why they get hurt or stall out.

Meanwhile, a lot of parents are still nervous that lifting weights is "bad" for kids. It isn't, when it's coached. The research on this has been clear for years.

The National Strength and Conditioning Association's position statement on youth resistance training concluded that a properly designed and supervised program is relatively safe and can improve strength, motor skills and sports performance in children and adolescents (Faigenbaum et al., 2009, J Strength Cond Res, DOI). A 2014 international consensus from researchers across multiple countries came to the same conclusion and recommended that youth strength training be part of long-term athletic development, with qualified supervision and a focus on technique first (Lloyd et al., 2014, Br J Sports Med, DOI).

Key words: supervised and technique first. That's the job.

Strength is armor

Here's the stat that should get every parent's attention. A large systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise programs to prevent sports injuries found that strength training cut sports injuries to less than one-third, and cut overuse injuries roughly in half. Stretching, by comparison, showed no meaningful protective effect (Lauersen et al., 2014, Br J Sports Med, DOI).

Read that again. If you want your kid on the field instead of on the bench in a boot, getting them strong is one of the best things you can do.

When I was playing, the guys who stayed healthy weren't always the most talented. They were the ones who had built a body that could take hits, change direction and handle a full season. That's what I build now.

Don't specialize too early

Another thing I see: a 12-year-old who plays one sport, year-round, on three teams. I get it. Everyone wants an edge. But the evidence suggests early single-sport specialization comes with real costs, including higher rates of overuse injury and burnout, and that most young athletes benefit from playing multiple sports before specializing later in adolescence (Myer et al., 2015, Sports Health, DOI).

I still play basketball, softball and volleyball every week. Not because I'm trying to go pro in softball. Because moving in different ways keeps you athletic. Kids need that even more than I do.

Sleep is part of training

This one's free and nobody does it. In a study of adolescent athletes, those who slept less than eight hours a night were 1.7 times more likely to have had an injury than those who slept eight or more (Milewski et al., 2014, J Pediatr Orthop, DOI).

I can write the best program in the world. If your athlete is on their phone until 1 a.m., we're leaving results on the table. Parents, this is where you come in.

How I actually train athletes

I coach pre-high school, high school and college athletes at Extreme Studio Performance in Farmers Branch / Addison. I've worked with kids from St. Mark's, ESD, Highland Park, Jesuit, Parish and Prince of Peace, across football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, tennis, soccer, track and volleyball.

The sport changes. The foundation doesn't:

1. Assess. Where are they strong? Where are they leaking power? How do they move? We start with the athlete in front of us, not a template.

2. Earn the right to load. Hinge, squat, push, pull, carry, brace. Clean reps first, then weight. My kinesiology background and my StrongFirst training both come down to this: tension and technique before anything heavy.

3. Build power. Jumps, throws, sprints and kettlebell swings. Explosive work done fresh and done right.

4. Stay athletic. Change of direction, crawling and ground-based movement (I'm Animal Flow Level 1 certified), and plenty of play.

5. Check in. We track it. If it isn't improving, we change it.

What I can't promise and what I can

I'm not going to promise your kid a roster spot. Nobody honest can. What I can promise is that they'll be stronger, faster, more durable and more confident, and that they'll learn how to train for the rest of their life. That's what gave me my shot, coming out of a place nobody was looking at.

I've been there. Let me show your athlete the way.

Inquire for your athlete

This post is for education, not medical advice. Get cleared by a physician before starting a new training program if your athlete has an injury or medical condition.

References

1. Faigenbaum AD, et al. Youth resistance training: updated position statement paper from the NSCA. J Strength Cond Res. 2009. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19620931/

2. Lloyd RS, et al. Position statement on youth resistance training: the 2014 International Consensus. Br J Sports Med. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24055781/

3. Lauersen JB, et al. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24100287/

4. Myer GD, et al. Sport Specialization, Part I. Sports Health. 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26502420/

5. Milewski MD, et al. Chronic lack of sleep is associated with increased sports injuries in adolescent athletes. J Pediatr Orthop. 2014. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25028798/