I had asked just her about the soccer training program her kids went to each week. Specifically, I had wondered what drills the programs used. Had the kids improved? Were there measureable results?

Unfortunately, this mom couldn’t answer any of my questions. She could tell me that the kids did a lot of running, and a lot of that running involved weaving in and out of cones. That’s it.

Did her kids get a good workout? Most likely. Were they learning proper technique that would help them prevent injury and steadily improve running speed and agility? Probably not.

Like most parents, this mom was just trying to give her kids the best opportunities. Without a lot of sports and training experience herself, she assumed that her kids were learning what they needed to know. She didn’t know what questions to ask.

Sports training is a significant investment for many families, who enroll their kids with specific goals in mind. It’s important to keep coaches accountable and make sure your kids are getting what they need.

Here are some questions you should ask before enrolling your kids in any sports training program to improve running speed, agility, strength or any other quality:

1. What types of exercises will my child be doing?

2. How will this training improve their technique and form?

3. What certifications do your instructors have?

4. How will progress be evaluated?

5. Can my child try out the class before we enroll? (Any reputable training facility should give a trial run to make sure that it’s a good fit and the child is comfortable.)

Coaches should evaluate athletes regularly (all Parisi programs require upfront evaluations for this reason) and clearly report results back to kids and parents. Regular training should definitely result in improvement, and when kids can clearly see that they’re improving, they work harder. Plus, parents get proof that their investment is well worth the money. Parents, trust me – doing your homework before your child starts training is well worth the effort.  

Would you agree that if your child was faster, stronger more confident and less injury prone that they would be better at their respective sports? Call us at  (315) 635-5019 for the best training in Central New York.