Traverse City Kids Martial Arts – Perfect Cross Training For All Young Athletes!
In this era of earlier and earlier sport specialization – the benefits to young athletes from cross training in martial arts is significant and not to be overlooked. Kids in Traverse City are dedicating more and more time to an exclusive sport. This trend is reflected nationally as well. Basketball players will play on teams for three seasons and attend camps during the remaining. Same is true with sports like soccer, hockey and tennis. Although it is important to dedicate to a sport if you are hoping to excel … that does not mean it should be at the expense of participating in other valuable disciplines. In fact, some experts argue that this lack of “cross training” is resulting in athletes who are more prone to injury and burn out at a young age.
Martial arts and in particular Taekwondo for kids arguably provides the best cross training benefits. In Traverse City at the Seung-ni Martial Arts Academy, top child athletes are training in Taekwondo to help them in their chosen sport. Six year old Ethan (a top nationally ranked bmx racer) trains in the Little Dragons class because his mom wants to give him that extra edge. Same is true for Mark (nationally ranked tennis player) who is a junior black belts in Taekwondo. Young Gaelen is a top downhill skiing prodigy who has been training in Taekwondo at Seung-ni for almost 3 years. It is well accepted that martial arts is the number one cross training discipline of professional athletes in the United States.
Taekwondo helps kids become better athletes in so many ways:
1.Improved Core Strength – Martial art striking and kicking not only strengthens the core but also teaches child athletes how to utilize that power to become more explosive.
2.Greater Flexibility – Taekwondo classes begin with 10 to 15 minutes of intense stretching and the high kicks build strength thru the full range of motion for a young athlete. This emphasis on flexibility will make them faster and less prone to injuries.
3.Lightening Foot Work – Taekwondo, of all martial arts, teaches the students how to move their bodies efficiently and with great balance. This skill transfers to every sport. In other words, you can’t hit or catch or shoot the ball unless you can get to it.
4.Great Cardio – The high energy classes and sparring helps young athletes to build cardio endurance. Kids do not want to run on a treadmill but they will love kicking and punching with friends.
5.Phenomenal Focus – Kids in martial arts learn to focus. This life skill is woven through all aspects of Taekwondo training. In martial arts it is referred to as “Kime” – or tight mind. Taekwondo instills in kids the ability to mentally lock down in practice and in high pressure game situations.
Traverse City kids at the Seung-ni Academy who dream of becoming pro athletes are already working towards that goal by cross training in Taekwondo. If you would like to have your young aspiring athlete check out a class please give me a quick call at 231.932.4300.
