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That is a difficult age. Ideally, we should try recognize and work their stregnths and interests (i., what they like to do and do well).  Rather than try fix broken things, explore possible interests in activities and start there, even if it is not the ideal activity.  The whole idea is to try build self-efficacy (belief that they can do something) and what is crucial is to make it a positive experience. IF the child is not competitive in nature, then remove that from the activity to start - let them have fun, make sure the intensity, duration, etc., are appropriate (i.e., give them a small challenge to push themselves, but we want to make sure they are successfull about 80 % of the time and no less.  Hope this may give you some ideas to start.

Interestingly, the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics both suggest that children as young as 5 years old have demonstrated benefits from strenght training. They do stipulate key guidelines however - basically, proper instruction and supervision, utilize 1 -3 sets x 6 - 15 reps (start with 10 - 15 reps) with weights or body weight, target all major muscle groups (especially the trunk and low back), and avoid  powerlifting, body-building type exercises.

Thanks for your input and I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. I think there are tremendous benefits with children following a structured program, whether it be with a traienr or not. To your questions - there are numerous sites - www.mypyramid.gov is a free resource with a tracker tool for food intake.  I would suggest this to start - it does contain some errors as do most databases, but it is decent. 

I am sorry, I have not seen the MTV show, but thanks for the information - I may have to watch it - sure it must be insightful and relevant

While some would agree it may be  nice probelm to have over the alternative (no exercise), we do need to monitor it for overtaining and perhaps some behavioral addiction. Let's start with overtraining and the classic symptoms. First tell-tale signs are decreases in performance (i.e., unable to maintain normal intensities or duraions of his workouts over a period of a few weeks). I also recommend monitoring your resting heart rate (RHR) first thing in the morning (lying in bed). as we become more fit, our RHR should start to drop (by 5 - 20 beats). However, if we are overtraining, much in the same way when we are getting sick, our RHR starts to climb.  This is a sure sign of overtainign and the need to take time off. Additionally, look for fatigue, general muscle weakness, irritability, restless sleep, loss of appetite (many of the same symptoms we experience when we become sick).  These all indicate that our immune system is not recovering from the stress of over-exercising and that possible overtaining is taking place - in this case, the body needs to take 7- 10 days off to recover. It is imprtant to share this informatio nwith him, so he recognizes the importance of monitoring this. If not,  this may leead to worse events - potential injury, etc., which will set him back even further - probably prove to be frustrating. I'd start there - hope this helps.

Great question - While there is no central governing body, there is an accreditation organization that sets a standard for our industry.  It is called the NCCA and to date only 12 of the 40 + certification agencies in the US have acheived this accreditation.  If you have it, it is a badge of honor -so it will be very visible on the certification agency's website. ACE, ACSM, NSCA are examples of NCCA-accredited agencies. Once you identify a valid agency, you can then check on whether the individual is actually current with his or her certification with that specific organization - hope this helps

That is a loaded question as basketball (BB) requires a variety of diferent skills (power, reactivity, speed, balance, etc.). Typically a good strength and conditioning coach will conduct a thorough needs assessment to identify strength and weakenss of the individual and their sport, as well identify the prevalent injuries i ntheir sport to ensure we train appropriately to avoid them. Given he is a point guard, I would focus on some agiliity drills. There are many good drills and I would want to demonstrate and progress him through a series of them to identify where to start to help him improve.  I would suggest looking to your local college / university strength and conditioning coach and see if you can hold a conversation with that person who can discuss / demonstrate some drills.

Many of your mainstream health clubs will offer youth programmin (from YMCA's to Mllenium Clubs). Additionally, places like Parisi Sports and Velocity Sports also offer youth-specific programming. Your choice should ultimately be based upon what you identify as your child's needs (general fitness, sports-specific), but most of those a reputable.

The family environment is critical and it appears you are taking every step to create that healthy environment.. I mentioend this briefly in an earlier post, but let me add it here to assist.  Ideally, try recognize and work with your teens strengths and interests (i.e., what they like to do and do well).  Rather than try fix broken things, explore possible interests in activities and start there, even if it is not the ideal activity (this could include play wiifitt as a family to start).  The whole idea is to try build self-efficacy (belief that they can do something) and it is crucial to make this a positive experience.  If your teen is not competitive in nature, remove that from the activity to start - let them have fun, make sure the intensity, duration, etc., are appropriate (i.e., give them a small challenge to push themselves, again, perhaps completing a wiifit program, but we want to make sure they are successfull about 80 % of the time and no less.  Sumer is a difficult time with school off, warmer weather, etc. - teens are often subject to riducle, embarrassment, etc., so a supportive envrionment is critical in performing these activities.  What intrigues me is that although a healthy envionrment is provided, your teen still shies away from following in your footsteps.  I would suggest asking your teen to identify his / her core values (i.e., what is important in their life today - friends, school, socalizing, socailizing, etc.). then ask your teen to score each on a score of 1-10 (10 being very important).  Next ask them to score each on a level of current satisfaction (using same 1-10) scale and it may expose some triggers to undesireable behavior (e.g., opting not to be active). With this information, these areas can be addressed positively, which may impact other parameters of their lives including activity. I hope this helps

Good question and more recent research has demonstrated that with proper instruction and  supervision, weight trainign does not stunt natural growth and development. FYI - it was reseach conducted in the 1980's that demonstrated this effect and scared us all away. However , we now know that not to be true if appropriate weight training guidelines are followed.  Children as young as 5 can now participate in weight training as long as it is safe and appropriate. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Strength and  Conditioning Association have both published position statements in favor of youth resistance training with guildines to follow.

If you plan to introduce them to kettle bells, be sure to keep the loads and explosive nature of the exercises low for now, especially with your son as he is biologically less developed than your daughter. However, with proper instruction to good form and what I just mentioned, you could safely introduce them to KB training

We see young children begin competitive sports at very young ages (4-5 years of age). Ideally, you should expose the child to a vareity of different activites for the primary purpose of developing their motor skills. They tend to gravitate to the ones they enjoy and probably do well - this may initiate their path within that sport. Parents and coaches often put too much pressure on young children to train, perform and excel, whereas to them, it is really all about having fun.  70% of children drop out of sports by age 13, in part due to this pressure and the lack of fun. While you can certainly enroll them in a sports-specific training program, always make sure they are enjoying it and having fun.

I have to blame the trainer for part of this outcome. A goal of a good trainer is to fulfil his/her ehhical responsibility of empowering an individual to become more self-reliant with their success, so thy have the skills sets (with knowledge and education) to maintain their success.  Now I can understand that your daughter may have been young and not interested/capable of understanding all this informaiton, but that is still not an excuse for the trainer. Reagrdless, my suggestions are to try tap into her intrinsic motivators - how she felt aboutherself when she looked i nthe mirror or when other complemented her on her shape, etc. Those can become effective drivers to get her back on track.. Naturally, she may be ambivalent given that she feels unsure of what to do. She could start with finding a trainer, but this time find one who will empower her, another option is to enroll in various exercise or health classes as electives at the university where she will get both academic credit and also learn how to do things for herself.

Absolutely, agree with you 100%.  First, let's assume that both the high school strength coach and the PT both hold valid NCCA-accredited credentials. And to your point, I think it is important for both the coach and trainer to have open minds and educate their atheltes / clients that there are many ways to peel an onion, so rather than see training philosphies as conflicting, it can be viewed as different processes to achieve the same / similar outcomes.   I think parents need to be diligent to ensure the trainer and coach are qualified, programming is safe, then  recognize and have the confidence that during the school term, the coach is who they rely upon and the PT outside of the school year.  Sure, they may make the argument that they find great results with the PT who is working one-on-one, whereas the coach has a entrie team to address at once, but that does not mean the coach is less qualified nor should it create conflict. I think both the PT and coach need to sit down with the parents and athlete to establish some common goals and identify accpetable training philosophies.

There are a variety of good sports for general fitness - the key is one that they enjoy and probably feel they do quite well. If they experience some degree of success with the sport, it will build their self-efficacy and drive adherence. The sport could vary between swimming, running, soccer, etc., but each does have some unique conerns that should always be addressed in the early phase of participation (e.g., knee stress with landing and turning in soccer, shoulders in swimming, etc.). As long as they are moving about, elevating their heart rate, burning more calories, targeting a variety of their major muscles and the experience is both safe and enjoyable, it is hard to make an argument against it

St. Louis and Indianapolis are both large cities with youth programs - look for Parisi Sports School location in St. Louis - They would have programs to help

Yes, it makes sense - he appears to have a psychological barrier that limits his ability to allow him to increase his intensity. We need to identify the true reasons / rationale behind this irrational fear. One may be to talk to his doctor / pediatrician about using an inhaler before his workouts as a sort of safety net, perhaps building his confidecne that this is OK - then gradually introduce a placebo in its place and see how that works.  It may take some creative thinking, strategies and even little challenges or concessions to help them overcome this fear.  Most logical (which I am certian you have tried) is the use of gradual progressions in intensity over time and even within a particular exercise bout.

Ouch, I am sure that must be quite uncomfortable for him. The doctor is correct in mentioning that it usually does subside after his growth spurt when the muscle growth catches up with his bone growth (usually 2 years), however, repeated stress on the joint folloing this growth spurt is a concern, especially with the upcoming intense exercise sessions he will need to participate in.

I am certain  his doctor has recommended anti-inflammatories and RICE to manage the condition, but the Strickland Protocol is showing good promise in just 2-3 weeks. It is an inhme programs and I would suggest looking into this - they even sell  a book you can buy for home use.  This appears to be offering the most immeidate success and relief