*FULL PROGRAM STILL IN DEVELOPMENT
The Jerry Arline Weightlifting System Youth Developmental Program was designed by Dan Rose and Katherine Lee. Dan is one of Coach Arline’s former athletes, and the Head Coach of the Harrisburg Weightlifting Club in North Carolina. Katherine is the Lead Assistant Coach at the HWC.
In 1990, Jerry C. Arline, Sr. (1941-2008) introduced then 14-year-old Coach Dan to the world of Weightlifting, fitness, and athletic performance. Coach Arline worked in the Department of Corrections in Belle Glade, FL, and was a huge advocate for youth in the area. He became a coach, mentor, and friend to not only Dan, but countless others by teaching the basics of Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Martial Arts, Bodybuilding, and Track & Field. In 1994, Coach Arline took Dan to his first Weightlifting competition, which completely changed the course of his life, and ultimately led to the here and now. Coach Arline was the most influential person in Dan’s life during those years, and it is our hope that his legacy will live on through the JAWS Program.
It is the mission of the JAWS Program to reach as many youths as possible and introduce them to the countless benefits of the Olympic sport of Weightlifting. This Program is an affordable avenue for children to learn the proper technique of the Weightlifting movements, develop a dynamic foundation for sequential barbell lifting, and begin strength training safely. Completing the JAWS Program will allow athletes to move seamlessly into competitive Weightlifting as well as full strength and conditioning programs for other sports. It is also a strong hope that Program participants develop a lifelong love for Weightlifting, fitness, and athletics.
The emphasis of the JAWS Program is lifting technique and proper motor patterns, not the amount of weight lifted. A specially designed point system is used to measure performance based on ideal technique, and ensure coaches and athletes are focused on the details for success.
The JAWS Program can be implemented by established Weightlifting coaches, and can be taught to those who wish to get involved. The Program is comprised of a certification course for novice coaches, a refereeing and point-scoring tutorial, and a full breakdown of the 8-week athlete training program that the certified coaches will lead. The Program requires only a minimal set of equipment to run, and offers opportunities for competition.
Community Recreation Centers, school gymnasiums and PE classes, weightlifting clubs, CrossFit gyms, or anywhere with some secure, open space are all excellent options for housing the JAWS Program. With low barrier to access and a simplified technique coaching program, the Jerry Arline Weightlifting System can develop Weightlifting on the grassroots level and empower youths across the country.
Why do we need the JAWS Program? The Olympic Weightlifting movements, the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk, serve three primary functions.
Firstly, as the name suggests, Weightlifting is an Olympic sport with competitive age divisions starting at 11 and under in the Unted States. Weightlifting continues to grow in popularity, year by year, though access to the sport for youths is not as readily available as with other organized sports.
Secondly, the Weightlifting movements and their derivatives are commonly found within the strength and conditioning programs of high-level athletes. Oftentimes, Cleans, Snatches, Jerks, and variations of such barbell lifts are central to high-performing athlete’s strength training programs as they have been proven to be immensely effective at increasing strength, speed, and explosive power when instructed properly and implemented effectively. These weightlifting movements are underutilized within the youth sporting culture in the Unted States, but are highly utilized in the elite collegiate and professional athlete ranks. Such a disparity ought to be addressed, and can be with proper introduction and instruction through systematic coaching of youths.
Thirdly, the Snatch and Clean & Jerk are key components of the functional fitness industry. Organized functional fitness classes and competitions are widely popular across the United States. Just like any other organized sport, quality coaching and safety for youth participants is of utmost importance, and the JAWS Program has the potential to contribute to the well-established fitness population in a positive manner.
The JAWS Program and the competitive developmental league creates a systematic approach to instructing youth athletes in the core Weightlifting movements. It also harnesses the existing demand for the Snatch and Clean & Jerk, as they satisfy very distinct purposes – Olympic journeys and Strength and Conditioning performance tools for any other able-bodied competitive athlete. Implementing the JAWS Program also paves a measurable/trackable avenue for non-competitive youth athletes to potentially step onto the USA Weightlifting competitive platform.
Olympic Sport
Weightlifting has been part of the Olympic Games since the very beginning. Part of the first modern Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1896, a one-handed lift and a two-handed lift were first contested. In the 1900s, the Clean and Press was added to the program. In 1920, weight classes were added to the sport. In 1972, the official events became the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk. In 2000, women were officially added to the event program, making Weightlifting a sport that everyone could compete in. Today, there are competitive events for kids as young as 11u, up to adults in there 80s. Weightlifting has become a lifetime sport, now with competitive divisions for nearly anyone wanting to compete, regardless of age, gender, or body type.
Strength & Conditioning
Not only an Olympic sport, the contested lifts of the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk, and variations of those lifts, have been proven to dramatically increase athletic performance. When properly taught and implemented into strength and conditioning programs, the strength, speed, and explosive power that is gained cannot be ignored. Proper execution of these lifts and variations requires athletes to apply force to the ground through quick and explosive extension from the ankles, knees, and hips, which mimic the movement patterns of sprinting and jumping, core components of most sports. The force production that comes from this repetitive triple extension, moving heavy weights at a high rate of speed, carries over to speed, quickness, and explosiveness on the athletic fields. The power generation comes at a much higher level than just squats, deadlifts, bench presses, or simply training plyometrics and agility drills.
Along with force production, properly performing the full Snatch and Clean & Jerk also improves force absorption, a key factor in preventing injury on the athletic field. The full lifts strengthen the core, and teach the athlete how to brace for impact, and reapply the force in a different direction. The core strength, flexibility, and joint mobility and stability required to perform these lifts help develop a more well-rounded athlete with a better ability to adapt to game time performance situations.
Functional Fitness
The functional fitness industry is a rapidly growing component of the general fitness world. Anyone participating in this type of exercise, will no doubt be introduced to the Olympic lifts, as they are a core aspect of the training. They are a large part of the general training, as well as highly contested in the competitive aspect of the industry. With so many people being introduced to these highly skilled movements, there is a growing need for a solid foundational technique teaching program, that kids and adults alike can gain a systematic and safe introduction.
Intrinsic Benefits
The 3 primary purposes of Weightlifting are due to intrinsic benefits that come from the training.
The JAWS system was specifically designed as a point system to encourage youth technique development for Weightlifting
JAWS: System of What?
· Points system awarding athlete’s correct execution of the technique of the specified movement patterns, (snatch, clean and jerk)
· Points emphasize the most critical components of each movement for the lift, the foundations of the movement patterns identified
· Proper execution of the technique will result in technique of the movement that aligns directly with USAW/IWF competition standards
· Technique points will be systematically introduced to youth athletes, and athletes will have opportunities to develop the techniques to be awarded the points during the course of the JAWS program
JAWS: What Movements/Lifts?
The following Olympic Lifts will be introduced to the youth athletes. Specific technique points to teach development of proper movement sequence and execution for:
Barbell Snatch
Athlete begins with both hands gripping the barbell, athlete’s body oriented correctly, barbell is motionless on the floor
Athlete lifts the barbell overhead, in one movement, using only his/her own muscular strength and proper technique
Athlete returns barbell to starting position once the athlete is signaled to do so (down signal)
Barbell Clean and Jerk
Athlete begins with both hands gripping the barbell, athlete’s body oriented correctly, barbell is motionless on the floor
Athlete lifts the barbell to his/her shoulders, in one movement, using only his/her own muscular strength and proper technique
Athlete then lifts the barbell overhead, using only his/her own muscular strength and proper technique
Athlete returns barbell to starting position once the athlete is signaled to do so (down signal)
JAWS: What Age Groups?
Youth athletes ranging from the ages of 6 years old to 13 years old are permitted to participate in the JAWS Youth Development program. The participants are divided into the following groups:
Group 1: 6 years, 7 years, and 8 years old athletes
Group 2: 9 years, 10 years, and 11 years old athletes
Group 3: 12 years and 13 years old athletes
Athlete Groups are divided by AGE only, the technique point system applies to each group equally. Athlete age determined by child’s birth year (not the child’s actual age).
JAWS does not divide athletes by gender.
JAWS does not divide athletes by body weight.
JAWS: Equipment and Group Divisions?
Barbell standards will relate directly to the JAWS point scoring system. The athlete groups will execute the movements/lifts with the following equipment weights:
Group 1: 6–8 year-olds
Snatch: 2.5 kg
Clean and Jerk: 4.5 kg
Group 2: 9–11 year-olds
Snatch: 5.0 kg
Clean and Jerk: 8.0 kg
Group 3: 12 and 13 year-olds
Snatch: 8.0 kg
Clean and Jerk: 12.0 kg
When athletes perform the movements/lifts without full sized Olympic diameter discs, the barbell must be 22 centimetres off the floor to emulate the use of a standard Olympic disc. This condition must be adhered to during the developmental program and any league contests.
Equipment list to accomplish the above standards:
2.5 kg Olympic barbell
5.0 kg Olympic barbell
2.5 kg Olympic discs full size diameter pair
1 kg standard change plates pair
1.5 kg standard change plates pair
Barbell collars
Equipment, barbells and weight plates, must be measured in kilograms (kg). Barbell collars should not contribute any significant mass to the total weight lifted.
