JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================n" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?EJQ\}c,ry⧏@F_ΥIb˧OZVPFGH{ T N (1(Opwi!êvEs"C'du'[94ϵ]8.4Ld)qMd;r}p)s)ňS~:v a\]#g4OH1U1sҁs 94qG坹0X#+۩4s, 'br3ڊit4Qa zU}Iv~P Ҍ2.ECLTUi*Χ]1@J5 ֭Jʗυ&_) KK*+[L\ϔ#m40n?b?9IKa;91 Zbq|⢴JLƈH4Ȍ2lIǽG&S@\N `FٸAF12׊MR,ǻ7Dh-O-Mi;\e,WGprqC(c 5$S.P zZ7dGaAMI*y>J)92'Cu+fP1tj6:RK?yW#Vél{Vuu$\;3[XzqeI^u88'沇äl5cktv+ֹ2I$OȤkfݔby\g-ۍ.xy-e-E%W{Ŷrx@ri޴nݜzaŤʐ: Mޫ!x'=fkŕ6nJV.C*( a,1@K) :,G6={ԖE.3yl-%*8Dہfc>A: B9L%\Mϵ& Ěв89ĺie˅@N+_oe$BR0gc犉i0DKƊdj]CWRպb[V=Kae^"?iՇcRYw3*(0i_x?S= ٳW}NYi Hcvժmd4 YPh]̯*╖ZW{SMxYw2 =r /PaV{kXٹ"l9,I`U:ev>yca5JM ,>9[֚t~F$mh8bgLN6?:CZnI}䉊\ hSdQ;#Ɓv?a4 /cҺ}Y`d4iE١VrCAƇu_{RAYʮmH.?QkCҏfڳݧ K_cKoi{4՜8ٮ[Ko{Rh=9hfOvQн9EfOvݨh=9amڏڏfڳ:?4ã mtv{VrFftLtZ~!fC6 >i>GAYȝ+6~Sh=5~GrJ>=*z( }zQJ,!@SQJr#ڏ zvr'ڏ'ڦ^H-X.ETwo possible reasons for the fear that weight training could stunt growth are that weightlifters tend to possess more muscle mass than other athletes and that smaller athletes are attracted to the sport. In gymnastics, the average height of elite athletes has steadily declined in the past several Olympics because shorter athletes tend to be more successful in this sport. But saying that weightlifting makes you shorter because many elite weightlifters are short would be like saying that basketball makes you taller because most professional basketball players are tall!<br><br>The Numbers Game<br><br>Risk of injury is another area of concern for some coaches and parents. In this regard, it s instructive to look at the many studies that have measured the rate of injuries associated with weight training compared to other sports. For example, a study published in the November/December 2001 issue of the Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons cited research showing that in children aged 5 to 14 years, the number of injuries from bicycling was almost 400 percent greater than from weightlifting! Also, in a review paper on resistance training for prepubescent and adolescents published this year in Strength and Conditioning Coach (Vol. 9, No. 3), author Mark Shillington reported in a screening of sports-related injuries in school aged children that resistance training was the nominated cause of 0.7