If had it all to do over, I would have kids new to training spend a protracted period of time building a base of fitness with all sorts of bodyweight exercises.
Then on to kettlebell exercises, with an emphasis on swings and weighted carries.
After that, I would move on to "traditional" barbell and dumbbell work. And even then, I would avoid any high skill ballistic lifts such as the power clean and power snatch.
At the end of the day, particularly at the scholastic level, consistency, where the athlete keeps showing up 2-4 days a week to train will win the race.
This is great.
6 months to 1 year of pushups, pullups and dips might also solve a common problem I see with skinnier 14-15 year olds when they start a barbell linear progression. The squat flies up into the mid-200s or higher, but their upper body musculature becomes the limiting factor. Hard to carry 315 on bony shoulders, and it gets discouraging. Then they want to try a new T-nation program every week. Get them to 15 pullups and dips first, and you may obviate that problem. Build a more solid base, so to speak.
Though I suspect that only naturally skinny people know what I'm talking about here.
