Youth Sports Training
By admin | February 16, 2009
An Informed Approach to Sports Training
Athletes play competitive sports and participate in structured practices more than ever. Therefore, children lack free, unstructured play: pick-up games in the front yard, tag, riding their bike, and playing in the street with their dog. The lack of these unstructured activities undermines their athletic development, as they unconsciously learn important movements through these activities.
In England, sports administrators developed three stages of athletic development to guide the physical education of young athletes (Sports Cumbria). The three stages are Fundamentals, Training to Train and Training to Compete. Unfortunately, Americans increasingly ignore the first two stages and move directly to the third stage.
In the Fundamental Stage, “the focus is on the acquisition of basic motor skills, fitness and fun rather than on competition and winning.” Fundamental movement skills form the foundation of every sport; regardless of sport, all athletes require skills such as running, jumping, throwing, balance, agility, hand-eye coordination, etc. In this stage, sport specific skills are unimportant-it is the activity, creating an interest in physical activity that is most important.
The USA Today article is particularly disheartening in this stage, as games like tag or even chasing one’s dog develop skills professional athletes use in every game. In any game of tag, one evades the person who is “it.” While evading this person, kids juke right and left, change directions, duck and dive, back pedal, sprint, etc. When a child chases his dog, he quickly hops from side to side, stays in a low position, sprints short distances, etc. In some ways, these skills are learned better in this natural environment than in any drill a coach can construct. And, without these skills, one struggles in any sport.
Players in every sport require the same type of quick change of direction one uses in tag. A goalie coach often stands a short distance from the goalie and rolls the ball in different directions at quick intervals, requiring the goalie to dive to save the ball and quickly get up to save the next ball. A tennis coach uses the same type drill with players at the net, hitting quick volleys from side to side to get the tennis player moving quickly from side to side. A basketball player frequently does lane-line slides, sliding from lane-line to lane-line as quickly as possible. All these drills mimic the quick movements of tag, when one child moves quickly to evade the child who is “it.” And, the earlier the athlete learns these movements, the more natural they will feel.
Instead, young athletes (6-8 years old) play Little League baseball or youth soccer and spend a great deal of practice time standing around listening to an adult talk. Even in a Little League baseball game, an outfielder gets little to no action and bats only 3-4 times. There is very little activity, and the child develops few, if any of these important foundation movement skills, beyond hand-eye coordination. For younger players, playing many quick games of Pepper or other activities to improve player’s reaction times and quickness is more important for overall athletic development than playing one, long game of baseball. In the Fundamental Stage, winning a baseball game is not as important as the hand-eye coordination developed from throwing and catching a ball, or from hitting the baseball; the development of fundamental movement skills is most important in this stage; having fun and building a base for future sports participation and success should supercede all else.
In the Training to Train Stage, the major emphasis should be on the acquisition of basic skills and fitness…the emphasis should be on learning how to train and not on the outcome in terms of results or performance.” This stage is non-existent in the United States, as nine year olds compete for national championships. Sports Cumbria suggests training should comprise 75% of the schedule and competitions only 25%; however, in many youth sports leagues, teams practice approximately one hour for every two games, a number completely out of line with recommendations. A better balance is needed along with a greater emphasis on learning. Training should not merely be boring drill after drill, but should replicate the intensity of competition in a less competitive, nurturing environment.
This stage also should emphasize physical fitness and promote physical fitness activities throughout one’s lifetime. Therefore, practice time should be spent teaching basic biomechanical movements like proper running form, proper jumping and landing, proper throwing motion, proper squatting motion, proper lunging motion, etc. This is the forgotten stage; coaches, even at the youth level, are judged by their win-loss record or the organization of their team on the competitive field, not by the manner in which they run practices or the way they develop athletes for future success. Therefore, many coaches skip basic movement skills in favor of sport-specific techniques, hoping to win an extra game or look like a better coach.
However, an athlete will never be a successful athlete without the basic movement skills. A child who is bigger and stronger may dominate despite poor throwing mechanics, and thus coach and player are recognized as good, but eventually the poor throwing mechanics will catch up to the player, either in the form of injury or in lack of sustained development. The coach who teaches correct basic techniques may lose more games, but he has a far more positive impact in the long term development of his athletes and in pre-puberty teams, this should be the focus of all coaches.
In the Training to Compete Stage, athletes develop sport-specific skills and techniques. This includes “game strategy, tactics and individual conditioning programs.” This is the stage where most current youth athletics start and end. “At this final stage, all of the young athlete’s physical, technical, tactical and mental capacities are now fully established and the focus is on specific training to achieve optimum performance at key competitions and maintenance of the capacities needed to compete successfully.”
In today’s sports environment, training for optimum performance does not exist; players play year-round with no thought given to peaking or periodization. Players suffer an abundance of overuse injuries, an almost unheard of phenomenon a decade ago. Doctors, coaches, parents and players seek answers to the abundance of injuries like shin splints, plantar fasciitis and ACL tears which plague youth athletics, yet many somehow ignore the stress placed on joints and growing bones and muscles though year-round, repetitive sports activity.
In previous generations, athletes played two or three sports and summers were free for individual development or rest. Now, players specialize in one sport and play year-round. This has degenerative effects, as the repetitive nature of the activity causes the overuse injuries, and tired muscles and bodies are more prone to other injuries (ACL tears).
It is not until the athlete reaches this final stage, post-puberty, that the athlete should start to specialize in one sport. Many parents believe their child needs an early start to succeed. However, best estimates suggest that it takes seven years to reach excellence in a given activity. Whether playing the piano or playing basketball, skills are essentially developed after seven years of participation. By waiting to specialize, athletes develop better multi-lateral skills, creating better overall athleticism and giving the player a higher ceiling; players who specialize early and have less overall athleticism have a lower ceiling and peak earlier in their career.
Children are not miniature adults and they should not rain like pre-professionals. They need time to develop appropriate general athletic skills before sport-specific skills, and these skills are as easily developed in the front yard as in a competitive league. Coaches, parents and players need to work together to create a sensible, efficient training regimen to develop the player’s skills in each sport her/she plays, while also allowing the child to have a childhood.
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7 Reasons Children Need Sports
By admin | December 4, 2008
Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle
Making exercise a part of your child’s life teaches your child the importance of fitness. This, along with proper nutrition, plays a vital role in maintaining health. Children need physical activity every day and participation in sports helps fill this need. With today’s wealth of video games and increasing computer literacy, daily physical activity is often times forgotten. Getting your child involved with sports helps them make exercise a part of their lifestyle and increases their chance of a being a healthier adult.
Promote Self Esteem
When a child realizes that they are getting better and better at their sport, they can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Choosing a sport your child can grow and improve in gives your child an opportunity to build self-esteem. Together, with positive reinforcement from you their parent, they will gain confidence and have a more positive view of themselves.
Learn Goal Setting
I’m sure you’ll agree goal setting and success go hand in hand. Participation in sports gives your child a fun, practical way to learn about goal setting. They’ll see, experience, and learn about how goal setting works. If your child’s coach doesn’t cover goal setting, that’s okay! You as a parent can sit down with your child and set goals. By assisting your child in developing this skill, you give them a better chance at succeeding in life.
Learn and Experience Teamwork
How often have you read a help wanted ad where the employer wants a “team player” or a candidate that “works well with others”? I see it all the time. How much more valuable are you as an employee when you can put differences aside and get the job done? Sports teach children about teamwork and about how their actions affect other people. If they can’t learn to work together with teammates while playing a sport they enjoy, how will they be able to work with co-workers they may or may not like while performing a job they may or may not enjoy? This is an important lesson to learn. Encourage your child to be a team player and, as a sports parent, keep tabs on whether or not your words and actions promote this trait in your child.
Develop Time Management Skills
Adding extracurricular activities to your child’s schedule encourages development of and time management and prioritization skills. Teach your child that taking care of responsibilities, such as school work and cleaning up after themselves, comes first. This gives them their first taste of prioritization. Next, help your child formulate a plan which enables them to efficiently handle their responsibilities while still leaving time for sports practices and competitions. For example, show your child how working on homework instead of playing outside during their after-school program helps them finish their homework in time for practice each day. Then go ahead and make that part of your plan.
Learn About Dealing with Adversity
Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has problems. How well you handle these mistakes and problems directly affects happiness and quality of life. Many people “get in a slump” and can’t get out of it. Others continue making the same mistakes over and over again. In sports, we always try to minimize errors, but we’re human. Mistakes happen. Even professional athletes make bad choices and make bad plays, but it’s not the mistake that counts. What you do from that point forward carries much more significance. If your child learns how to deal with adversity, errors, and challenges in sports, chances are, they’ll be able to translate that skill to real life and effectively minimize mistakes and/or bad decisions as well as competently recover from set backs.
Have Fun!
Positive experiences play an essential role in raising a happy, healthy human being. Sports provide numerous opportunities for positive experiences both for your child as an individual, and for your family as a whole. “Sports parents” are blessed with the chance to watch their child have fun while learning and developing as an athlete and as a human being.
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Pros and Cons of Coaching Your Kids
By admin | December 4, 2008
Coaching a child in sports is not for every parent. In fact, it’s not for most parents. While some parents and children enjoy the relationship that develops playing and practicing sports together, many children struggle needlessly with the challenges this situation presents.
Pros and Cons of Coaching Your Kids
One survey of fathers and sons in a parent-as-coach situation found a variety of perceived benefits, but just as many potential problems of this arrangement:
The Pros
The sons reported that they received more praise and more technical instruction, and they felt their fathers had a better understanding of their abilities than other coaches. They also liked spending quality time with their dads during games and practices.
The fathers reported pride in their sons’ achievements and enjoyed positive social interactions with the team and other parents. They enjoyed the opportunity to teach skills and values while spending quality time with their sons.
The Cons
On the other hand, the kids reported many negative emotional responses, including added pressure and expectations to win, and greater conflict at home. They also reported a lack of understanding and empathy from their fathers, more criticism for mistakes, and unfair behavior compared with that directed toward their teammates.
Amongst the negatives the fathers reported was the inability to easily separate being a coach from being a dad. They often placed greater expectations and pressure on their sons to succeed and said they showed favoritism toward their sons.
Tips for Parents Who Coach
Separate the Parent From the Coach
One of the biggest challenges a parent-coach faces is the inability to separate those two roles from one another. This can create confusion for the child. To master these roles, and live them independently, start by using environment as a cue for your behavior. You are a coach when on the field, and a parent when you are at home.
As a parent, your job is to provide unconditional love and support. Leave critiques of things that happened in practices and games behind, and try to talk about things other than the sport, such as school, friends, and hobbies.
Treat Your Child Fairly
When acting as the coach, it’s imperative to become more objective. Be fair and realistic about your child’s abilities, and avoid showing favoritism. In trying to do this, some parents go too far the other way and are overly tough on their children, which ultimately backfires. Unnecessarily pressuring any child can result in negative outcomes, including angry outbursts and hidden emotional turmoil.
Talk Openly With Your Child
Consider talking to your son or daughter about your interest in coaching the team. How does he or she feel about it? You may find that an open, honest conversation will make the coaching experience more rewarding for both of you.
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