Ok, so we have touched on several topics over the past couple of weeks. To re-cap, we discussed that children need to be motivated from within and then we discussed the how’s of that. Today’s topic of discussion will be….drum-roll……
Why in the world do children even want to play sports? Parents, this may be a shocker to you, but in many a research study conducted, the word “winning” never occurred. We live in a world where fierce competition is at the forefront of much of what we do, but for children, this concept may have an entirely different meaning than we, as adults, perceive it. In a study conducted by the Australian Sports Commission, they found that children typically play a sport to:
1.) Have fun and develop fitness
2.) Make friends
3.) Enjoy competition (notice, ENJOY, being the key word)
4.) Be Challenged
When these needs are not met, children tend to drop the sport. Not all people are created equally. We all know this saying, right? However, somehow, this doesn’t seem to translate over into the children’s world of sports too often. We are seeing more and more that Coaches and parents alike, are presuming that every child is/should be on the same level as their peers, and if they are not, well then, that’s just too bad. Children need to be challenged depending on their level of ability, meaning that this may call for more work/creativity from Coaches. If a more advanced athlete is among an athlete that may not have the same abilities or be able to catch on as quickly, this shouldn’t mean that the Coaches give them responsibilities the same as their peers. It simply means that maybe the workouts are tailored differently according to the ability of the young athlete. This does not mean, however, that it slows the training/advancements of another athlete that may be a higher performer, but it does mean that a coach will have to go the extra mile to tend to athletes with different abilities. Too often children are feeling left out because the advanced athletes are the central focus, causing them to lose interest and quit.
Let’s take another look at an article that emphasizes top reasons why children play sports.
http://activeforlife.com/top-five-reasons-kids-play-sports/
Here, they have seen that most prevalent when children are asked, “why do you want to play a sport?” the answer is, “to have fun”. So, to close out, let’s get back to the basics folks. Sports can be a beautifully rewarding thing for your children. Let’s keep them playing by positive reinforcement and tailored activities for children with different abilities because remember, not all people are created equally. 😉
Happy Monday!
BB
The Bouncing Bunch Blog 