Not a lot of time to talk but here's one for you! If we all believe that kids need to practice day after day after day and, in order to be good, they have to play the same sport year round...then why does the American Samoa pump out more NFL football players (proportionately) than any other region in the world? Did you take a look at the CBS 60 Minutes segment a couple of weeks ago? If you didn't, here it is...take a look! http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6108545n&tag=contentBody;housing.
Lousy fields, lousy equipment and no significant youth program pipeline. Yet, American Samoa is one of the hottest areas for D1 college football and NFL talent. Call it what you want...I call it a reasonable approach to youth athletics. An approach that allows kids to DEVELOP (physically and emotionally). An approach that is inclusive, not exclusive.
We all might learn something from the American Samoa.
Remember...It's About the Kids!
Keep smiling!
Mark
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
What is "Age Appropriate Programming"?
Is your youth athletic program's top PRIORITY to develop the child EMOTIONALLY and PHYSICALLY or is it built primarily to develop the child ATHLETICALLY?
Are the programs that use your town's fields and courts built around the emotional and physical development of the child? Not just town run programs (i.e. Park Rec) but ALL programs. Even those programs that are typically run by private clubs...travel basketball, football, little league, lacrosse, soccer, etc etc etc.
Does your "Park & Rec" or club program pick coaches PRIMARILY based on their understanding of the SPORT or first and foremost based on their understanding of the emotional and physical developmental needs of children? Do those same programs TRAIN their coaches singularly about the sport...or do they include coaching training on the emotional and physical developmental needs of the child (all childen...no matter what their skill set).
Does YOUR program select coaches primarily based on his/her understanding of the sport?
It has become clear to me over the years that MOST youth coaches are selected based on their understanding of the sport and NOT their understanding of the children they are coaching. Because of this PROGRAMMING ERROR coaches (many well meaning) in turn run practices and coach teams with the sole goal of teaching the child the sport they are playing. Many of these coaches are oblivious to what the child can grasp mentally or perform physically.
While I believe that it is important to understand and be able to coach the SPORT, I believe that it is infinately more important to have a coach that understands the CHILD.
Are the programs that use your town's fields and courts built around the emotional and physical development of the child? Not just town run programs (i.e. Park Rec) but ALL programs. Even those programs that are typically run by private clubs...travel basketball, football, little league, lacrosse, soccer, etc etc etc.
Does your "Park & Rec" or club program pick coaches PRIMARILY based on their understanding of the SPORT or first and foremost based on their understanding of the emotional and physical developmental needs of children? Do those same programs TRAIN their coaches singularly about the sport...or do they include coaching training on the emotional and physical developmental needs of the child (all childen...no matter what their skill set).
Does YOUR program select coaches primarily based on his/her understanding of the sport?
It has become clear to me over the years that MOST youth coaches are selected based on their understanding of the sport and NOT their understanding of the children they are coaching. Because of this PROGRAMMING ERROR coaches (many well meaning) in turn run practices and coach teams with the sole goal of teaching the child the sport they are playing. Many of these coaches are oblivious to what the child can grasp mentally or perform physically.
While I believe that it is important to understand and be able to coach the SPORT, I believe that it is infinately more important to have a coach that understands the CHILD.
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