Let The Kids Play (Part 2) March 4, 2008
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Building Block No.2
Are We Having Fun, Yet
So you have found a sport that they are interested in. Good Job! You are on the right track to building a foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Now comes the FUN part, fun can be defined differently depending on what age your child is. So lets take a look at what your child is probably thinking depending what age group they fall under.
2 to 8 year olds.
Fun is the optimal word here. The attention span of this age group is short to very short. You goal here should be break activities down to small blocks of time. If you have ever been to a t-ball baseball game you have probably noticed most of the kids are playing in the dirt in a matter of minutes. With this age group safety is the key to making sure that they have as much fun as possible.
9 to 12 year olds.
Fundamentals are the key to having success with this age group. If your child is playing competitive sports they should be focused on trying to learn the fundamentals of whatever sport their playing.
At this age kids are their own worse critics. Other teammates can have a real impact on this group. Peer Pressure to win starts at this age. You can start to see some attitude change if they are serious about playing a sport.
These are the years that the competitive spirit is developed and you will know if your child is passionate about what they are doing. Now is the time to find a good coach, trainer or mentor if your child show signs of excelling at a particular sport. They can make a difference.
13 to 18 year olds.
Winning is everything. I know you didn’t really want to hear that, but it is TRUE. At this point they are probably competing at a High School or Prep School level. Most of the kids playing at this level measure success by winning or at the very least by performing well.
By this time in their sports career their role or position has probably been somewhat defined ( Though Not Always). Your child should be able to talk to the coach and find out what the expectations are for themselves.
This is also the age where young men and women are most sensitive to peer pressure. They will not want you to fight their battles for them most of the time and you need to ask them what they want you to do.
Mom Tip: If you think your child has a chance of going to college or pro you need to get a honest evaluation from a non-partisan outsider who will tell you the truth and what your athlete needs to work on to get to that level.
Stay Tuned for Part 3
God Bless,
Darrell