Sports injuries pose arguably the biggest trials for aspiring performers, challenging not only the body but also the mind. How the performer and those around them approach and handle the process that follows more severe injuries in particular can prove to be pivotal. What mindset the performer and those around them bring to the task of dealing with injury is hugely influential in shaping the route this takes. A performance mindset goes a long way when contemplating the path forward following an injury. Indeed belief alone plays a role in shaping the eventual outcome. There is evidence that those who express high expectations of making a successful return as they enter the process (such as prior to surgery) are more likely to ultimately achieve that outcome in reality.
The Merits of Becoming an Athletic Virtuoso
Raw physical attributes and performance in junior competition are not good predictors of future success until late adolescence. Technical skills, tactical awareness and character traits are more reflective of future potential. Beyond the specialist skills of the sport, more evolved talent ID and development systems are also starting to recognise the value of general movement proficiency or athleticism. As with skills and character, these qualities are less biased by the transient influence of growth and maturation, making them a much more reliable indicator of future potential and a crucial asset regardless of the sport. From the performer’s perspective, developing athleticism is therefore a very good investment in the future.
Navigating Talent ID and Selection in Youth Sports
One of the biggest travails of the youth sports journey is dealing with selection. Even the most successful athletes often recall instances of disappointment at not being selected for teams or being benched during their years competing at high school and junior level. Navigating selection and talent identification policies are thus part of youth sports. To help parents and young performers themselves deal with these trials we should try to understand the factors at play and perhaps find some strategies to overcome the challenges involved.
Weekly Reflections: Managing Injury and Return to Performance
After a week’s hiatus for some rest and recuperation, coinciding with a trip to Europe, we return with our regular update from the Prepared Athlete Training and Health project. Following recent events, a post on the theme of injury management and return to performance seemed apt. It is also always helpful to articulate what role and functions I fulfill in this space. As a sports medicine physician I met up with this week remarked, ‘it must be a confusing for some people, as you are not a (medical) doctor or a physio’. Indeed my wife also asked this week what I call what I do in this space, as she was having a hard time explaining it to a friend of hers. So in this week’s offering I will attempt to clarify those questions as we outline the process and rationale for working with injured athletes and preparing them to return to performing.
Weekly Reflections: Endurance Runners and Multisports Athletes
Regular readers will be familiar with my comments about Vancouver drivers and the perils of cycling amongst them. This week events progressed to the logical conclusion, as I was taken out by a car on my ride to a coaching session on monday. To be fair it was the middle of the day. In the sunshine. On a straight road designated as a greenway for cyclists. And I was wearing a high visibility fluorescent yellow top. With my lights on and flashing. So I guess I was asking for it. In tribute to the triathlete I was due to be coaching on the day who was very understanding, and also a triathlon coach I connected with this week, the theme of this week’s post is the value of the Prepared ATH service offering for multi-sports, such as triathlon, and endurance runners.
Weekly Reflections: The Necessities of Preparation for Young Female Athletes
Since the world athletics championships came to a close last weekend I found myself with some attention capacity to spare over the past week. This led me to realise it had turned distinctly chilly outside. Despite the chill in the air, it has been a productive week. Sophie, the poster girl for the Develop stream who regular readers have met previously, had the dubious pleasure of seeing me more than usual this week, as we hit the gym to revise her strength training plan, in addition to her regular movement session at the track. I also met Sophie’s grandfather, who came along to the track and after the session asked me the question ‘do girls run differently than boys?’. My answer was, ‘yes - if we are not careful’. Which leads me to the theme of this week’s post: the unique requirements and necessity of preparation for young female athletes.
The parallels between coaching and parenting are striking and both of these elements naturally come together with youth sports. The concept of free-range kids popularised by author (and parent) Lenore Skenazy thus readily applies to how we coach young athletes (as well as sport parenting). In each case, free play and participating in unsupervised games are essential parts of how children and young athletes develop. Engaging in play is central to how we learn to navigate the world and engage with others. Voluntarily participating in games with others (without intervention from the grown ups) teaches kids how to conduct themselves and develops the capability to interact with peers in a competitive context and a cooperative manner. A less structured environment where the kids themselves decide the playing area and the rules of the game affords the opportunity to apply what they have learned, explore different tactics and engage in trial and error. As such, free play and unsupervised games are particularly rich in opportunities to acquire and adapt sport skills and develop game sense. Given the myriad benefits and the essential role that these opportunities play in developing adept athletes and capable humans, it seems baffling that they are systematically being eliminated with today’s youth. So here we will make the case for applying the free-range perspective to rethink youth sports participation and talent development in a way that fosters engagement and creates self-reliant athletes.