This might be a topical read given present circumstances. Many athletes are contemplating cancelled competition seasons, or at the very least the cancellation or postponement of major events that have been their focus for an extended period (the 2020 Olympics being perhaps the biggest example). Arguably more disconcerting is the numerous instances where the situation remains unclear, and so there is an onus to continue preparations without knowing if and when events will go ahead. It is fair to say the majority of us are faced with questions on how to proceed given the present restrictions, and a lack of certainty on what the coming months hold.
Weekly Reflections: Partnerships
Welcome back to regular readers, and a warm welcome to those who are new to the Prepared Athlete Training & Health project. The theme of our regular update this week is partnerships. As noted in the prologue we shared, the genesis of this project was built upon the ultimate partnership, in the sense that my wife Sian is the most important partner, enthusiastic supporter, de facto benefactor, and business coach behind this endeavour. Beyond that, this thread of partnerships runs through all aspects of how Prepared ATH operates and our work with athletes. And as luck would have it, each of these various facets have been evident over the past two weeks!
Weekly Reflections: Engaging with Coaches
Welcome back to the regular reader, and greetings to anybody finding the Prepared Blog for the first time. Highlights from this past week included a visit to the Tennis Canada regional training centre for the province of British Columbia on Vancouver’s North Shore. On that note, the theme I chose to focus on this week is engaging with coaches, albeit I was also tempted to go down either the talent identification or talent development rabbit hole… I will save that for a future post!
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.