Traditionally, practices and skill development in general within youth sports has focussed on technical and tactical aspects. Dedicated development of athletic skills have been largely overlooked, which was previously not a major issue as sports coaches were able to rely on the natural athleticism that young performers brought to the party. Consequently, whilst youth sports coaches with a physical education teaching background might bring expertise in these areas, for the most part athletic skills have not typically been part of the coach education process, particularly in ‘skill sports’ (i.e. team sports, racquet sports, etc.). However, we are now having to reckon with these omissions, as is becoming increasingly evident at all levels of junior competition in many sports.
Preparing for Re-Entry
Greetings to everybody (and welcome to new readers). With the COVID-19 restrictions gradually being eased many of us are contemplating making a return to ‘normal’ training, including practices and perhaps even competition. As we are seeing in the professional leagues that have restarted after the enforced break, the return to action has been accompanied by a number of soft tissue injuries. Based on discussions I have had with coaches and practitioners involved in various sports around the world from professional to college and high school level, everybody is grappling with how to best manage this transition. So with this latest offering I decided to offer some thoughts for performers on what they need to consider and how they might best prepare for re-entry…
Weekly Reflections: Adversity as Opportunity
The topic for this latest offering was inspired by a parent of a young athlete I have the privilege of working with. The parent in question greatly impressed me with how they chose to respond to a recent setback, which included declining my offer to intervene on her daughter’s behalf. We generally think of times of adversity and setbacks as at best something to be endured (under duress). Our natural inclination is to steer clear of difficulties, and our urge is to shield those we care about from potential upset. However, as the parent in question intuitively understood, going through these difficult experiences is in fact vital to our mission.
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.