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.
The Opportunity of Early Adolescence with Young Performers
Without doubt a unique opportunity to have a profound impact and see dramatic changes presents itself as young performers enter the adolescent years. The theme for this latest offering is this overlooked but crucial phase in the development of young athletes.
As most who read this will already be well aware, there are fertile windows of development in the childhood years. It is widely recognised that young kids are a sponge for learning and acquiring cognitive and motor skills, including language. What is less known is that there is similarly a distinct window of development that coincides with the transition from childhood to adolescence.
Keeping the Fire Burning
Whilst much of what I do involves sport at the elite level, throughout my career and to this day I have had a specific interest and involvement in the journey from youth sport to senior level. This area is variously described as talent development and long term athlete development, but these are largely academic concepts. One question that is not fully resolved is how we can create a learning environment that provides the challenge and support so that young performers acquire the necessary tools and abilities. But today we tackle a more fundamental question: how can we help to ensure that young performers have the fuel to sustain them through this journey which may span many years?
Weekly Reflections: Coaching the Mind
Once again welcome to our regular update on the Prepared ATH project with reflections on the journey. This past week saw activity on both the Prepared ATH front and the sister initiative Informed Practitioner in Sport. The latter involves a highly enjoyable collaboration with Volleyball Canada, working with the team to consult on the rebuilding and return to performance process for a member of the women’s national team. The major update with respect to the Prepared ATH project that I can now report, is an exciting joint venture with The Workshop Performance Clinic based at their location on East Georgia Street in Vancouver, which is due to commence imminently. More details to come on that as everything becomes finalised…
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.
Weekly Reflections: Building Relationships and Collaboration
The response to last week’s first instalment has been positive, so that seemed to merit sharing another update. As I rode in the rain on my way back from coaching this morning I pondered what I should share this week, in between marvelling at how many drivers in Vancouver apparently have no grasp of how roundabouts work. The chosen theme this week is relationships and collaboration.
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.