flyburst Blog

Are Youth Athletes Miniature Adults?

Dr. Amanda Visek is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise Science at The George Washington University. Her research interests include sport performance enhancement, sport aggression, youth sport, and exercise psychology. She is currently heading up an NIH-funded study on the determinants of youth sports participation.  flyburst caught up with her to explore her research as well as her observations on the contemporary youths sports landscape.  

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FB: How did you become interested in sport psychology and, in particular, its application to youth sports?

AV: Sport psychology sparked my interest, in large, because of my own sport experiences growing up playing little league baseball, gymnastics, and figure skating and watching my younger brother play soccer and ice hockey. But, I didn’t really ‘discover’ sport psychology as a science or career path until I was in college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A business major turned exercise and sport science and psychology double-major, I took my first sport psychology class with Dr. John M. Silva, father of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. He quickly became my mentor and was a big influence in my decision to attend West Virginia University for my dual-degree doctoral studies in sport psychology and community counseling. I became particularly interested in youth sport as I was completing my master’s thesis, in which I studied youth through minor league professional ice hockey players. From there, ‘doing sport psychology’ with kids became important to me. There is a misperception that sport psychology is only for elite athletes, which just isn’t the case – athletes of all abilities can benefit from sport psychology. I wanted to be able to give back to kids the knowledge and skills I’d wished I’d had as a young, competitive athlete. So, I spent part of my doctoral training gaining entry to youth sport teams in the community and working with kids.

 

FB: What are the types of issues sport psychologists might address with regard to an individual or youth team? Can you provide a couple of examples of projects you or your colleagues have worked on and the results?

AV: One of the issues facing kids today is the professionalization of attitudes in youth sport. That is, an increasing focus on winning at the expense of skill development and fair play. My first published study was in this area and the results showed that as kids increase in age and competitive playing level, their attitudes related to sport become increasingly professionalized. In fact, more professionalized attitudes were also associated with a greater legitimacy or acceptance of engaging in aggressive, rule-violating behavior.

 

FB: There are countless news stories about overzealous youth sport parents. On the other hand, our greatest athletes including Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, and Serena and Venus Williams had very involved parents. What are some strategies that parents can use to know "how far to go?"

AV:  “More is better” is a misnomer, but unfortunately is very much a part of the American sport ethic and culture that can consume parents. So this question is an important one because parents are the first and most critical socializing agents in youth sport. Regrettably, for some parents, their actions stem from a desire to live vicariously through their children. You may have heard overzealous parents also called helicopter parents, those that are over-involved and constantly hovering. Other parents, however, are very well intended, but misguided in the best ways to support their young athletes. There’s a careful balance to being involved enough, but not too much, and that balance is going to change as kids grow. As young athletes get older they are going to naturally seek greater autonomy, even in their sport decisions.

Parents should regularly check in with their kids and create opportunities for open, honest communication about how best they can support their kid. Parents can have a profound effect on directly and indirectly sending messages to their kids about what’s most important when it comes to their kids sport participation. Ultimately, the kid’s health, well being, and enjoyment should be pivotal. Picking their kids up from practice and first asking questions like “Did you have fun?”, “What new things did you learn today?” and “How did you play?” send much healthier and more motivating messages than “Did you win or lose?” or “What was the score?”.

 

FB: We read an article recently that said the emphasis on winning in youth sports has significantly diminished the social and health benefits of physical activities. In general, do you agree with this statement?

AV: There’s more research coming out with regard to the impact concussions have at both the professional levels of sport, as well as the youth levels. Similarly, kids are subject to more over-use injuries today than they used to be, in part, because there’s a trend toward kids selecting into one-sport at younger ages rather than playing and sampling a variety of different types of sports. We know from research that kids have the most to benefit in their health, development, and athletic abilities if they are given the opportunity to participate in an array of different types of sports, particularly in their early years. The idea that kids that specialize in one-sport the earlier the better increases their chances for playing in college or at other elite levels simply isn’t supported. Also, an over-emphasis on winning at the expense of kid’s enjoyment can greatly diminish their interest in continuing to play sports.

Right now, overweight and obesity in children and adolescents is a global epidemic. As sport scientists, we really need to begin concentrating our efforts on understanding what makes sport most fun for kids. As sport psychologists, we need to educate parents, coaches, and the larger youth sport communities in how we can work together to create positive, fun sport experiences for kids such that they WANT to continue playing not just through their childhood and adolescence, but into their adulthood. We know, in fact, that physical activity patterns in kids will track into adulthood. So youth sport experiences can certainly be pivotal in laying the foundation for a kid’s future physical activity behaviors.

 

FB: One of your research articles is titled “Youth athletes are NOT miniature adults: A comprehensive guide to performance enhancement with youth sport.” Can you talk about this work and how it might apply to parents and coaches of youth athletes?

AV: Great question! There is a tendency at times to treat youth athletes as miniature versions of their adult, athlete counterparts. However, children are unique from adults in that their cognitive, emotional, social, and physical abilities are still very much developing. As children grow and mature, the will achieve developmental milestones, however, even the speed at which they do can vary greatly from their same-age peers. Some of my work, and that of my colleagues, has been in bringing greater awareness to youth sport development. That is, as coaches, parents, and even as sport psychologists working with youth athletes, we need be cognizant of these developmental differences and make the appropriate modification and adjustments in how we communicate, train, and even teach mental skills to kids.

 

FB: You are working on an NIH-funded study on factors impacting participation in youth sports. Can you talk about the study and the insights that you hope to glean?

AV: Yes, this is a three-year grant award that has been funded by the National Institutes of Health and specifically by the National Institute of Nursing Research. Essentially, my aim here is to better understand what makes sports the most fun for youth athletes and to also identify specific barriers to their enjoyment of sport. This is significant because the #1 reason why kids drop out of sport is because it is no longer fun. Seventy-percent of kids will drop out by the age of 13 and as many as 1/3 of kids drop out annually. So, the first phase of our project is to multi-dimensionally define what makes playing sports fun. We’ve been working with hundreds of DC metro area athletes’ ages 8-19 years old, parents, and coaches. They have identified 81-specific things that make playing sport fun. This data alone is so helpful because ‘fun’ which can be an abstract concept has now been concretely identified by these 81 different things.

We are now working with the youth sport community to help us quantify these 81 things that make playing sport fun. That is, how important is each fun idea? How frequently does it occur? And really, how feasible is each one? This data will be quite robust because we are not only gathering the perspectives of players, but we’re also including coaches and parents perspectives, as well. This will allow us to see where there may be discordance in what players say is most important to fun and what parents and coaches ‘think’ makes for the most fun experiences for kids. Because parents and coaches are such strong socializing agents in the youth sport experience, it’s important to elucidate the potential differences in perspectives so that we can work to create programs that maximize young athlete’s fun.

Unfortunately, school-based physical activity has not been a solution in the face of the growing overweight and obesity epidemic facing our children and teens today; this places a greater burden on leisure-time physical activity to be a solution. I do believe that with evidence-based interventions, we can work to make after-school youth sport programs more effective at retaining their youth sport participants. In fact, The George Washington University is so invested in the outcomes of this public health research that this project is also being cost-shared by our School of Public Health and Health Services, as well as by my Department of Exercise Science.

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If you would like to contact Dr. Visek about her research or consulting services, she can be reached at avisek@gwu.edu

The Final Season

A few Sundays ago I attended the last game between my son’s “youth” soccer team, the Calverton Patriots and their perennial rival, the DC Stoddert Blue Lightning. To call them “rivals” conjures visions of an Ohio State-Michigan football game, a soccer “derby” between Liverpool and Everton, or for Washingtonians – Democrats and Republicans. Perhaps in the past when both teams were fighting for promotion (or to avoid relegation!), the feelings on the pitch or among the parents was more intense. That Sunday it felt more like a rite of passage. The game presented players and parents with no higher divisions to strive towards, no dreams of college scholarships, no concerns about playing time (at this point just getting players to show up is more the challenge), and no additional bragging rights to be delivered at school or work on Monday. On this somewhat rare weekend, the boys could just play a game they love and their parents could take in the simple pleasure of watching their sons in one of a few games left before a new phase in their lives begins. 

Both coaches and the core of players on each team have been together since middle school (some longer). Even the names - “Blue Lightening” and “Patriots” - reflect names concocted by pre-adolescent boys, not the young men now playing in a U-19 division. The game was well attended by parents of both teams. That’s somewhat unusual these days as the players have moved from their own parents driving them, to carpools, and now driving themselves to games and practice. My wife, who is not a fan of sports in general (but enjoys reading opinion pieces about sports in the New York Times) even attended recognizing that "there are not many more games for me to miss!” 

Heading into this final game of a league series that dates to back to November 2, 2008, the Blue Lightening led by one game and just a single goal (I am not a fanatic, it was on the league website in the archived scores section). The past record mattered not a great deal to the players, coaches, or parents who seemed to approach the game in a state of almost Zen-like peacefulness facilitated by the bucolic expanse of the Soccerplex in Boys, MD. The players competed hard, but were respectful to each other and the officials – perhaps recognizing the moment in a way that teenagers rarely do. The coaches, Josh Menditch (Patriots) and Evans Malyi (Blue Lightening) acted as they always have in so many past contests – sitting calmly on the bench and occasionally offering tactical instructions to players. The parents watched the game, but mostly chatted among themselves about college plans, job gossip, and only infrequently yelled out “good job!” or ever so tepidly complained to the official about an off-side or foul call.

As we sat on the side of the hill in our folding chairs, sipping Dunkin Donut’s coffee and watching the game, I couldn’t help but feel wistful for a phase of our son’s life and ours now coming to a close. Our son plans to continue playing soccer in college (Division III, where the cost is “included” in the price of tuition), but it will be very different. Conveniently "miss-remembering" the cattle call try-outs, the team cuts, the occasional injury, and the many ruined weekends given over to meaningless tournaments in remote locations, soccer has been a wonderful platform to carry our son through what can be turbulent years (are there any non-turbulent years?). It also connected us as father and son as soccer was something we learned together (him to play, me to watch and appreciate) and will have the rest of our lives to discuss, argue, and reminisce. 

Last week I stood on the sidelines of my younger son’s middle school soccer game. As the boys ran up and down a field that resembled a lunar surface, the chatter among parents was about past and upcoming weekend club games, problems with coaches, academy training opportunities, and other related topics that tend to feed the anxieties. Instructions and personally delivered words of encouragement were dutifully shouted from the sidelines  (“Toes up," yelled one parent to his goal keeping son. Whatever that means.)  and dutifully ignored by the boys. Instead of being nervous about my own son’s prospects, I felt a certain calmness and appreciation for the moment knowing that there’s going to be a “final” game for him - and me - in a few years. Like my older son’s game, his will probably end 0-0 too for soccer being a game where success can be claimed without having to win.

Todd

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Todd Miller is the Founder of flyburst.

flyburst Teams with Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA)

 

flyburst is proud to partner with the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) to promote its mission to provide all youth and high school athletes a positive, character-building youth sports experience. Since its 1998 launch at Stanford University by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jim Thompson, PCA has impacted more than 4 million youth athletes.  Central to their work is their model: The Double-Goal Coach®, whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more-important goal is teaching life lessons through sports.

In partnership with PCA, flyburst will enable local sports providers, leagues, and professional to display their certification next to their program listings on flyburst’s website. Users of the site - families, schools, and community organizations - will be able to determine if a provider has received PCA training. They can use the certification as an additional piece of information when evaluating a league or program for their child. A PCA certification is good for one year and sports providers are expected to update their training annually.

PCA training focuses on three key principles -- Redefining "Winning" as Mastery of Sport, Filling Emotional Tanks and Honoring the Game -- and engages attendees through a series of interactive exercises based on common youth sports scenarios. In addition, PCA online courses are all expert-developed and designed to help coaches, parents, athletes and officials ensure that winning happens both on and off the field in youth sports.

Sports providers, leagues, and personal instructors who want to receive either PCA live workshop training or on-line training can contact PCA's Washington and Mid-Atlantic Representative, Clint Sanchez by email at clint_sanchez@positivecoach.org. For questions about how to display your PCA certiifcation on flyburst, please email support@flyburst.com.

flyburst flyby: Why Martial Arts Might Be A Good Fit For Your Kid

Interview with Sensei Carol Middleton of DCSDKA

 

After studying martial arts with acclaimed Masters Jack Hwang in Oklahoma (under whom she opened her first school), Sang Kee Paik in Wisconsin and Ki Whang Kim in Maryland, Sensei Carol Middleton opened her school in Washington, DC in 1976. From the beginning, she was committed to sharing the skills and challenges of traditional ma rtial arts plus realistic, practical safety strategies and the emotional skills and philosophy that can last a lifetime. She primarily does this throu gh the children’s classes and traditional Tae Kwon Do of DCSDKA.

fb: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you got involved with the martial arts?

CM: It was 1968, and I was in college at a campus being built in St. Louis, which was then the murder capital of the US. It was a mile to the parking lot, and there were no lights! I knew I needed self defense and, though martial arts schools were quite rare and women in them even rarer, I found an instructor.

I had some great instructors after that who really inspired me to seek excellence and be the best I could be. I wasn’t very athletic, but that didn’t matter. The martial arts is about becoming the best person you can be – over a lifetime.  Training wasn’t easy for me at first, but I worked hard and consistently to make progress, and it paid off.

 

fb: DSDKA is located in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of DC. Can you talk about the communities you serve?

CM: Our school serves a very broad range of students from the Mount Pleasant and surrounding communities. They speak Spanish, Italian, French, Russian and many other languages – we’re very diverse.  DC Self Defense Karate Association is a non-profit school within Bancroft Elementary, a D.C. Public School, which itself has a population that is 70% Hispanic.  Our motto, “Discipline—Respect-- Positive Expectancy,” translates across every culture.

 

fb: You divide your kids’ training into four age groups – 4-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16. Can you talk briefly about the unique focus with each of these age groups? Regarding teenagers, is it ok if they haven’t had previous martial arts experience?

CM: Nobody needs previous martial arts experience to train with us.  Our curricula are age-appropriate. With our youngest students, ages 4-7 (“Turtle Tots”), we first teach them the discipline to cooperate and pay attention. We focus on basic skills like balance, coordination and control, as well as mental skills like focus, intensity and memory. The self-defense role plays include what to do if you are lost, how to handle a stranger and social skills. At all levels, we train for fitness, positive communication and safety.

For our 8-10-year old students (“Ninjas”), we emphasize working together as partners while developing even greater balance, strength and coordination. Our self-defense skills at this level include physical and verbal tactics, falling and ground fighting. Verbal self defense focuses on dealing with peer pressure and with bullies. Ninjas also work to improve their physical Tae Kwon Do skills, including the basic blocks, strikes and kicks of our style.

Into the tween and teen years, our students work to develop good form and technique, strong stances, speed, power, flexibility and pin-point accuracy. They take on more challenging self-defense work, and are encouraged to show spirit, determination and tenacity. We work to build confidence, eye focus, intensity, loud voice and strong body language, while maintaining safety consciousness and good etiquette.

 

fb: The DCSDKA motto is “Discipline. Respect. Positive Expectancy.” Can you talk a bit about the “Positive Expectancy” theme and how that is incorporated into the training?

CM: Every student is encouraged to expect to do well, and then take personal responsibility to make it happen. We don’t compare one student to the next. Belts and stripes are not awarded to only the “best” student in the class. When you make personal progress, that is recognized and rewarded.

The martial arts is, on the one side, very much a personal journey – you learn skills that no one can ever take away from you. We encourage every student to seek out a positive and rewarding way forward – in their training and in their lives outside the dojo.

On the other side, we train as part of a community and are taught to have positive expectations of our fellow students. We help and appreciate each other and learn the joy and support we give and get in that community.

 

fb: Can you elaborate on DSDKA’s emphasis on “self defense” and how it will serve kids at different ages?

CM: From day one, we teach the emotional skills needed for everyday life, as well as physical skills for all types of emergency. Martial arts are renowned for building focus and discipline. The confidence we build from our successes is unconsciously projected, making us much less likely to be chosen for violence and less prone ourselves to aggressive behaviors, thus keeping us safer.

We build intuition and awareness, allowing us to avoid danger. We specifically learn to interact more safely and effectively with others. The internal mindsets also prevent self-destructive thinking and behaviors. Self defense is all of that, and is a big focus in our school.

 

fb: So much of martial arts seem to emphasize “life skills,” much more than other kids’ sports (e.g., tennis, basketball, etc.). Can you provide more insight into why this is the case and how you incorporate the themes into your program?

CM: We’re not really a sports program, but rather an educational institution. We teach leadership, interpersonal and internal mindset and focus skills. We work on discipline and concentration, goal setting and planning, honesty and integrity, loyalty and teamwork, courtesy, respect and honor, responsibility and decision-making, building good habits, and being physically and emotionally tough but yet kind. And not just for a three-month sports season, but for the long-term.

At its core, our training is not about kicking and punching. Instead, it’s really about building strong individuals – mentally, physically and spiritually.  For example, we learn in self defense to say “No.” This is just one of the options you might use on the playground against bullying. But it also applies in life, when someone tries to tell you that you aren’t smart. Or they want you to join a gang. Or you grow up and your boss badgers you or asks you to do something that is not your responsibility.

We teach how to be successful and to be positive. There are so many opportunities in life to be told something negative. Successful people know how to ignore the negative influences and make positive choices for themselves.

 

fb: Is there anything about martial arts that is particularly good or challenging for girls?

CM: The fact that we encourage all our students to use their voices, to be strong and to be confident is particularly useful for girls. Boys tend to be socialized to do this anyway, and it makes them less vulnerable to manipulation or attack. Girls are more willing to pick up these new behaviors when they are in an atmosphere where a strong response is prized and rewarded, and then they too become better at avoiding or stopping a bad situation. Plus, in spite of other socialization, they learn to fight back fiercely when needed.

Also, they get over being “too helpful.” We do numerous role plays to help them learn to choose when it is not safe to be helpful or compliant, and we give them the language and physical skills to deal with threats or attacks. This helps them keep themselves – and often their friends – more safe.

  

fb: What advice do you have for parents in terms of navigating their children through the various phases of martial arts?

CM: Martial arts can be intimidating at first, and parents can provide reassurance and support, especially if they watch the classes or participate themselves. We ask that parents NOT chastise their children for not doing it perfectly. It takes time, and we are very patient, which leads to a high rate of success if parents can help their children be patient as well.  Also, we ask that parents not expect their children to suddenly behave like adults. The classes are serious, but fun, too, and “kid behavior” is gently redirected to more impressive behavior over time.

Martial arts also provides an opportunity for children and adults to learn perseverance. I guarantee everyone will have a moment when they think this is just too hard, and they will want to quit. If parents can stand firm and use this as a time to teach their children how to stick with something, that urge to quit will pass and children will have learned a valuable lesson--nothing worth attaining in life comes without effort, commitment and perseverance! Commitment also requires time and focus, so we ask parents not to overbook their children with an impossible schedule of activities for every spare minute. This causes stress for all concerned and rarely gives a child enough depth in any one thing to feel successful.

 

fb: You have been teaching for more than  35 years. Can you comment on changes you have observed in the attitudes and capabilities of the kids you have seen? Is there anything significantly different than it was 15-20 years ago?

CM: Yes, parenting and technology are significantly different, and so the kids are different. For one thing, kids didn’t used to be the ones in charge! Nowadays, parents too often seem afraid to “be the parent” and make decisions on how their children should be brought up. Children need love and direction, choices and limits.

Martial arts teaches life skills, and I love seeing the transformation in our children from sometimes tantrum-throwing, unruly, or just stressed and unhappy to strong, confident and contributing members of their family and community. This can only happen if parents work with us and model discipline and commitment themselves, and also give support and appropriate choices.

The biggest change I’ve seen in kids over the last twenty years is in their ability to focus, and the second biggest is in their self control. They are stuffed into too many activities done at a fairly shallow level, and cannot maintain focus on one thing for long, especially if it gets hard. Screen time and less physical activity contribute to focus problems, too. We at DCSDKA are going against the tide now in expecting kids to focus, behave, treat parents and others with respect, and stick with things, especially when it gets hard.

Another trend is this: too often now, kids are rewarded with certificates or trophies or praise regardless if they did well or earned it. I think this teaches the wrong lesson. It seems to me that children appreciate what they achieved a lot more when it was hard, required effort and nobody lied to them. They like to know they really earned it!

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For more information about DCSDKA programs, please contact them directly at 202-258-3778.

 

flyburst Flyby: Perspectives and Advice from Tamir Linhart of Golden Boot Soccer in McLean

Tamir Linhart is a former two time All-American at George Mason University and a player with one of Israel's premier soccer teams, Hapoel Tel-Aviv,  where he played for seven seasons. His Golden Boot Soccer program is a fixture in the region having trained hundreds of local youth from recreation to competitive travel programs. flyburst asked Tamir to discuss his approach, talk about special programs including those created for girls, and his perspectives on youth soccer. 

 

fb: Can you discuss your program and team offerings?

GB: Golden Boot offers a variety of soccer training programs such as Club Development, Summer Camps, Winter Indoor Training, Private / Small Group Training, After School and Lil Boots classes for kids age 3-6. Some of the specialty programs we run are the Art of Scoring Goals, Player Development, Play with the Pros, All Girls, Goalkeeper Training, Speed & Agility Training and more. In addition, we provide professional trainers and coaches for teams, provide consulting services for parent-coaches and run Coaches Education Workshops. We recently ran out first soccer tournament, which was a big success.

 

fb: What’s the approach to teaching and coaching at Golden Boot (GB)?

GB: Our approach to training is holistic.  We are striving to develop soccer players and also great people as well.  Our main goal is to instill a love and passion for the game starting with the proper fundamentals.  We provide the basic tools through teaching the technical, tactical, physical and psychological pillars of the game in a fun atmosphere.  At Golden Boot, we want to be able to provide a solid technical base for our players, but also have them develop their soccer intelligence.  By soccer intelligence, we mean that we strive for the players to become decision makers and problem solvers – not to have us dictate their every move but to provide
them with the right tools to succeed on their own.  The majority of our trainers have either played collegiately or professionally, with some kind of youth licensing (we prefer USSF Licenses).  Most of our trainers boast very impressive resumes as players and coaches – so they know what it takes.  Even more important than that, their enthusiasm, ability to relate to young players, and make learning fun is what really separates us from the rest. 

 

fb: GB has an “All Girls” program.  Can you talk about the program and its purpose and methods?   Is a different training approach used than what you might use with boys?

GB: Last summer we experimented with the “All Girls” program as a half-day camp and it was a great success.  The program is not simply to segregate genders with no real purpose, but to provide an environment for young girls to be able to succeed in a different setting than the typical soccer program (aside from teams).  The same principle applies to our Winter Programs.  Generally we do not gr oup based on gender in our programs, so we wanted to give those who might be interested an avenue to stay with us and explore that option.  The program is not simply a traditional program that just happens to be without boys, but it’s more of an experience for young girls to spend time training and working with our top female trainers who serve as figureheads for these young players. We also incorporate a lot of aspects which are key for female players including goal-setting, team building, and presentations fr om some of our top female trainers who know what it takes. 

I wouldn’t say that a different training approach is only required for Girls vs. Boys – but I would say that all players are different, and you have to know how to train and approach each as individuals, regardless of gender.  Each player has their own needs an d it’s our job to be able to motivate them, find what drives them, so it’s that much more important to understand them in order to do so.  Different training approaches are not something that is limited to gender  – but it helps to understand each as individuals!

 

fb: GB has a “Play with the Pros” program based on a “street soccer” model.  Can you explain the program and why you launched it?

This is one of our most popular programs, and beneficial as well.  Street-soccer refers to an informal pickup game with the most basic of set ups and no structured coaching.  Players are encouraged to be creative, experiment with their skills and not be afraid to make mistakes.  It promotes originality, imagination and builds self confidence as they develop their own style of play.  Our goal is to create players as problem solvers and decision makers – and Play with the Pros provides a platform for kids to do so.  One of the biggest criticisms of US Youth Soccer is that kids just don’t out and play as much as they should – Play with the Pros not only gives players an opportunity to play and be creative, but to learn some moves and create their own with our Trainers as mentors.  Trainers don’t serve as actual coaches, but ‘big kids.’  Kids get the opportunity to observe how high level college and professional players play and learn by example. 

 

fb: What are the phases of skill and physical development for kids entering and participating in soccer.  What’s the right age to get started?

GB: Our Parent Organized programs start with kids as early as 2.5-3 years old.  At this age it’s simply movement but learning to “take the ball with you” and having the ball as your “ best friend.”  Between 4 and 6 kids typically get involved in our organized programs’

-       Age 3-6 (Lil’ Boots): Our goal is not to develop soccer skills at that age but to instill passion and love for the game as well as to get the kids comfortable with the ball

-       Ages 7-9: At this age we really focus on individual technical skills.  It is crucial to develop a solid technical base at this age, with a small focus on playing with a team-mate

-       Ages 10-13: Focus is on more advance technical skills, introducing tactical concepts and soccer intelligence to nurture their decision making capability 

-       Ages 14-18 (high school): The technical base should already be constructed, tactical concepts are more complex,  formations, functional training

 

fb: What, if any, concerns do you have about youth soccer play? 

GB: One of the biggest concerns I have for youth soccer in America, especially, but all over the world as well, is the focus on winning vs. player development.  At the big academies, the focus is not on winning or losing - but to develop the players individually so that they can be the best they can be.  If they do that, winning will naturally follow. 

Coaching is also a concern, as it goes hand in hand with the emphasis on winning.  Coaches need to be constantly educating themselves and be willing to know and understand their players in order to fulfill their duties as coaches.  They must constantly be educating themselves, especially if they have not played at a high level to make sure they are leading these young players in the right direction.  This will aid in designing sessions, especially age-appropriate activities, which is something a lot of Coaches lack knowledge of if they have not been formally taught or trained. 

As we mentioned earlier in the Play with the Pros discussion – the lack of free play, ‘street soccer’ is a definite roadblock to these kids’ success. In addition to the structure practices, they need to develop their love and passion through playing in their neighborhood and with their friends.  This is crucial as it not only allows them more time on the ball, but improves their awareness and vision simply by having more exposure to the game.

  

fb: What role can parents play in helping to navigate their child through a successful experience with soccer?

GB: The biggest thing parents can do to help navigate their child through any successful experience, regardless if it is soccer or not, is limited intervention and confidence building.  A no-pressure environment parents create, helps children feel comfortable and uninhibited.  Whether they choose soccer or paper mache, an environment which allows children to explore their own individuality and develop their own sense of being will without a doubt provide a positive outcome.  That being said, sometimes children (even adults) require critiquing in order to grow – in which case, constructive criticism approached in the right way has to be exercised.

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You can reach Tamir Linhart at Golden Boot Soccer at info@goldenbootsoccer.com

 

 

"Alas Sir, I Cannot Fence" - Except in Silver Spring! flyburst Flyby with Coach Dariusz Gilman of DG Sabre Fencing

Your kid may not like Shakespeare (quote above from "Merry Wives of Windsor"), but they may take to fencing. flyburst interviewed Dariusz Gilman from DG Sabre Fencing in Silver Spring, MD.  Coach Gilman is a former world champion in men's sabre fencing and offers a range of programs for boys and girls in the DC area.

 

 

 

fb: Can you talk about your background in fencing? How did you become interested in the sport?  

DG: I grew up in Opole, in southwestern Poland. My older brother was the first to start fencing in my family. As a kid, I played lots of sports—soccer, karate, handball, and judo—but was intrigued by fencing and wanted to try it. I started when I was 10, which was a little late by the standards in my country, as most kids begin at a younger age. I had to work hard to catch up and keep up. I was very lucky to have had two of the most renowned coaches in sabre fencing working with me. All our hard work paid off. By the time I was 17 or so, I was the world champion in men’s sabre fencing.

 

fb: Can you provide a brief overview of your program and team offerings?

 

DG: Our sabre fencing program combines group classes with individual instruction to give kids the foundation they need to really understand and enjoy the sport. Each child starts as member of a class of their peers. That class becomes their team. As they progress, their team expands as they join more advanced fencers who encourage and support them in practice and at competitions. The wonderful team spirit of the DC Fencers’ Club sabre students and families is unique and makes our club a very special community.
 

 

fb: Fencing isn’t a sport that parents or kids many know much about. What might be attractive to them about the sport?

 

DG: Fencing is a wonderful sport that any child can learn and enjoy throughout their lives. It’s a sport that challenges both physical fitness and metal agility—that is, focus, concentration and the ability to make good decisions very quickly. So it’s a great complementary sport to soccer, basketball and lacrosse because it really enhances balance and hand-eye coordination. And because it’s not a traditional sport, it distinguishes students at the every level—elementary school, high school and college.

 

 

fb: What’s your approach to teaching and coaching?

 

DG: I strongly believe in helping each student develop their skills as an athlete first and then, build their abilities as a fencer. Each student develops as an athlete at different pace. In coaching students for more than a decade, I have found that strengthening their fundamental skills and building their confidence first has been essential to helping them to enjoy and progress in fencing.

 

 

fb: What are the phases of skill and physical development for kids entering and participating in fencing What’s the right age to get started?

 

DG: The best time to start sabre fencing is ages 7-11. Fencing requires that each student understand it from several different levels, including technical, physical and strategic.

 

fb: What’s the schedule for a typical fencing season? What are the main costs involved?

 

DG: For advanced fencers, the training & competitive season runs from September to the beginning of July. For beginning fencers, the schedule is more relaxed. Beginner, advanced beginner and intermediate fencers participate in the club through classes and individual lessons. Most students take classes and lessons throughout the school year. The DC Fencers’ Club provides equipment for all beginners so parents don’t have to make that investment until they’re sure their child wants to continue to fence.

 

 

fb: Can you talk about girls and fencing? Are there any dimensions of the sport that parents should think about regarding girl’s involvement?

 

DG: In American sabre, women have been tremendously successful, winning Olympic gold and bronze in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. This success has been a big inspiration for many girls and sabre fencing is growing more and more popular. A wonderful aspect about fencing for girls is that they learn from and compete against girls and boys that are their age, older, younger, more and less experienced. This range helps girls—and boys—develop their confidence and, equally important their friendships. I am very proud to say that one of my woman sabre students is now captain of the fencing team at Yale.

 

 

Fb: What are some safety-related issues that parents and players should be aware about with regard to fencing? How can injury be mitigated?

 

DG: Fencing has strict rules about safety, equipment and etiquette that protect every fencer. The DC Fencers’ Club has all the equipment a beginner needs to learn the basics of fencing in a safe, supervised atmosphere. But equipment isn’t everything. As a coach and as a trained physical therapist, I focus on injury prevention, proper techniques and movement that help protect my students—at every level--from injury.

 

 

 

fb:What role can parents play in helping to navigate their child through a successful experience with fencing?

 

DG: Fencing is a great sport that I believe prepares kids for a lot of the challenges they’ll face later in life. The sport certainly gave that preparation to me. The best thing parents can do for their kids is to encourage them to give fencing a try! There’s a lot to learn but at its heart, fencing is an exciting, competitive sport and wonderful community of dedicated students and committed parents. En garde! Let’s start fencing!

_____________

To find out more about DG Sabre Fencing, contact Coach Gilman at dgsabrefencing@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

flyburst flyby with Sportrock

flyburst asked Andrew Kozak, director of Sportrock in Sterling, to answer a few questions about climbing for kids.  As you will read in the interview, climbing may be a great compliment (to team sports) or alternative for kids who are attracted to an indoor/outdoor sport with individual physical and mental challenges.   Parents will be attracted to the sport because of the great fitness option it provides for kids and the time flexibility (no hours of weekends lost because of a far away travel games).  Kids will like the sense of accomplishment and the social aspects of the sport. 

 

FB: Can you give a brief overview of the sport of rock climbing? 

Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the top of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling. 

FB: What are the types of climbing that Sportrock teaches?

Sportrock teaches everything from basic skills to lead climbing to setting up top rope anchors. Or if you just want to come in and give climbing a try, we have programs for that as well for both kids (age 6+) and adults.

 

FB: What’s “cool” about the sport for kids?  What types of kids might especially enjoy climbing?

Climbing is a great confidence builder and a great way to meet new people. It also gives kids a sense of accomplishment once they reach the top of each wall. We are firm believers that absolutely anyone would enjoy this sport!

 

FB: What will parents like about climbing?

Climbing is a great form of exercise that allows you to have fun while working out. Climbing motivates kids to put down the video games and climb a rock!

 

FB: What physical/mental development skills can kids learn through climbing? 

Climbing gives kids a sense of accomplishment. One of our members put it best when he said “It’s fun when you get to the top of a really hard climb because it’s fun to look down and see what you just did.”

 

FB: What equipment will kids need to climb (indoor and outdoor)?

All climbers wanting to climb the tall walls (both indoor and outdoor) will use a harness and a helmet. A lot of climbers will wear special shoes to help their feet stick to the wall, but these are not required. Other than the gear provided at the gym, kids are asked to wear athletic clothing (mesh shorts, t-shirts) and tennis shoes.

 

FB: What safety precautions do you take for indoor and outdoor climbing?

Anyone that wants to be able to belay (hold the ropes on the ground) will need to take a class to learn the basics - tying knots, proper belaying motions, catching someone who falls, and lowering them back to the ground. Both climber and belayer will always double check each other’s gear and use certain commands to communicate what is going on.

FB: What’s a good age to start climbing?   What type of class should a beginner take?

In the gym, with an instructor, we start at age 6 & up. Parents are welcome to come in and take their younger children climbing themselves, but the parents would be required to know how to do all the rope work themselves. Anyone age 14+ can take our Basic Skills class and we will teach you everything you need to know to get started!

 

FB: What might be typical weekly or monthly schedule for a kid involved in climbing?

As with any sport, the more you practice the better you will get. There is no set schedule for kids climbing unless you are involved in our climbing team; then there are weekly practice sessions depending on your ability level.

FB: What approach do the climbing instructors take towards teaching climbing?

All instructors want to make climbing as fun as possible and are passionate about what they do. We encourage kids to push their limits and try something that might seem harder than they think they can do.

 

FB: Can you talk about the costs involved in climbing?

Costs are dependant upon the size and scope of the actual class or program. To get an idea of the cost involved with getting started, please visit our website: www.sportrock.com.

 

FB: Anything else you want to mention about Sportrock that parents might want to know?

If you’re interested in getting your child started in climbing, here are a couple great options to consider-

• Open Climb is run every Saturday and Sunday between 12 and 5pm. This program is designed for anyone that wants to give climbing a try. Cost for Open Climb is $20. This price includes Harness and Helmet rental. Shoes are an additional $5.
• Kids Nite is run every Friday from 6:30-8pm. This program is for kids age 6-14. Parents are asked to go to www.sportrock.com and reserve a spot for each child wanting to climb. Price for Kids Nite is $20.
• Birthday Parties are another great program we run. Price is $25/climber with a minimum participant number of 8.  We require a $10 deposit per estimated participant, refundable up to 14 days before the scheduled even. Parties are offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Climbing time is the first 1 ½ hours followed by the use of our party room for an additional 45 minutes. Party times vary by gym. Check our website for availability

____________

Andrew Kozak can be reached at andrew@sportrock.com

 

 

flyburst flyby with Partrick Avon of Sarge Athletics

Patrick Avon is the founder of Sarge Athletics based in Ijamsville, MD (with satellite classes in Poolsville and Damascus). As you will see from our interview with him, Partrick doesn't hold back on his views of the importance of training and conditioning for kids, regardless of whether they are involved in recreational or competitive athletics.  We love Partrick's passion and no frills approach towards fitness.  Read on, you will too!

 

 

FB: Why did you start Sarge Athletics?  

   My training background began in the Navy when I was the Captain of our ship’s weight   room.  They had to start me someplace!  Once I got out of the Navy I  started a company called The Sergeant’s Program and that’s where I got the nickname Sarge. I developed that busin  ess with a simple approach. Basic, tough results orientated -  no frills exercises at a time of da  y when excuses competed with alarm clocks. Years later my children entered sports and my background lent to me training the coaches in conditioning and injury prevention.  Then my interest grew and realized that "hey, I can relate better to these kids then I can their parents." So the coaches let me do my thing. I have continued my education to stay with or ahea d o f the  needs for athletes and now I am  developing a staff to help me spread our services through out the DC area.

FB: What additional training have you received? 

After 5 years in the Navy, I pursued the highest and most applicable education for our industry.  My credentials are The National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Performance Enhancement Specialist. The American College of Sports Medicine. I am a certified Funct ional Movement Specialist (test athletics movement and prescribe corrective exercises) and U nder Armour Performance Coach.

 

FB: Can you provide an overview of Sarge Athletics and its Programs?

Sarge Athletics is a training service for athletes in need of a higher level of performance. Speed. Power. Better movement. Character development.  We instill the concept of self-care. We teach these young athletes to make better food choices and the best methods to self-manage their aches and pains.

 

 

 

 

FB:  Why is speed, strength, and agility training so important for young athletes?

Today's youth sports environment is not good. Most athletes bounce from sport to sport or worse, specialize in one sport at too young an age. Spare time is not spent playing or just riding a bike. It’s catching the Ride-On Bus to go to a friend’s house to sit and play Call of Day or stay up on Facebook all night. They SIT!!! Then comes game or practice. The hip muscles are weak and under perform. Kids try to over compensate then comes Mr. Injury.

At Sarge Athletics, we try to reduce this problem by identifying weak muscle groups and correct the problem with appropriate exercises to address the imbalances. Then we teach kids the fundamental speed, power agility movement drills to better their sports experience.

 

FB: What’s a good age to start training?

Play has become organized into hour-long appointments. It’s structured and free movement does not exist. I was recently asked why kids have no core muscles.  I replied, "when was the last time you saw a kid climb a tree?"  When I was in youth sports, we all did skids. So we all could lift our own bodyweight. We had 6-pack abs and thought everyone did. Kids should start training at age one. Now I am not referring to a program like mine. But some movement based program. They should progress to a more outdoor and fun version of speed agility at age 5.

Training center based training can begin at age 11. There is a ton of research that supports this.  As for weights, kids should start with push-ups and pull-ups then weights. If a doctor disagrees with me. Take a look at their health. Is the doctor slumped over. Does he look like he needs a check up? Is he fat? DON’T GET ME STARTED!!!!!

 

 

FB: What’s the biggest myth that a lot of kids have about fitness (e.g, speed, strength, and agility?).

The biggest myth about kid’s performance is you can develop speed. HOGWASH. If a kid has no core strength he can’t get low. Therefore he can’t fully get to full speed fast (we call this the drive phase). They can’t run straight because his core is a sack of jelly. Give any good conditioning coach two weeks and they will change this.

 

FB: You are an Under Armour Combine Training Center. Can you explain the Combine concept?

Under Armour….WOW What a blessing. The short story is Under Armour is ahead of a movement where fitness has evolved and needed some objective scoring to it. Suzy lost 10 lbs and is in a smaller pair of jeans. That’s objective and terrific. What if Suzy was an athlete and is still competitive in everything BUT sports. What if Suzy could do in 1 hour a 2-mile run, lift 10 lbs dumbbells etc. You get the picture. Now let’s fast-forward 2 months. Suzy lost 10lbs of fat, did the 2 miles run 4 minutes faster, lifted 15lb dumbbells etc. We can now simply objectively score her improvements. Now lets let her compete with other Suzy’s cross the world with COMBINE360.COM website.  We are Under Armour's first licensed training center other than the original in Baltimore to facilitate this.

We are also all under Armour Certified Conditioning Coaches (termed Combine Trainers). We in the industry are so thank full to Under Armour for their Combine360 Program. It’s first class.

FB: What’s the proportion of girl vs. boy participants? 

Our girl vs. boy ratio is 50/50.

 

FB: Do you take a different approach for girls than you do for boys?

Our approach with girls vs. boys training approach is based on need and sport. Clearly no female baseball player desires to put on 30 lbs of muscle, but a male football player might. It’s dictated mostly by sport and the athlete’s request (and our observation). 

 

FB: What are the range of sports that kids play that participate in your program. Do you have many kids who are not playing a formal sport, but participate in Sarge to keep in shape?

Most of our kids are athletes. One is a Break Dancer believe it or not. One of our better HS female athletes that just wanted to maintain a nice figure and stay healthy was an actress heading to college. We get lots of kids in sport and also in their off season.

 

FB: What do/should parents like about Sarge Athletics?

Our goal is to be another pair of eyes. As a parent myself, I want “A Village” as Hillary Clinton said. We want the chance to help them…really help them. It’s going to take a while, so please don’t give me 3 months and pull them. Give me 2-3 years and you will find we will be one of the best investments they ever made. And we will likely hire your kids as our assistant coach. 

 

FB: What’s your approach towards injury prevention?  

 Every athlete is given the most advance movement screen before starting (functionalmovement.com) and each session they have to take 15 additional minutes to perform special exercises to reduce injury and improve movement. All of our coaches are trained in corrective exercise.  We also have a class on Sundays called Athlete Repair. We take an hour and 15 minutes and have a Doctor in Physical Therapy lead self care corrective exercises. He is also our Program Director (former Pro-Lacrosse player and is a conditioning coach)

 

FB: What are the coaching styles of your staff?

Loving-Intense-interactive and Educated

 

FB: What else should kids and parents know about your program?

I told you everything…….:) If you don’t hire us…Hire someone like us or better. If they cannot match everything I said..DO NOT HIRE THEM.

________________

Partrick Avon can be reached at sarge@damascusathlete.com  

 

Not Your Parents Tennis: flyburst flyby with Georgetown Prep Tennis Club

Looking for a sport for your kid for this fall which is active, challenging, fun, offers flexible schedules, and is moderately priced?  Think tennis. Tennis is making a big comeback with particpation rising by almost 50% the last decade. We interviewed Mark Schlossenberg from Georgetown Prep Tennis Club (Rockville) about new ways that tennis is taught to juniors and other topics of interest.    

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Can you provide an overview of the Georgetown Prep Tennis Club? What is the relationship to Georgetown Prep?  

The Georgetown Prep Tennis Club is a commercially owned tennis facility on the grounds of the Georgetown Preparatory School and is entering it’s 20^th year. The founders of the facility are husband and wife, John and Sue Adams, who are dedicated to promoting the game of tennis as a family sport for a lifetime. The facility is open to the public and has 12 courts; six  meticulously maintained clay courts  and six US. Open-surfaced hard courts.  During the winter mont  hs, the six clay courts are cover ed with a climate controlled air structure and we offer junior a  nd adult programming year round.

  

Can you talk about introducing tennis to players of different ag  es? For example, what’s the best age to start?  Do you have any older kids (e.g., 15-16 year olds) just beginning with tennis?

 The sport of tennis is going through many terrific changes as we head into the New Year geared towards the beginning junior player. The “Quick Start” or “10 & Under  Tennis”, playing format which is  established by the USTA (United States Tennis Association) is geared to the younger player aged 4-10. You wi ll start to see the younger players using smaller nets, smaller courts and a variety of foam and low compression balls until they begin play in 12 & Under Tennis Tournaments. This is an actual rule change starting in January 2012, and rule changes in tennis do not happen often! This is something we strongly believe in here at the George  to  wn Prep Tennis Club as a real positive for the sport as it increases the likelihood that kids will have fun, return to the sport and continue to play and improve. 

We do have older children picking up the sport, and interestingly enough, as soon as one child signs up they will often have friends who call up and want to get involved the following week. Another program, while not geared towards children, is our adult beginner class. We had so many  requests from parents who had not played but wanted to learn so they could play with their children.  We started an “Adult Beginner”  class last year and it is one of our most subscribed classes. 

 

 

 

What approach does GPTC take towards introducing tennis to kids? 

At Georgetown Prep we provide a program for those ages 4-6 which we call “Wimpleton.” The popular class meets for 45 minutes a week  and is specifically designed for the beginning tennis player which is both fun and active and focuses  on motor skill development. Again, we use the smaller nets, foam balls and it promotes a lot of success and confidence. You wouldn’t ask a 4-year old starting baseball to hit a home run with a wooden bat and real baseball, over a fence 325 feet away. Why would you ask a 4-year old to do the same thing on a tennis court that a pr  ofessional do es?

 

What are some program and lesson options for kids interested in playing tennis this fall?  

Here at the Georgetown Prep Tennis Club, we have a variety of programs for all ages and skill levels with programs both afterschool and on weekends. From October through May, we have 6 Har-Tru (American clay) courts that are covered with a climate controlled air structure and beautiful stone observation deck. We offer programs for the youngest beginning player all the way up to the high-school team and competitive tournament player.

  

What are the characteristics of a kid that would be a good fit for tennis? 

I don’t like to typecast a specific characteristic, as I have seen time and time again, a child who comes out the first time and appears to have very little coordination but likes tennis. Tennis like anything else is a sport of repetition. The fact that the child likes the sport, which is foremost, and becomes committed to working on the sport is really paramount. I still think back to a child I saw come out and basically swing the wrong way in week one years ago. That same child is now playing tournaments and is quite an accomplished player today. That would be the same child I would never have thought in week one, would be the child who makes the most progress. 

Tennis is also nice because a parent can practice eye hand coordination games at home that we teach the kids and parents.  You see rapid improvement and also more time spent with the parent and child. Anyone can take any kind of lesson or clinic once a week but if you never practice in addition, it will be a lot harder to get better.

 

What athletic skills will a kid develop through this sport?

Confidence, concentration, cooperation, discipline, eye-hand coordination, and improved footwork are just a few of the characteristics we see in the children after starting tennis.

 

Why should parents encourage their kids to play tennis?

Tennis is a one of the few sports that you can play for a lifetime. We have had students as young as 3 years old and senior players aged 90+ come out and play. Tennis is a great way to make new friends, develop great life-skills which carry over to school and other activities. Most important to us here at the Georgetown Prep Tennis Club is fun and learning. Especially with the young players, it has to be fun and something to look forward to coming to. 

 

 

What are the most common types of injuries?

Most of the injuries we see are minor and overuse injuries we see in our middle-aged “Weekend Warrior” players who have perhaps not picked up the racket in a while and go out full steam. Another advantage at the Georgetown Prep tennis Club is the clay courts. The surface is a lot easier on your joints and is the preferred surface of players especially as they get older.

 

Can you talk about the equipment needs for young players to play tennis? 

Actually for the beginning player, the cost of equipment has gone down considerably. With the ‘Quick Start” program they have rackets specifically sized for the young player that come pre-strung, with covers all for under $25.00.

 

What are the approximate costs per year for this sport?

 A lot of the cost depends on the level and aspirations of the child. For a young child getting started, the costs can be very minimal.  As a child advances in level and plays tournaments, there are entry fees, travel expenses, etc.

 

What else should kids and parents know about this sport?

I think the thing that often gets forgotten is that tennis is truly a family sport for a lifetime. In a day when kids are so involved in sedentary activities and physical education is being cut, tennis is a great way for a parent and child to bond.  We take great pride here in seeing parents and children going out to hit together and over the years continuing to see them do so.

 

Where can parents get further information about GPTC programs?

They can check out our website at www.georgetownpreptennis.com or feel free to give us a call at 301-816-9713

 

  

 

 

 

 

flyburst Preview: Advice & Discussion for Parents

As part of our new release in the fall, we will be providing an advice feature with a community forum for ongoing discussions and feedback from other parents and advice from experts.  The feature will: 

• Provide guidance for parents regarding age/development appropriate activities.
• Present a "Question of the Week" and have experts (sports psychologists, coaches, practitioners, etc.) provide different perspectives on how parents might address a youth-sports situation (e.g, What are the signs that my kid should find another sport to focus on?)
• Allow parents to provide feedback on their experience with specific area programs (ThinkTrip Advisor for youth sports and fitness) 
  

Preview Our New Look Coming in the Fall 2011!

We are rolling out a new look and some great new features in the Fall 2011.  Thanks to all of our supporters who have grown with us during our Beta version. The new flyburst will include:

• A new look and feel with easier navigation. Preview the new look below.

• More robust search and filters - by costs, program dates and days, location, and much more. 

• A new advice feature with a community forum for ongoing discussions and feedback from other parents (Think "Trip Advisor' for youth sports and fitness)  and advice from experts.

• Better communication and "social" tools to connect with sports providers and other parents. 

• We are expanding to Fairfax County and Loudon County.