flyburst Blog

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!

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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

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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  

 

A Sports-Technology Summer Camp: Exercise for the Body and the Brain.

TIC Summer Camp, beginning its 29^th year in the DC area, provides kids an opportunity to merge two passions – technology and sports.  Flyburst sat down with Emily Riedel, Executive Director of TIC, to gain some additional insights into the camp.

FB:  Where are the camp locations and how many sessions are there?

ER: We have three locations in DC (Georgetown Day School), Bethesda (French International School) and McLean (The Oakcrest School).  We have four two-week sessions at each location throughout the summer.

 

FB: What’s the impetus behind this camp?

ER: From our first days, the philosophy centered around addressing the “whole child” through focus on technology and sports.  We wanted to design a summer camp to develop the brain and the body.

 

FB: What are the primary ages of the camp? What’s the proportion of boys to girls?

ER: Our kids range from age 7 to 16.  We divide the camp into “Juniors” and “Seniors” (the former are in 2^nd-5^th grade and the latter are rising sixth graders and up).  During the 1990’s, our sessions were fairly evenly proportioned between girls and boys (40% girls/60% boys).  Currently, the number of girls is approximately 20%.  We are really working to attract more girls to the program through outreach efforts and we have connected to programs like Girls on the Run (a program that uses running to help girls navigate the challenges of adolescence).  We are trying to break through the notion that technology is for boys only.

FB: What kind of kid would love this camp?

ER: It’s actually a broad mix. Certainly we attract a lot of kids who love video games and think technology is cool.  On the other hand, I would say it’s only about 10% who say to us “Can I just do technology?”  The kids like the mix of programs.

 

FB: What do parents like about the camp?

ER:  They are also attracted to the mix of programs, the fit for their kids, and the quality of counselors.  We are ACA (American Camp Association) accredited, which provides them an extra measure that an outside party has validated our quality.  We have about a 75%-80% return rate, so we know we are doing something right.

 

FB:  What is your approach towards hiring counselors?

ER:  Our counselors are between the ages of 18 to 24. We have some 17 year-olds who have been through a 2-year CIT leadership-training program. We look for students who are involved in top computer science programs (e.g., Carnegie Mellon) or design (e.g., Rochester Institute of Design). On the sports side, we look for counselors who have playing and coaching experience.   As our website says “All TIC jobs require energy, creativity, patience, and a real interest in children and adolescents.” 

 

FB: Your website says “the perfect balance between technology and sports.”  What is the perfect balance?

ER: Every day is split evenly between technology and sports. We even alternate the schedule each day to maintain the balance.  Though we have two camps in one, one of the themes that runs through both is to provide the kids plenty of leeway to make choices.  We recognize that this is a summer camp, not school.   We call it “spontaneous curriculum”. Within certain limits, we give the kids choices about their activities.  In technology, if they are creating an animation, they get to choose the subject – Harry Potter or Star Wars – it’s up to them.   On the athletics side, they can choose if they want to play soccer, basketball, ultimate – we just want them to be engaged and keep moving.  Whether in the computer lab or the field - we use a sort of Socratic method so the kids can create their own “Aha” moment. Our teacher to camper ratio is 1:4, so we can offer this flexibility.

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For more information about TIC Summer Camp, you can contact Emily at emily@ticcamp.com

 

Sailing + Math + Fun= DC Sail

DC Sail provides educational sailing programs and camps to children throughout the Washington, DC area. Each of their youth programs follows the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) curriculum and uses the  sport of sailing to develop self-respect and sportsmanship, foster teamwork, as well as cultivate sailing skills and an appreciation for maritime-related activities.  We asked DC Sail's Patrick Thompson to tell us more about their program

 

 

FB: How do you play? 

DCS: Sailing is a sport that can have many different applications. You can leisurely sail a boat or competitively in races. There are many types of boats that this skill applies to. Whether that’s small one man boats or huge schooners.

 

FB: What’s a good age to start playing this sport?

DCS: As early as possible! Kids are usually able to start grasping the basic concepts at about

 

FB: What kind of kid would love this sport?

DCS: Some days our boats really fly and you can get quite the adrenaline rush. Team skills and competitiveness are crucial to succeeding in a racing environment. If you like being outdoors or on the water this is the sport for you!

FB: What athletic skills will a kid develop through this sport?
In many of our smaller boats body control and muscle memory play a large role in success. Good teamwork is especially important when sailing with one or more people.

 

FB: Why would parents like this sport?
DCS: Sailing is a great life skill which develops teamwork and maritime knowledge. People who may not spend much time on the water can be put in an exciting new environment. Not everyone has the opportunity to learn such a unique skill and see the scenery of DC from a different perspective. Sailing can be both a relaxing and competitive activity. One we think more people should partake in.

 

FB: What are the most common types of injuries? 

DCS: Injuries are extremely rare. Our camps stress safety, especially being on the water. By the time children are in boats our instructors have made sure they are comfortable with the setting and know proper protocol while being in a sailboat.

 

FB: Who are the primary coaches? (e.g, volunteer, professional, etc.). What is his/her approach?

DCS: All of our instructors are qualified sailors that use a variety of methodologies to teach at our camps.

 

FB: When is the sailing season?

DCS: You can sail nearly any time of the year but we typically start in the spring and go until the fall. Kids Set Sail and Schooner Camp operate during the summer.

 

FB: What’s practice like?

DCS: A day of Kids Set Sail consists of basic science and math lessons and how they pertain to sailing, lessons on general sailing technique, land and water drills to bolster these techniques, and maritime lessons involving the surrounding area’s wildlife. Throughout the week we also hold many practice races all building up to our end of camp regatta.

 

FB: How often are practices?  Where are the practices?

DCS: Throughout the week kids will practice both on and off the water. They will participate in several water games aimed to teaching proper sailing rules and technique. The kids sail in the Washington Channel on the SW Waterfront and sometimes the Potomac River.

 

FB: Where are the competitions?

DCS: Every Friday of Kids Set Sail we invite parents to come down to the SW Waterfront and watch their children participate in a regatta to showcase what they have learned.

 

FB: What are the approximate costs per year for this sport?

DCS: A week of Kids Set Sail or Schooner Camp is $350 dollars.

 

FB: What else should kids and parents know about this sport?

DCS: Schooner Camp is different from Kids Set Sail in that it takes place on DC Sail’s very own 65 foot schooner, the American Spirit! During Schooner Camp, campers are responsible for all of the crew duties and will learn the skills necessary to sail a very large boat.

DC Sail also offers several adult programs that are established to provide funding and volunteers for the youth programs so we can accomplish our mission. Lastly, we offer a high school program that functions as a season long activity like any other high school sport. Adult and high school programs are a season long activity. More information about them is available on our website www.dcsail.org.

flyburst flyby: Potomac Speedskating Club

Alison Mittelstadt is the Vice-President of the Potomac Speedskaitng Club (PSC). The Club was founded in 2008 by parents and friends of short-track speedskating in order to create a development hub for future champion skaters in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. flyburst asked Alison to anwer some common questions for parents who might be interested in learning more about the sport. 

 

FB: What’s the name of your organization?

PSC: Potomac Speedskating Club at www.potomacspeedskating.org

 

FB: What’s your sport?  

PSC: Short-track speed skating, the fastest sport on ice!

 

FB: How do you play?

PSC: Short track speed skating (also Shorttrack speedskating) is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m. The rink itself is 60 m by 30 m, which is the same size as an international-sized hockey rink.

 

FB: What’s a good age to start playing this sport?

PSC: Ideal for ages 5 and up.

 

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

PSC: Roughly 60% boys, 40% girls but at many meets, there are more girls than boys in some age groups.

 

FB: What kind of kid would love this sport?

PSC: Kids who have played hockey and inline or roller skating experience generally transition faster to speed skating than those who have never skated before. We will take kids with no skating experience. We do get many referrals from coaches who say, “This kid only wants to skate fast (and can’t follow a puck)!” While most of our skaters do race eventually, some kids are content to train and never compete.  It is more of an individual sport than a team sport, but there is a team relay event that we practice frequently and it gets kids of all ages and abilities involved in a team event. Our skaters promote excellent team camaraderie and we have many skaters in the 7-15 year old age group, both boys and girls.  Speed skating is also excellent cross-training for bike racing!  We have several kids who compete in both sports.

 

FB: What athletic skills will a kid develop through this sport?

PSC: On-ice training develops excellent cardio/anaerobic fitness as races and “sets” are short and fast.  The form/techniques of short-track speed skating are very precise and take time to master. Flexibility, agility, good back, quad and gluteus muscle development is important. To supplement what we can do on ice, each ice session is preceded or followed by a 60-90 minute “dryland” session where we work on cardio fitness, stretching, skating “imitation” exercises, agility and flexibility training and intervals.

FB: Why would parents like this sport?  

PSC: Siblings can participate together in this sport and practice and attend meets at the same time. We have families with as many as three children skating with us so it’s relaxing for some parents to have all three children engaged in the same activity. We have a wonderful group of parents—some of them also speed skate—but those that don’t spend hours at the three Maryland rinks where we skate and they are a diverse group of very interesting, engaged parents from Maryland, Virginia and DC.  All three rinks also have free Wi-Fi so some parents use the time to get work done during the 90-180 minutes their kids are training.  

 

FB: Is there a risk of injury in speedskating?  

PSC: We’ve probably seen our skaters get more injuries playing school sports or just goofing around at school or home than at the rink! In speed skating, muscle strains and sprains are the most common types of injury for which rest is recommended. As a US Speedskating direct member club, we have the required safety mats (resembling twin foam mattresses) placed along the dashboards at the three rinks where we skate and these help protect skaters when they fall. In addition, we require that all skaters wear a bike, hockey or speed skating helmet, a neck guard, shin guards and gloves along with long-sleeved shirts and pants and a zip jacket or hoody, when they skate.   

 

FB: Who is the primary coach? What is her approach?  

PSC: Coach Hyun Jung Lee is our head coach. She has been coaching skating in Maryland for about 5 years. Coach Lee is a former member of the Korean National team and represented Korea in the short-track demonstration event at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. She subsequently became coach at the renowned Mokdong rink and Korea University before coming to the US. She is a US Speedskating Level II coach and has over 15 years of short-track speedskating coaching experience at the beginner, intermediate and elite levels of the sport.  

As the mother of two children, a boy and a girl ages 13 and 10, Coach Lee is excellent with children of all ages and abilities.  She understands what motivates one child is not necessarily the best approach for every child and she will adapt her training routine to address the needs of each skater. She is firm but patient and she does her utmost to encourage all of our skaters to keep going and never give up.  We have a number of skaters with various learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, including one skater with a severe form of autism, and she has patiently worked with these skaters to bring out the best in them and they have thrived under her direction and all are passionate about skating.

 

FB: When do you play?

PSC: We skate six times a week from September through March, our key competitive season, and slightly less frequently during the April-August “off-season”. We usually substitute more dryland practice for ice time during the summer as conditioning and “form training” is vitally important during the summer.  We focus on our beginning skaters more starting in April following the US National Short-Track Championships in March, which is the key objective for most of our more advanced skaters ages 9 and up each year.

 

FB: Where are the competitions?   

PSC: There are annual competitions in DC, VA, PA and in upstate NY, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin each year. We either drive or fly to these meets.  We hope to host our own race in Maryland during the 2011-2012 season!

  

FB: What are the approximate costs per year for this sport?  

PSC: The first three sessions are completely free—we’d like skaters to try it out and see if they enjoy short-track speedskating. We offer a Learn to Speedskate 10-session package for $250, which skaters may enroll in twice. At that point, many skaters sign up to skate 2, 3, 4, 5 or even 6 times per week and fees vary according to how frequently you choose to skate. There are discounts for families with multiple skaters.  We have an inventory of rental speedskates to loan out but we can also refer skaters to a source for longer-term rentals of speedskates. Eventually most of our skaters buy their own skates.

 

FB: What else should kids and parents know about this sport?  

PSC: There are only 2,000 licensed/registered US Speedskating members in the US—this means that compared to figure or hockey skating, it is not unusual for skaters to move up quickly in the sport if they are dedicated and committed to working hard.  For example, 2e have a number of skaters who in their first year of competition will be participating in the US National Short-Track Championships. The earlier you start, the better though—5-9 are the “ideal” ages to begin, but we have a 14 year old hockey skater who just started this year and he’s going to the US Nationals in March for speed skating (he still competes for his hockey team too).  We also have a number of skaters all from this area who have very real national team aspirations in the sport. Simon Cho, who earned a bronze medal in short-track relay event in the 2010 Winter Olympics, is from Laurel and got his start at the Gardens Ice House and the Wheaton Ice Arena rinks!  

It’s not that difficult to skate fast but to skate fast and use the proper speedskating form (which is similar to the downhill racer “tuck” position) — can take time to learn.  This is not a good sport for anyone with back or knee problems, so if your child is having any problems with either, this probably will not be a good sport for them. But if you have a budding speedster who has not shown interest in traditional sports and wants a new challenge that will distinguish them from their peers, this is an exciting sport to watch and a more thrilling sport in which to participate. 

 

_______________

Beginners or new skaters may join PSC and participate at any time.  Just contact PSC at info@potomacspeedskating.org or 877-SKATE90 before their first session.  Check out pictures from the Potomac Skating Club here.

 

 

flyburst flyby: Youth Cycling with Artemis Racing

flyburst is launching a new blog series on sports options for youth in the DC Metro area. We asked Frank Loversky, a coach from the Artemis Racing  Junior program based in Chevy Chase, Maryland to provide an overview of youth cycling as well as the  Artemis program.

 

 1.     What’s the name of your organization?

Artemis Racing

 

2.     What’s your sport?

Cycling

 

3.     How do you play?

We ride both road and cyclocross bikes. We race criteriums, road races, time trials and cyclocross. You can learn more about bike racing by reviewing the glossary of terms.

 

4.     What’s a good age to start playing this sport?

You can begin bike racing at any time. It does take about three years to learn to race and train effectively.

 

5.     What’s the proportion of girl and boy participants?

We have approximately 50 kids that are with the program and several boys and girls between the ages of 10-18, with approximately 40% girls.

 

6.     What kind of kid would love this sport?

If you like riding your bike there is a place for you. Time trials are a great way to compete against yourself. If you like to go fast, road races and criteriums will probably be your cup of tea. If you like to be off-road, you will want to try cyclocross.

 

7.     What athletic skills will a kid develop through this sport?

We are a race team, so we focus on the skills that are required to race namely bike handling, riding in a peloton as well at the aerobic and anaerobic conditioning required for cycling.

 

8.     Why would parents like this sport?

The team’s priorities are family first, school second and cycling third. The sport and program teaches discipline by seeing that hard work in turn produces results. Additionally, cycling is a lifelong sport, we teach kids how to stay in shape as kids and as adults.

 

9.     What are the most common types of injuries? 

Road rash from crashes.

 

10.  Who is the primary coach? What is his/her approach?

Frank Loversky, USAC Level II cycling coach, is the head coach. His priorities are also family first, school second and cycling third. With a belief that some kids are destined to race nationally, some locally and hopefully all collegiately and as adults.

 

11.  When do you play?

We practice year round. Criteriums and road races are primarily April through August and the cyclocross season is primarily September through November.

  

12.  What’s practice like? 

Outdoor practices concentrate on conditioning for races and bike handling drills. Inside practices concentrate on conditioning, plyometrics, leg weights, myfacial release, core and stretching.

 

13.  How often are practices?  Where are the practices?

Our training rides are on Tuesday and Thursday at 4 p.m. out of the Bethesda Pool Parking Lot and on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. out of City Bikes. We are a year round program, so when it gets cold, we go inside and spin at the Bethesda Sport and Health. There we add myofascial release, stretching, a core strengthening regime and plyometrics regimens that are focused on cycling.

 

14.  Where are the competitions?

Most of the races are within 45 minutes of Bethesda. There are some away races we attend including nationals and the Tour de FCCC.

 

15.  What are the approximate costs per year for this sport?

The cost of the bike is the largest expense. A bike can cost between $500 and $1500. Club fees are $75 and race fees are typically $10.

 

16.  What are the equipment needs?

Bike -- let us help you with this, it is incredibly confusing to pick your first road bike. Helmet, shoes with cleats, bike shorts and jersey and a water bottle are a good starting point.

 

17.  What else should kids and parents know about this sport?

Kids that like the freedom of the outdoors tend to fall in love with this sport. Cycling also tends to help kids concentrate. Here's a good article is a good article about cycling and ADHD.

 

18.  Where can parents get further contact information?

Frank Loversky, USAC Level II Coach
Artemis Junior Coordinator
MABRA Junior Coordinator

You can email Frank at the address below  for more information about cycling and Artemis.

frank.loversky@verizon.net