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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

 

 

Physical Literacy and More - Day 2@ 2011 Sport for Life Canada

The Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) 2011 Workshops wrapped up on Thursday in Ottawa.   The day was dedicated to exploring how CS4L is working in schools, sports federations, and local governments.  Here are some of the key themes from the day:

•  “Physical Literacy.” Analogous to the capability to read, the CS4L folks believe that physical literacy will raise the odds that children will have the “motivation, confidence, and understanding to be physically active throughout their lives.”  For example, kids who are taught proper running and jumping techniques will be better equipped to participate in any sport and more likely avoid injuries (e.g., learning the right way to fall) that will keep them active. 

 

• Serving Kids with Special Needs.   Emphasis on learning fundamental movements and preparing for a life of physical activity also extends to kids with special needs. Delegates from the Special Olympics and other organizations representing the disabled participated fully in the conference and are extending the ideas into their programs.
  

• Greater Emphasis on Skill Development.  Numerous sports federations in Canada were experimenting with programs to refocus youth sports beyond competition to skill development.  For example, Baseball Canada initiated the “Rally Caps” program that awards kids different colored caps based on mastering certain baseball skills (similar to karate belts).

• The Unique Needs of Girls in Sports and Fitness. There were many sessions on how coaches, school programs, and sports organizations were addressing the social and psychological differences between boys and girls at different stages of development.   For example, at younger ages girls frequently grasp fundamental movement skills faster than boys.  Read more about these insights and how they can help guide parents, coaches, and teachers here.

 

Hats off to the Canadian Sports for Life movement.  The organizers and participants are advancing the theory and - more importantly - the practice about what works for kids with regards to sports and fitness.  For parents and sports providers in the US, we can learn much from the Canadian experience including the importance of gaining physical literacy, guidance for when to specialize in sports, and practices that work that can help contribute to a life commitment to fitness. 

For more information please visit the Canadian Sports for Life website.

 

Why basic movements and physical literacy is important...

(Sport for Life Canada Diagram)

 

 

Au Canada, le sport c'est pour la vie!

 

flyburst is participating in the 2011 Canadian Sport for Life  workshops here in Ottawa (Ontario), Canada.  Why are we here?  Sport for Life or “CS4L” is a national initiative to expand youth participation and improve sports performance across all Canadian sports.   We are here to learn about the latest in successful and cutting edge youth sports programming.

There are representatives here from sports organizations from Nova Scotia to Vancouver. The 425+ delegates represent the whole spectrum of sports including hockey, figure skating, soccer, sailing, basketball, swimming, judo, water skiing, and the list goes on. (Have you ever heard of Ringette? Apparently, it’s very popular here!).

What is CS4L? The Canadian looked at youth sports in their country and asked, “Is there are better way?“  They recognized that the system that most Canadian kids participate in emphasizes competition over training, focuses on chronological age rather than developmental age, and promotes early specialization in sports over learning fundamental movement skills (Sound familiar?). 

The downside of these practices are two-fold. First of all, kids either don’t participate in sports or drop out early. This results in a whole bunch of bad things from a health perspective. Secondly, Canada doesn’t end up doing very well in international sports competitions because there are too many unnatural barriers to competing in sports (outside of hockey and curling, which they seem to be doing just fine).   There are a lot more details that we will feature in future blog posts and incorporate into flyburst.

 In the mean time, here are some interesting tidbits from the conference:

• Conference organizers think that “physical literacy” is a key to youth sports development in Canada.   The idea is that if kids learn the fundamentals of running, jumping, throwing, etc., they will be better able to compete in sports as they grow older and will be more likely to stick with fitness their entire lives. 

• The amount of physical activity among Canadian children has fallen dramatically.  One study indicated that less than 35% of 6-11 year olds meet the MINIMUM daily activity guideline. Dr. Dean Kriellaars, from the University of Manitoba, noted the connection between reduced activity, obesity, and the growth of Type 2 Diabetes.

• A study of 150 early childhood centers in the province of Alberta discovered that only 14% of kids received the recommended minimum daily activity levels.  The researchers observed that the majority of kids spent most of the day standing or sitting at activity stations (e.g., building block or sand tables) instead of engaged in active structured or free play.

• In order to promote sports for girls, local governments are designing multi-sports programs (e.g., Xplore Sportz for Girls in Ottawa) to help girls gain greater physical confidence and to expose them to more sport options.

• Does early specialization in sports for kids make sense?  Research by CS4L (and backed-up by international research) indicates that kids will be much better off waiting until they turn 14 and older to pick a single sport (with some noted exceptions).  Focusing on a sport too early frequently results in burnout and kids missing out on the physical and social benefits that can be learned from other sports.  Dr. Istvan Balyi noted that studies have shown that top seeded 12,13, and 14 year-old tennis players very rarely become top professionals. Roger Federer played soccer until he was 12 before turning full-time to tennis.

That’s it for today. We will post an update on Friday that cover Thursday’s sessions. 

Goodnight from Ottawa!

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Caroline Silby; Girls and Sports - A Guide for Parents, Part One

       
Caroline Silby, Ph.D holds a Doctorate and Master Degree of Sports Psychology from the University of Virginia. She is a nationally recognized expert on the development of young female athletes, author of,  Games Girls Play: Understanding and Guiding Young Female Athletes (St. Martin’s Press) and Adjunct Faculty member at American University. Dr. Silby has worked on an individual basis with two Olympic Gold Medalists, ten Olympians, three World Champions, eleven National Champions and over fifty National Competitors. 


In Part One of this series, flyBurst asked Dr. Silby to discuss the general landscape of sports for girls.  In Part Two, she will provide some specific strategies for parents to help their daughters – and sons! –  to get the most our of their sports experiences.

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fB: You stress in your book that girls should view sports participation not as a goal, but as a vehicle to become a stronger person.  Can you elaborate on this concept?  What are the implications – in terms of approach - for parents of female athletes?

CS: In the face of long practices, physically grueling conditioning and the intense pressure of major games and competitions, it is naïve for us to think that young athletes won’t place great importance on winning.  Let’s face it when athletes are highly committed to their sport, they have certain expectations for performance as do their coaches and parents.  The good news is there are certain actions and thoughts that give athletes the best chance of getting those desired outcomes.  By helping athletes identify the actions they take to create their successes, you empower them to control their performance levels while also pointing out personal strengths that they can implement in a variety of situations.  Regardless of performance outcomes, this is the true payoff of the sport process.  As Carl G. Jung’s famous quote puts it, “Who looks outside, dreams; Who looks inside, awakes.”     

fB: You note in your book that at a young age boys on a playground will form into teams and play against each other.  Girls will more likely form into groups and talk.  Can you talk about this type of behavior and other differences between boys and girls and how they think about and approach sports? How might this understanding impact the ways in which parents guide their daughters (and sons!) in sport?

CS: There are subtle distinctions that exist in women’s approach to competition. 

Attribution Style - Women tend to attribute loss and errors to themselves rather than to external factors such as a great game for the other team.   This outcome attribution style can leave their confidence vulnerable to being undermined.  This may be why you rarely see or hear a female athlete make bold pronouncements about dominating her competition.  

Coaching - Female athletes prefer coaches who they perceive to be in-control of their emotions, open to communication and empathetic.  When female athletes perceive a coach to be “out of control” emotionally, they typically deem that coach unlikable.  This is true even if the coach possesses powerful technical knowledge. 

When it comes to feedback, female athletes prefer fewer chunks of information to be given at one time.  This allows them to meet the expectation while minimizing the opportunity for their confidence to be attacked.  However, when it comes to coaching there are also many similarities between boys and girls.  For instance, a recent study showed that both girl and boy basketball players experienced higher levels of confidence when they perceived their coach as displaying positive coaching behaviors.
    
Goal Orientation - Male and female athletes also show differences on goal orientation.  Female athletes tend to be oriented more towards personal improvement while male athletes tend to orient themselves more towards interpersonal comparison and winning. 

Elite Athletes - Once athletes reach the higher levels many of these gender distinctions disappear.  Elite athletes of both genders have the desire to win (win orientation) but recognize in order to do so they must also focus on personal improvement (goal orientation). 

At the highest levels of sports, it may be that male and female athletes share more similarities than differences.  Research shows that outstanding athletes of both genders tend to be more:

•    Achievement oriented
•    Independent
•    Aggressive
•    Emotionally stable
•    Assertive

fB: What trends are you seeing today with regard to these differences?

Female athletics has become competitive at all levels and as girls are testing the limits of their capabilities their approach to sports may be aligning much more with how males traditionally approach sports.  I see athletes of both genders trying to strike a balance between a win outcome and a performance focus. 

Another illustration of this potential alignment in male and female athlete’s approach to sports could be seen recently in the well-publicized New Mexico versus BYU soccer match.  New Mexico player, Elizabeth Lambert, literally took her opponent out of the game by yanking her down by her ponytail.  Throughout that game, there was shoving, pushing and elbowing occurring indicating a rise in the intensity, aggressiveness and pushing of the boundaries of the rules similar to what has occurred in the men’s game.


fB: Your book references a UVA study that indicates that if a girl doesn’t participate in a sport by age 10, there is only a 10% chance that she will do by age 25.  What explains this? Do parents of girls need to be more deliberate about involving their daughter in a sport early on? 

CS: We all want to be involved in activities and relationships that make us feel certain ways about ourselves (i.e. satisfied, competent, free, in-control).  From a young age, we gravitate towards activities that reward us with those positive emotions.  If by 10 yrs. sport does not provide ample opportunity to experience those types of feelings, then children look for other endeavors that do. 

Parents need to be deliberate about understanding the developmental needs of their child and selecting sports environments that are going to be a good fit.  Initially, children want to play sports to socialize and to move their bodies in as many ways as you can show them.  It is during these stages you want a teacher who will provide and share in the fun. 

In the next stage of development, 6 – 11 yrs., children are able to think about movement, express their feelings related to participation and acquire correct movement patterns.   This is the stage where you want teachers / coaches who are able to provide strategies for learning and combine this learning with rewards and opportunities to experience physical competency. 

The hardest stage and where there is a high incidence of dropout is between the ages of 12 – 14 yrs.  Female athletes are particularly vulnerable as this is the stage of development when expectations for performance collide with self-consciousness, decreases in confidence and concerns about meeting external standards.  Female athletes can become moody, self-critical, avoidant of activities that once challenged them, anxious, burned out and depressed.  During this timeframe, a task involving climate is all important (rewards effort, mistakes seen as part of learning process, collaborative learning encouraged, everyone on team has a role to fill). 


fB: Are there any characteristics of how girls approach sports that you would like to see boys use?  What about the other way around?

CS: It would be empowering for girls to allow one another to share their personal success with the group.  Girls feel comfortable sharing their doubts with one another as this is accepted amongst the adolescent peer group.  However, a teenage girl who walks into the group and pronounces to the others, “Wow, I’m so happy that I just had an incredible workout” will quickly be criticized by the group and likely even ostracized.  Boys are much more comfortable sharing individual success with one another. 

For boys, I would like to see them be as disciplined as girls at respecting the rules of the game.  One study on cheating found that 43% of boys thought it was okay for coaches to teach ways to hold and push that were hard for refs to detect (football the worst at 51%).  Interestingly, the rates were much lower for girls, of whom only 22% thought it was all right for the coach to teach illegal holds.  Respecting yourself, your teammates and the rules of the game are critical to a healthy sport experience.   

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Dr. Caroline Silby can be contacted at csilby@mindspring.com. You can also visit her website for more information about her research and services.

Download FlyBurstBlog-Dr. Caroline Silby Part I