flyburst Blog

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)

 

 

The Long Run: Perspectives of a College Athlete on Youth Sports

Ashley Campbell, a senior at the University of Maryland, is the Captain of the Division I Women's Cross Country team.  Ashley grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY and was ranked number one in the country as a high school runner at Saratoga Springs High School. Ashely is working towards her BS in Kinesiology and still finds time to play piano and violin.  We know Ashley not only as a student and runner, but through her part-time work for flyburst in the area of sports provider outreach.   While most kids will not become college athletes, we thought Ashley could provide a useful perspective for parents of young athletes.

 

1.   Why cross country?  How did you get hooked on running?

I started running in 7^th grade because my older sister was on the cross country team. I desperately wanted to play a sport so I tried cross country and ended up loving it!

 

2.    Did you play other sports as a kid? Which ones?  At what age did you 100% focus on running?

When I was in elementary school I tried softball and figure skating. I figure skated all the way up until 6^th grade and decided to switch to running. The school cross country team was pretty intense so I didn’t have time to do any other sports. I did however stick to piano and the violin.

 

 3.    What roles did your parents play in supporting your running?   Any advice for parents about facilitating a child’s athletic pursuits?

My parents were extremely supportive. They came to all of my meets that they could and they never complained about the finances they had to put forth. My advice would be to 100% support your child in whatever sport they choose. Let the coach do his/her job and just simply be there as an extra boost of confidence and facilitate the moral lessons they can learn from these sports. Don’t force children to do what you want them to do, just let them find their own path.

 

4.    Can you talk a bit about coaches that you have had a long the way?  Did you have any that particularly stand out? Can you describe? 

The coaches that stand out to me the most are my high school coaches. They put in so much time and effort into their cross country program. They led us to be State Champions and National Champions all my years in high school, but these were small compared to the life lessons they taught me. They showed me what real hard work is and helped shape me into the person I am today. They did so many outstanding things for my teammates and I. They took us to California for a meet just for the experience, they bought all the necessary equipment and supplies that we needed out of their own pockets (they even saved one of my teammates lives by chasing down someone who had attacked her!). They are wonderful people and I wouldn’t be at UMD if it wasn’t for them! 

What were the key characteristics of the strong coaches and the weaker ones?

The strongest one’s were the coaches who truly cared about the well being of their athletes. They cared not only about how we performed but how things in other aspects of our lives were going. This helps to build trust between the coach and athlete, which is key to athletic success   The weakest coaches I’ve had are the one’s who push their athletes too hard to where they become hurt. It is key for a coach to know their athletes extremely well, to the point where they know how far to push them. Injury prevention is key.

 

5. Any recommendations for parents in interacting with a child’s coaches?

I think it’s important for the parents to get to know the coaches philosophies and personality at first, just so they have an idea of who their kids will be interacting with. Then just let the coach do his/her job.

 

6. Running is a somewhat “lonely” sport?  You might run 60+ miles a week in training. How do you motivate yourself to do that?

I have become used to the monotony of training. It is just apart of my lifestyle and I feel good doing it. There are definitely times when it is hard to get out the door and run but I think about the goals I have set for myself and how important they are to me and that gets me going. It also helps to run with my teammates.

 

7.    Are their particular challenges you feel that female athletes have that male athletes do not?  Any advice, in particular, for the female athlete?

The female athlete "triad" is something that female athletes have to be aware of that male athletes do not. This consists of eating disorders, amenorrhea (loss of period), and osteoporosis (weakening of the bones). This all stems from improper nutrition so it is very important for females to be educated on what they should be eating to be successful and healthy.

 

8.    We hear the term “student-athlete” – how difficult is that balance?

It can be challenging at times. Practice and traveling for competition take up a lot of time so it’s all about time management. If you have the self-discipline then it is not hard to do.

 

9.    Have you experienced any serious injuries during your running career? Did you have to sit out all or part of a season?  What was your approach towards the injury? 

Yes, my freshman year I had a stress fracture in my foot and it took me out for 3 seasons. My approach was just to rest. I took time off and iced a lot. I also consulted with my doctor every so often. To help stay in shape, I cross trained everyday. I either did the stationary bike or aqua jogged.

 

10.    You are a senior at Maryland, what lessons do you pass onto younger members of the team about how to manage being a college athlete?

My advice to them as far as school was to stay on top of their work and not wait until the last minute to do assignments. I told them we are not like the average student, where we can pull all nighters to get work done. We are athletes and it is our responsibility to take care of our bodies. So staying on top of our work will allow us to do that. As far as athletics go, I have just tried to lead by example and teach them how to lead the team next year. I told them to always trust the coaches and communicate with them as much as possible. They also know that I am big on keeping a positive attitude and having fun. 

 

11. What advice would you have for young athletes in approaching sports?

My advice would be to find a sport or sports that you love and are really passionate about and stick with it. It is important to have something like this in your life to help keep you out of trouble. Sports teach young people what hard work and determination is. These qualities will stick with them throughout their lives. Sports can also lead to great opportunities such as scholarships, which can be great side effects. However, it is important to make sure they are having fun and love what they do. I would advise them to work hard and be sportsmen-like and great opportunities will arise!

 

High School Coach Rob Kurtz: Advice for Parents of Young Athletes

Coach Rob Kurtz was recently named a 2010 winner of the Positive Coaching Alliance's Double-Goal Coaching Award.  Rob coaches both the girl’s varsity soccer and basketball teams at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School.  His soccer team won the 3A Maryland State Girl’s Championship in 2008 and the 4A Maryland State Championship in 2009 compiling a 35-1 record over a two-year span.  When Rob isn’t on the field or basketball court (which is rare!), he is a guidance counselor at Thomas S. Wooten High School.

flyBurst: What general advice do you give to parents of young children regarding sports participation? 

Coach Kurtz: They important thing is to expose kids to a range of sports to see which one they enjoy the most and have a knack for.  Sports provide enormous benefits for kids – physical, psychological, and social.  For example, so many of the kids I work with as a counselor and coach – from 4th and 5th grade through high school – interact with their team as their primary peer group.  The DC area is blessed with a developed youth sports environment that provides a large amount of options and benefits for parents and kids.

flyBurst:  Are all these sports options a blessing or a curse?

Coach Kurtz:  It’s definitely a blessing, but parents need to closely monitor their child. “Monitoring” means asking questions like - Is my daughter or son enjoying this sport?  Are they improving? Do they like the group of kids they are playing with?  Do they connect well with the coach?  Can the child (and parents!) handle the schedule and other demands of the activity?   Let me give you an example.   When I was a kid, I loved all sports – golf, basketball, soccer, and baseball. I was pretty good at most of them.  When I got into high school, my Dad said, “You know Rob, you seem kind of short for basketball and a little slow for soccer.  You should think about focusing on baseball.”  It was good advice; I ended up playing Division 1 baseball at Rutgers University (though I now I wish my Dad would of steered me towards golf!).   I don’t expect all kids to play or want to play college sports, but parents should help kids make adjustments along the way so they can get the most out of their sports experience.

flyBurst: What else can parents do to help their kid have a positive sports experience?

Coach Kurtz: They need to be a good consumer of sports services. I am biased, but to me the quality of coaching is absolutely critical. This is true for any age and at any level.   I have nothing against parent coaches, but the fact that a parent has played basketball, football, soccer, etc., doesn’t automatically make them a qualified coach.   Interestingly, the DC area has become such a hotbed of soccer talent because of the influx of international coaches available to youth teams.   These coaches de-emphasized winning – particularly at the younger ages – and focused the programs on skill development.  The kids in this area have greatly benefited. 

flyBurst:  Are you seeing a greater focus on skill development in this area?

Coach Kurtz: It's still very uneven. For example, the girls that I see in soccer and basketball are still frequently on teams where skills are not stressed.  I see boys in middle school that can juggle a soccer ball on their toe 900+ times.   Conversely, I have had the experience of asking a girl at a middle school soccer try-out to start juggling and they start tossing the ball around with their hands like it was a bowling pin!  These girls may have great potential talent, but they missed out on the fundamentals.  I will bet you they were never exposed to a coach or trainer with soccer experience.  A large majority of the boys that I see had a coach who focused on skill development (e.g., controlling the ball) and didn’t worry about who won a U-8 soccer tournament!  Basketball, particularly girl’s basketball, is very similar.  The sport has suffered from not having enough emphasis on skill-focused coaching. I get many girls who show up in high school and they can’t dribble with their left hand or display other basic fundamentals that they should have learned before they arrived in my gym.

flyBurst: So, should parents all run out and get a top-notch sports trainer?

Coach Kurtz: Definitely not!  First of all, parents needs to be good consumers of the services and programs out there. There are a lot of folks who will take your money, but your kid may not benefit much.   Especially at the younger ages, your child should focus on exploring a range of sports to see where the best fit is from a social, time, cost, skill, etc. perspective.

At the same time, if your kids does show a talent and passion for something and is ready to commit to a sport - you should absolutely think about exposing your son or daughter to a skilled trainer. If your daughter showed a knack for violin that she picked up in the elementary school orchestra, then most parents would go the next step and hire a violin teacher. The same with soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, etc. – somebody working with your child could definitely help them get better. 

flyBurst: Let’s talk about how parents should interact with coaches. As a high school coach, you must have parents offering all kinds of advice?

Coach Kurtz:  I am actually very fortunate. At B-CC HS the parents of my players are very reasonable and have a great perspective on things.   First of all, they know that I am very honest and will tell them what I think about their daughter.  They appreciate that.  To me the whole coaching thing comes down to communications and honesty about what I am trying to do.  It’s just like the classroom. If a student needs to improve, the teacher should provide straightforward feedback that the student can act upon to get better. It shouldn’t be such a mystery.  It’s the same in sports. If parents are honest – with themselves – about their child’s talent level, attitude, work ethic, etc. – they can more effectively help their kid implement better success strategies.   Parents should look at the coach as someone who gives a dispassionate view of your child.  They should also expect the coach to work to put your kid in a position to be successful.  For example, if I have a smaller player on my soccer team with good foot skills, I am not going to put them at mid-field and make them go up against the biggest players.    Too many coaches are team-focused and not player-focused.  I try to be the latter.

flyBurst: Wait, isn't it team first?

Coach Kurtz: Well, it’s not an either-or situation.  If you are helping your players maximize their potential, the team success will come.   Whether a player has aspirations to play in high school or college or just participate in a sport, the coach should work on trying to improve the player.  Too often, Coaches get caught up in wins and losses or other goals at the expense of helping to develop young athletes.

flyBurst:  Any final words of advice to parents?

Coach Kurtz: Be patient.  Parents need to, at times, stand back and let things play out a bit.  Parents should look for the passion in their kids eyes and their love for a sport grow each time they are out there playing, kicking, throwing – what ever they are doing - with their peers or coach.    Sports provides an amazing opportunity for kids to develop a sense of who they are and there are so many great teaching points that will have a lasting impact on who they become in life.  I just love sports and what they have done for me.  This is what I try to pass on to the kids that I coach.

_________________

Coach Kurtz can be contacted through his email at Robert_J_Kurtz@mcpsmd.org