flyburst Blog

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

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

The Athletic "Klutz" and Much More! Interview with Author, Nicole Sperekas, Ph.D.

They flyBurst blog welcomes Nicole Sperekas, Ph.D, a child psychologist who has been working with kids and their parents for more than thirty years. She is the author of “A Sport for Every Kid” (which, in part, inspired the creation of flyBurst!)  Ms. Sperekas is a lifelong athlete who is devoted to sports and fitness. She is an author of several books and articles for professional journals. Dr. Sperekas lives in Denver, Colorado.

fB: First of all, how did you become interested in the topic of kids and sports?

NS: I've come at youth sports from two angles. First, I am a child psychologist and have always been interested in the psychological benefits of youth sports, but also, concerned about some of the potential negative aspects. Secondly, I was a competitive swimmer through high school and then was a swim team coach during my undergraduate college years.

fB: The title of your book is “A Sport for Every Kid.”  Do you really believe there is a sport for every kid?  Can you elaborate on this idea?

NS: When I was a swim team coach for a community center, we had to take all comers. Some kids were klutzes on land; some had some minimal athletic ability; and some were naturally athletic. I realized that even the klutzes and children who were not very athletic could learn to swim quite well. Few of them became stars, but most had some modest success and besides, they had learned to be comfortable in the water, swim better than most recreational swimmers, and would be able to swim into their 90s. For the minimally athletic child, the trick is for the parents and child to educate themselves as to various different sports, understand what skills the child might have that translate to some sport or sport movement, and do further research into the community to see what youth sports resources are available. Parents can make this project easier on themselves by using my book, A Sport for Every Kid, as a resource and starting place.

fB: For the majority of kids, should sports just be considered another hobby like music or drama?  Should parents be concerned if their child is not particularly interested in sports and physical activity?

NS: Yes, I feel strongly that participation in some sport yields great benefits, even if the child only plays for one or two years--so I'd like kids and their parents, to think of playing sports as something like a hobby --but one that can have great benefits: exercise (important in this age of overweight and obese children), health, and fun.

I don't think parents should be concerned if their child isn't particularly interested in sports. But I do think such parents should gently try to find out why and perhaps challenge some of the reasons the child gives for not being interested in sports. Often, even children who don't appear to be very athletic, turn out to be very good when they find a sport that fits them.


fB: We hear a lot of parents say, “Well, my kid just isn’t very athletic.” What’s your response to that? 

NS: As I've indicated, even minimally athletic kids, with research, can find a sport in which they can become quite adept. They probably aren't going to be good enough to play at the college level or go to the Olympics, but many can be good enough to play through high school.


fB: What sort of impact should a child’s temperament have on sports selection? How should parents view team versus individual sports when looking for the right fit for their kid?

NS: For example, a child who is aggressive and who doesn't mind physical contact, may prefer sports that have these components: football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse. A child who is very shy might prefer an individual sport though I've seen shy children begin to blossom when playing a team sport. Thus, while temperament should be taken in consideration, it shouldn't be determinative.

Ideally I'd like all children to have some playing experience with both a team sport and an individual sport. Remember, even if they only play in one or both of these for a year or two, they do obtain many of the benefits each have to offer. If a child is very self-conscious about his lack of natural athletic ability, an individual sports like Tai Kwon Do or swimming might be considered. One of the benefits of some individual sports is that many of them can be pursued over a lifetime, for example, swimming and golf. Certain sports, while individual sports, are played as members of a team e.g., track and field, swimming, gymnastics. So, if a child participates in such sports, they gain some of the benefits of both individual and team sports.

fB: Can you talk about strategies that parents can use to get kids involved with sports at different age levels starting in (1) early elementary, then (2) middle school, and then (3) high school?

NS: Grade school children have gizillion of resources and opportunities to play sports --this applies for both individual and team sports. Their choices begin to narrow when in middle school and then even more so when they are in high school. This is seen most keenly for team sports. A child who is 14 and only now has expressed an interest to play football -- he will find it very difficult to try out for any school or recreational football team. Ditto basketball and baseball. The kids on these teams have usually been playing since grade school and now play at a fairly high level.
 
While the choices narrow somewhat for individual sports as the child grows older (but not nearly as much as for team sports), if the desire to play a particular sport is mainly recreational and not competitive, you can probably find a place where the child can be instructed in the sport and perhaps engage in some limited competition if she wishes. So, if a teenager decides she wants to learn golf, there are some programs available that are designed just for the older beginner. My book addresses this and Flyburst is a great website resource that can help parents and their kids find such programs.


fB There seem to be a lot of books out and newspaper articles bemoaning the state of youth sports – too competitive, too many injuries, too much money and time expended, etc.    How would you characterize the current state of youth sports?

NS: Arguably, youth sports have become too competitive, too dangerous, too expensive, and too all-consuming and demanding of time. But, on the other side of the coin, there is much going on that can counter these trends. There are programs that educate parents as to what to look for in a coach for their child; the sports medicine doctors and researchers are doing a better job putting out guidelines for healthy sports and players: for example, we have a better understanding of limiting pitch count for youth pitchers (even the pros do so now) and not teaching throwing curve balls to them. These doctors are also learning about the long-term effects of concussions and advising coaches and staff as to how to deal with them. There are special programs that train youth sports coaches and that certify these coaches. These programs emphasize sportsmanship, fairness, learning to help all children bring out their best (not to focus just on the stars), etc. There are many other examples of ways to make the youth sports experience safer, healthier, more enjoyable for all.
 
I continue to feel that amidst all the potential negatives, when done right, sports participation can be one of the highlights of a child's life. I know it was of mine.

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Nicole Sperekas, Ph.D. can be reached at nbsperekas@yahoo.com