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Why Your Child Needs Athletic Skills
If you’re a parent whose child has joined a soccer team, you want them to be as successful as possible, right? You want them to have fun, get in shape and be competitive. You’d like them to play in high school, maybe college. You’d like them to enjoy the sport and participate as an adult. You want the benefits to last a lifetime. But they might not have the necessary athletic skills to be successful. Why not? There are many reasons. This article will discuss the reasons why kids don’t have the fundamental athletic skills necessary for success in organized sports. Outside Playtime When we were kids we played outside all the time. The only time we were inside watching TV was when it was raining. Sometimes at night our parents would let us stay up late and that was cool. At school we ran and ran and ran. We would play pick-up football, baseball, basketball and soccer. We’d play hide and seek, army and a host of other games that brought out the athlete in us. Unfortunately, kids don’t get the opportunities to play outside and with each other. The streets are too crowded with speeding cars. We’re worried about predators. The neighborhood kids all go to different schools. The fields are gone. The result is kids don’t develop the strength, endurance, balance and coordination that they need. Schools Of course, the schools can develop it, right? Sadly, no. The schools have cut back on PE programs. In many schools it is no longer required. If it is required, it is taught by a teacher who is more concerned with teaching reading, math and scoring high in standardized tests. Recess time has been cut back too. The time to play outside during lunch has been cut back as well. The Competition Then there is the TV, video games and computer time. Kids sit around in front of a video screen and sit for an average of four hours a day. Their thumbs and fingers get a lot of exercise. Their hearts and muscles do not. In addition, their eyes and brains don’t learn to follow the three dimensional flight of a ball. They don’t get the thousands of repetitions needed to predict the path of a ball or an opponent. The Result The result is that our kids are not prepared for the demands of competitive sports. They haven’t developed their neurological and muscular systems to function in high stress situations. They haven’t developed the social skills necessary to compete. They have a difficult time getting along with their teammates as well as their opponents. Their coordination, balance and vision are underdeveloped for soccer or other complex games. Many of the kids are overweight and under trained. Even if they look fit, most likely they are not. The result…they quit when they are teenagers. Over 80% of kids quit competitive sports when they turn fourteen. It hurts when they run. They get frustrated. They don’t have the endurance to keep up. A few elite athletes do well. Most do not. What You Can Do First, as a parent you need to take responsibility. Just as you help them with homework, you’ll have to help them with their fitness. Don’t leave it to the schools or the sports team to do it. Second, spend some time every day doing something physical with your child. Go for walks, runs or bike rides. Throw or kick a ball back and forth. Play badminton or tennis to help develop hand-eye coordination. Let them climb trees or rocks. Teach them to walk like a gorilla, a duck, or an alligator. Give them heavy objects to carry. Challenge them in their feats of strength. Third, make it fun. Do it together. Don’t force them. Find out what activities they like and do them. Develop a sense of play with your child. The time you spend will help your child develop the athletic skills necessary for success in sports. It will also give them a love of movement and physical activity. It will help them develop fitness habits that will last a lifetime. And isn’t this what you really want? Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Ron Usher is a parent, coach and teacher. He has worked with kids for over thirty years helping them become better athletes and people. Now, he is helping parents develop their child’s athletic skills for fitness, performance, and health. To find out how you can help, go to www.athleticskillsforsoccer.com |
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