One of my most frequent questions is about which sports are best for young athletes.
It is loaded for many reasons…
First, any sport activity that is led by a qualified coach can be a great experience for children.
However, that is not to say the effectiveness of the statement. It’s based heavily on the comment about the “quality-based coach”.
Parents and coaches who are not well educated or overly enthusiastic (i.e. Adults who are too involved in youth sport can lead to a rocky experience. Too many parents are driven to success too early in life. Many coaches have limited knowledge and drills that focus too much on speed or movement.
One of the more troubling realities of these comments is the lack (or insufficient) opportunities for kids to play. There aren’t many (any?) outlets that allow kids to just play. This is a problem. Each young sport activity must end in victory.
However, parents should not be enticed by their children’s success in the weekend tournament. I urge coaches and strength coaches to put aside the need to “test” young athletes and instead focus on improving a child’s performance.
Actually…
My message is clear…
You can play sport seasonally.
Look for coaches and programs which emphasize skill acquisition, not victory.
Trainers should be the same as you – they must work with children to develop skills, not just performance measures.
Here are the top four sports I believe all children should participate in (in no particular order).
1. Soccer
Most children in North America lack foot dexterity. Soccer is an excellent natural way to improve both foot and eye coordination. This ability is not only required for soccer. The key to developing an athlete who is ‘whole’ is to immerse them in the sport as early as possible. A child’s ability to move more efficiently in their chosen sport will be enhanced with increased foot dexterity.
Although many North Americans consider soccer boring (although I’ll need to explain why soccer is so boring while baseball and golf remain America’s favorite pastimes), it’s a fantastic, tactically-based, and highly athletic game. You can learn a lot from these amazing athletic skills.
2) Swimming
A young athlete’s frame will have a lot more flexibility if the hip mobility and shoulder are unloaded. Many injuries are caused by tightness or restrictions in children (yes… It is my firm belief that many youth sports injuries around the globe could be avoided if there was a basic improvement in systemic strength as well as mobility. Hip and shoulder mobility programs are essential.
A lack of kinesthetic differentiation in children is another reason. This refers the ability to determine how much force is required to get the desired results. I believe that all we do for kids in sports and training is about maximal effort. We are obsessed with finding the ‘performance indicators’ and forget to recognize that sub-maximal effort is both developmentally sound, as well as a way to develop certain physical characteristics not found in force-based outputs. Swimming is essential for building kinesthetic differentiation. Kids won’t survive long in the pool if they exert as much force into each stroke.
Martial Arts
Nearly all the martial arts I’m familiar with are based on mastery as their primary marker. This is not only mentally and emotionally healthy for children, it also encourages patience and the enjoyment of the journey rather than the search for the destination.
Many martial arts traditions in North America are now less effective (8-year-olds can earn black belts, but if your knowledge of traditional martial art is any indication of how insane that would be), however most of the organizations I know teach an amazing style of discipline and skill development.
At the athletic level, it is dynamic flexibility and end-range systemic strength. It also allows for mobility and spatial awareness. This ability can be applied to all sports.
4) Gymnastics
Gymnastics can provide many physical benefits, including flexibility, spatial awareness, strength relative to others, static and dynamic balance, as well as other mental abilities.
It is necessary to have the ability and knowledge of where you are located in space so that you can take a fall “well” is an essential skill for all sports.
So… that’s my checklist.
I don’t mean to be negative, but the list would not be complete without the guidance of a qualified coach. For example, Martial arts coaches are not as knowledgeable about warm-up design and gymnastics coaches are less skilled in the practice of flexibility enhancement. However, there are good coaches out there and I encourage you to look for them as parents. Trainers should also seek joint venture partners with high-quality coaches to enhance a child’s growth with strong strength-based and skill acquisition-based training.
Enjoy autumn soccer.
Swimming in summer
You can take part in Martial Arts throughout the Winter.
Learn gymnastics in spring
You can also mix in developmental training with other sports for your interest and development (for example, baseball and basketball).
At 13-14, you will be an athlete who is solid and has suffered no injuries. He or she can also understand sport tactics and be strong, mobile, and flexible.
This is a good place to be.