Fun & Skill Development v. Winning

How Can We Make Club Volleyball Better For All Young Athletes?

Submitted by Greg K on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 16:49. | comments

I’m going to assume that club volleyball teams want to live up to their published mission statements. Generally speaking, they’re pretty lofty in terms of expressed goals, which tend to be focused on the development of young girls' characters through sportsmanship and team building and, along the way, the girl picks up enhanced volleyball skills from knowledgeable and respected coaches who have years of experience to share.

Brooke de Lench

More About "Family Bye" Days

Submitted by Brooke de Lench on Tue, 06/09/2009 - 18:32. | comments

In my last blog I wrote about how I incorporated "byes" as a family day for members of my soccer team. I always made it my policy that everyone on my team played three-quarters of the games and I alternated the players that played the entire game. I encouraged kids to take "byes" as a family day, so that when I had a fuller roster we could pull off the ¾ policy.

Kid Instinct to Be Competitive and Win

Submitted by The Coach Pickles on Fri, 04/24/2009 - 06:32. | comments

Is it human instinct for kids to be competitive and win? Many adult's will misinterpret young children's survival instinct for an affinity to win or be competitive. Few would disagree that children are innately selfish. Some are more outwardly selfish than others. When a younger child takes another child's toy, it is not about having the toy and being competitive or better than the other child. The child with the toy is only looking out for his or her best interest.

Having Fun More Important Than Winning For Most Kids

Children aren't born competing; it's something they learn. The best thing we can do for our kids, as parents and coaches, is to keep the amount of competition in youth sports from becoming excessive, to make having fun and learning the sport as important, if not more important than winning, especially for younger children. They will have a lifetime of competition soon enough.

Spalding Rookie Gear™: The Rave Reviews Are In!

Spalding's Rookie Gear™ basketballs, footballs and soccer balls are a big hit with kids and adults.

Praise, Not Criticism Needed From Parents, Coaches and Trainers

Parents, coaches and trainers should criticize athletes less, praise them more, reduce pressure to win and on appearance to reduce risk of eating disorders.

Five Signs Your Child Isn't Having Fun Playing Sports

Since having fun is so essential to a successful youth sports experience, it is important to be on the lookout for signs that your child isn't enjoying herself. If you see a pattern of any of the following five behaviors emerging, it is probably because she is not having fun and, if things don't change, may end up quitting:

Having Fun and Skill Development As Important As Winning In Youth Sports

Ask kids about what they want to get out of sports, and the vast majority will say competitive games in which everyone plays and has fun. Given a choice between fun and winning, most would say having fun. They would rather play on a losing team than sit on the bench of a winning team.

Setting Realistic Expectations Depends on Age of Youth Athlete

The explosion of highly competitive sports programs for kids under twelve (e.g. travel soccer, hockey, etc.) would have you believe that your preteen is ready, indeed eager for intense competition. They aren't.