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Children in Sports: How it Affects the Development
on Mar 10 in newsChildhood involvement in sport is the strongest predictor of adult involvement. Adult athletes often find themselves having participated actively at ages 8 & 9. Sportscape Leisure Ltd. through PPA activities, afterschool clubs and holiday courses attempt to encourage participation from the ages of 3 & 4, starting with sessions in the EYFS.
Early participation is due to experiences of success. Receiving positive support from family, peers and teachers influence participation in sport. Of these persons, peer groups and coaches appear to be the most influential. This is a role that all Sportscape Leisure Ltd. coaches are aware of and care passionately about.
Sport and Sports Coaches aim for holistic development of the child. Sportscape Leisure Ltd. aim to affect Physical, Technical, Psychological and Social aspects of a child and sport delivered by Sportscape Leisure Ltd. in PPA activities and afterschool clubs have important psychological benefits for children. Motivation for participation can be enhanced, stress can be managed and productively used, and self-esteem can be developed through positive coach communication.
An element promoting positive participation for children is based on the premise that sports participation is not automatically beneficial or detrimental. Sport, whether it is for competition or recreation is not automatically a redress to idle minds. The quality of experiences determines whether or not a beneficial affect will occur. Young athletes who benefit from positive outcomes associated with sport will enjoy increased motivation to achieve and will continue sports participation, this often leads to increased confidence which children can transfer to their daily activities such as School and Study.
Some studies prove that the biggest factor for children who chose to continue participating was paternal support.
Sportscape Leisure Ltd. also are very aware of the fact that the children find a place of belonging where they can enjoy simple games and experience simple achievements and this can help children develop on a social level, where through activities such as After School Clubs and Holiday Courses children can make friends that will last.
The quality of the adult leader contributes greatly to sport participation in children. Sportscape Leisure Ltd. coaches work to the following six rules when coaching, in order to have the most positive effect on performance and development.
- Give plenty of praise and encouragement
- Give praise sincerely
- Develop realistic expectations
- Reward effort as much as outcome
- Reward correct technique, not just outcome
- Employ a “sandwich approach” to error correction
It has been observed that the children from 8 – 10 years start taking games seriously. Winning is a “must” for them and during competitions they have a hard time taking losses. It must be emphasized that winning isn’t everything in the game and sports but the best should always be given. In this manner, it molds a performance orientation in the young athletes. They learn to enjoy performing the tasks on hand to overcome the stress of worrying about winning or losing.
It is a mistake to think that winning is the only objective young athletes have for participation. Most young athletes would rather participate in losing team than sit on the bench of a winning team. Sportscape coaches help youth athletes define winning as exceeding their won goals is viewed in terms of effort and improvement, youth sports can be a positive experience. In this manner a greater number of young athletes will experience success and reap the benefit of participation.
(some content adapted from hubpages website)