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[name], Here Are Your Personalized Fitness Quiz Results... My Child Is Five to Nine Years Old At this stage, the emphasis must be on fun, social dynamics and learning skills. This is true for beginners and advanced players alike. Place little to no pressure on them and encourage participation, rather than the idea of winning or beating someone. Most children this age are not naturally interested in winning, so neither should you be. These athletes will be developing very quickly. Their muscles, bones and brains have yet to be highly developed, even the best of them. Expose them to as many activities as is feasible, so that their brains and nervous systems develop as many connections as possible. It is best at this stage for children to be all-around athletes. They should be learning how to run, jump and control their bodies. Weight training is not appropriate, though body weight strength exercises are. Children in this age group should be taught teamwork, effort and good sportsmanship. Five to ten minutes a day of practice will make a big difference. They can work on fitness as well ball control. This should be done in a relaxed and playful way. My Child is Ten to Fourteen Years Old There is typically a wide range of abilities in this group. Some fourteen year-olds look and play like adults. Some will be elite players, ready to compete at national and international levels. Emotionally, however, they are still children. Do not train them like adults, even if they ask for it. It is in their best interests to leave some room for growth and development. As they are still children, having fun must be at the heart of team and individual practice, as well as competition. This is a critical stage. More than 70 percent of young athletes quit sports during this period. They either haven't developed the athletic skills for success or are distracted by other activities. Unfortunately, many quit because they've been pushed by their parents and as a result no longer enjoy the sport. AT this age, kids need to start taking some responsibility for their fitness and skills, even though they need their parents. At this stage, they should be learning goal setting and conditioning. It is best for them that practices become more challenging. There will be increased pressure to specialize in soccer. This will become an individual and family decision. If the child is at the upper end of the spectrum in terms of age and skill level, this can be a healthy development, as long as the child wants it. Children who want to play other sports should be allowed to do so. They will find their own path. By working on athletic skills, this group will find their game and fitness skills improving rapidly. It will give them an edge over most of their teammates. My Child is Fifteen to Eighteen Years Old At this stage, most children will have either specialized in soccer, quit or be playing another sport. Competition increases and fewer places are available on teams. Ideally, there would be more opportunities for kids who don't have the talent or desire to compete at the top. Remember, though, that these young athletes are still developing. Consistently grueling practice sessions can be detrimental if not approached with care and forethought. They should be perfecting their athletic skills, becoming stronger, faster and quicker. The smallest advantage can have a very large effect. There's a place for weights at this stage but body builder-type training is not appropriate. Mental skills are critical. They need to know how to set and achieve goals. They need to learn how to deal with failure and defeat. They need to be able to get back on track after a loss or disappointment. It is important that they learn about steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Many kids will be looking for shortcuts. They need to be aware of the risks and consequences of steroids. They need to focus instead on the hard work that precedes greatness. My Child Is A Beginner Most likely these are going to be younger athletes, though not always. Beginners have a lot to learn about soccer. They need to learn: No wonder it can all seem overwhelming! Beginners learn best in stress-free environments. Making things fun is the best way for them to learn. Use games, music and silly challenges to work on skills, always keeping things fun. My Child is Intermediate/Advanced These are the kids that will soon arrive at a crossroads. They will either gain the skills necessary to stay in the game or most likely will drop out. By emphasizing skills, rather than winning, they will have more success. Even the best coaches, coaching the most elite teams, focus on WHAT needs to be done to win, not the winning itself. Otherwise stated, "Focus on the goal ... and let go of the outcome." Many of these children lack the requisite athletic skills. They need to learn to: * Run correctly and efficiently These skills can all be taught and improved upon. Good players are made, not born. My Child is Elite At this level, it is the details that will make the difference. A half step here, a little more oomph on a kick or a pass that is just a drop more accurate will be crucial. Much of the difference is mental. Even at the professional level, many players will give up and expect the best person on the team to take control of the game. Mental toughness comes from putting extra time into practice and training. It comes from setting goals and learning mental toughness skills. Mental toughness is a skill like any other. It can be learned and improved. Fitness also becomes more important. Players need to be able to play as well at the end of ninety minutes as at the beginning. Fitness will give a player the ability to stretch out a little farther for a sliding tackle. Getting quality coaching and help for any deficiencies is highly recommended. Most pro teams have their own strength and conditioning coach, for a good reason. A specialized coach will be able to spot minor imperfections in any kind of movement. Such a coach will be able to provide excellent workouts that are integrated into the season. Videos and books can help, too. There are numerous programs that teach athletes how to move better. My Child's Biggest Need is Running This is one of the most common problems encountered by players. Running slow is a technique problem first and a training problem second. The first cure is to learn how to run correctly. The second is to train correctly. Here are seven tips that will correct most mistakes: 1)Run tall. Keep the head up, with the shoulders down and relaxed. 2)Lean forward from the ankles. This puts the weight on the balls of the feet, rather than the heels. To learn this, stand two feet from a wall. Keeping the body tall, lean into the wall from the ankles. 3)Keep the feet under the body, not in front. Many kids try to leap to cover more ground. This is like putting the brakes on right after you give the car gas. 4)Snap the heels up quickly, as soon as they touch the ground. The less time the foot is on the ground, the better. 5)Bend the knees. This will allow you to stop, turn and accelerate much more quickly. 6)Work on proper form first, at moderate speeds. 7)Avoid long, slow running. Short distances, first for form and then for speed is the way to train. My Child's Biggest Need is Mental Toughness This is the area that separates the wheat from the chaff. It not only separates the good players from the best, it is one of the most important benefits of sports. It's an area in which both coaches and parents can have a great impact. Mental toughness covers a lot of areas: * Goal setting Developing mental toughness not only will improve a child's soccer game. It will carry over to all areas of life. It will affect school work, future employment, relationships and more. There are no quick and easy answers for athletes with issues in this area. Certainly with sufficient effort and coordination involving athletes, parents and coaches, much progress can be made. My Child's Biggest Need Are Game Skills Frequently, coaches will yell and get upset at the player. If the kid isn't getting it, though, it's most likely a TEACHING problem, rather than a listening problem. The trick to improving game skills is to break things up into small skills. If they still don't get it, then you have to break things up into even smaller increments. Sometimes it's a vision problem. Not a matter of corrective lenses but rather one of where to focus attention. In soccer, as in most game sports, there are two types of vision required. The first is focused vision. This is when you look at the ball or at a spot to which to pass it. It relates to seeing details. The second type of required vision is peripheral vision. This is what you see from the side. It relates to picking up movement and general shapes. Good players go back and forth easily from focused to peripheral vision. Beginners and intermediate players will usually focus on one, which will frequently be the wrong one to use for the occasion. Instead of picking up on their teammate who is open, they see the huge defender crashing in on them. Their eyes scream panic and they miss the pass. Here is a quick drill to teach the skill of going from focused to peripheral vision: 1)Hold both index fingers at arm's length. Focus on them for five seconds. 2)Keeping the eyes focused in front, move the arms to the side. Go as far as possible until they are no longer visible. 3)Then return them back to the center. My Child's Biggest Need is Ball Control If your child is having a problem in this area, consider the following: 1)He or she is just learning the game and hasn't had the benefit of much practice. The cure for this is simply more time practicing. Spend as much time as possible kicking alone, against a wall or with a partner. 2)There is a balance problem. Poor balance can greatly affect one's ability to control the ball. Balance can be improved with both static and dynamic exercises, as well as improving leg strength. 3)There is a coordination problem. This can be improved by creative progressive methods:
My Child's Biggest Need Is Athletic Skills A lot of kids aren't athletes any more. TV, video games and lack of outdoor play have all taken a toll. Some kids still get physical exercise but not as much as they used to. Most parents will remember weekends characterized with parks and schools full of children playing basketball, football and baseball, as well as lots of other more informal games. Our kids need help getting fit and they need help becoming athletes. That help has to come from us, the parents. Playing soccer will help, though it isn't enough. There's a lot we can do. We have to be proactive about it and take responsibility. Spend five to ten minutes each day working on some aspect of fitness. Build that time up to thirty minutes or even an hour. Go for hikes and bike rides together. Climb trees, when safe, and skip stones in a creek. Play games other than soccer with your child. The more physical experiences children have, the better athletes they will be. If you need more help, I Want My Child To Have Fun And Make Friends Many kids don't have the social structures that existed twenty years ago. Children need to be in playgroups to have friends their own age. Soccer is an excellent way to make and keep friends. You'd probably like your child to continue to play as he or she matures. Many kids who can't make the elite level teams find success on their middle and high school teams. And kids who can't make it to top college teams can find a place on a junior college team. There are also adult leagues and recreational pick-up leagues. Soccer can be a life-long activity that is not only fun and healthy but an excellent opportunity for building friendships. I Want My Child To Get Fit And Healthy A lot of kids get involved with soccer and other youth sports out of a need for more exercise. There are two concerns you need to be aware of. First, kids aren't playing outdoors as much. They tend to sit inside, watching TV, "surfing" the Internet and playing video games. So when they go out for the soccer team, they may not have the skills necessary for success. This is fine at the younger ages because the focus in on fun. As they get older, however, this can become a serious problem. Success at elite levels depends on inches and seconds. Athletes need to develop their skills to the best of their abilities. And there are windows of opportunity for each athletic quality. Second, while soccer is a great sport, there are other fitness areas that need to be developed, as well. This includes upper body and core strength, as well as hand-eye coordination. The solution is simple. Kids need to get the athletic skills training somewhere. Do you help your child with homework? Probably. Consider spending some time with your children on their fitness and athletic homework. To learn more, go to I Want My Child To Play and An Elite Level If this is their goal, they and you need to become informed about many things. You need to know about the politics, the effort and the opportunities. There are lots of ways to continue to play. From junior and high school teams to four levels of college play. Junior College athletics is a great opportunity for kids to continue to play beyond the age of eighteen. Even at these levels, it takes a great deal of time and commitment. Young people need to be skilled not only in all levels of soccer but also to be good athletes and mentally tough, too. You will want to make sure that they achieve their greatest potential. Look into programs that teach athletic skills such as: *Running Find books and resources that teach mental toughness and goal setting. You don't want to rush or push their development. You want to be there to support them and provide opportunities. They may change their minds and decide to pursue other paths. The skills they learned along the way will carry them far beyond soccer. I Am A Parent Being a soccer parent can be as rewarding as it is challenging. There are many types of soccer parents and many ways to be good ones. By now, you have a good idea of what needs to be done to help your child. Hopefully, you'll have enough information to take action. As you read my newsletters and blogs, you'll learn even more techniques to help your children achieve their goals. Continue to learn. There are many excellent resources. One of my favorites and a must read for all parents is Positive Coaching by Jim Thompson. Get the book and visit the associated website, at PositiveCoach.org. And of course, my own book, Building an Athlete, is loaded with detailed exercises and techniques that show you how you can work with your child. To get it right away go to... I Am A Coach Coaching is a rewarding and challenging endeavor, covering many areas, including: Managing kids Knowing how to play the game is not enough. You need to know child development, psychology, physiology and have great communication skills. The first step is to develop a philosophy that suits you. Look for roll models and mentors. Search as much as you can, keeping in mind these immortal words (from Hamlet), "To Thine Own Self Be True." Hopefully, you'll find the information in this quiz, on my blog and in my newsletters informative. Of course, I'm only focusing on one aspect of training. I feel this area (athletic skills) is critical to the success of kids and often under-utilized. My Building an Athlete book offers much more detail on what to teach and how to teach it. It is written for parents but can easily be adopted by coaches. To read more about the program go to: I Am A Parent And Coach Boy, you're a glutton for punishment! Just kidding but it certainly is a challenge. You're taking on two full-time jobs, requiring different skill sets. It is hoped that you'll find the information in this quiz, on my blog and in my newsletters informative. Of course, I'm only focusing on one aspect of training. I feel it is critical to the success of kids and often under-utilized. My Building an Athlete book offers much more detail on what to teach and how to teach it. It is written for parents but can easily be adopted by coaches. To learn more about the program, go to: Thank you for taking my fitness quiz. I hope what you have learned is both informative and practical. Please continue to read your newsletter. It is loaded with practical tools, techniques and tips to help your child's soccer endeavors. Your email will be kept strictly confidential and will never be sold or given away. And of course, you can always unsubscribe at any time, by clicking on the link at the bottom of every newsletter. To Fit and Healthy Kids, Ron Usher
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