Kids today are not nearly active enough. Instead of kids
going out to play the way they once did, they’re often immersed in their phones
or behind their computer screens. And, the kids themselves aren’t entirely to
blame. Perhaps part of the reason that kids today are more interested in
playing games online than playing sports in the real world is because all too
many youth teams have forgotten one important aspect of the sport: joy.
These days, many young athletes are treated and trained like
pros or soon-to-be pros. They have demanding practice schedules, intense
workouts, and just too many demands all around. This type of atmosphere can
easily turn a kid off sports and send him off to the technological world for an
escape.
Because of this problem and because of the prevalence and
ready availability of technology, it is more important now than ever to make
some time (lots of time!) for fun in youth sports.
If we don’t, kids are never going to get any joy out of
playing sports, which is one of the main reasons to play in the first place.
They’ll also, probably, be more likely to spend their time in front
of the television or computer instead of being active; the allure of technology
is just too great, especially when its alternative is high-pressure and no-fun.
Make time for fun in every practice, every game, every
everything related to sports. That’s not to say you shouldn’t expect a lot from
your players in terms of sportsmanship and responsibility, but it is to say
that you should always remember that these young players are, first and
foremost and above all else, kids, and all kids really want to do, at the end
of the day, is have fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment