After reading Chapter 5 on children and their sports participation, i began to think about my own experience and my current sport participation as a coach.
I remember when i lived in Colorado, playing within the neighborhood - biking, playing in the backyards of friends' houses, and finding kids in the neighborhood to play with. But when i began swimming in California, it was the only thing i did. I didnt go out and hangout with school friends, unless it was a group project. My life revolved around swimming.
I often think about how much time swimming consumed my life. My parents did not force me to stay with swimming but enjoyed that i was physically active and that i was actually good at something (i was a very uncoordinated child).
But now as a coach, I often hear "how dedicated are you?" or how much our swimmers are too involved in other activites or sport; at the age of 11-13. With my younger kids, I always make sure that parents understand that there is a high level of dedication involved as their kids get older, especially with the monthly fees they need to pay. I personally dont mind if a child plays baseball, or tennis or waterpolo. But other age group coaches seem so harsh about it. An 8 year old cannot just dedicate their lives to one sport and understand how to look at a digital clock and count intervals and number of sets. I have a hard time doing it sometimes.
So in the aspect that kids are becoming younger and more involved in 'one sport"/competitive club teams" is getting out of hand, i agree with the book.
But i disagree with the view of allowing athletes to regulate or "make their own decisions" about the way the sport should be played or trained. I do not think that swimming can be handled like that. If i asked my group of nine/ten years olds to hop into the pool and all come to a decision on how to run a workout/train, it would probably end up with them playing around. Im sure a few of them would swim for a few minutes and then just get out. And a rare few would never get in.
So i believe that it depends on certain sports and how the athlete was introduced to that sport.
Asami Uzawa. Kin 332i Section 2796
2 comments:
I agree with your view. I've also swam competitively and coached a youth swim team as well. Several of my friends have been on some sort of club swim team since they were very young, and now they are completely burnt out and can't even finish their high school swimming careers. The burnout can either come from injury or just a loss of passion for the sport. This can be avoided if the demand isn't placed on the child starting at such a young age. I also think it is important to have a good balance, with children especially, between enjoyment of the sport and competitiveness.
Swimming can be a sport where injuries develop over time rather than suddenly. Many of these injuries are caused by overuse of the muscles. Its important for the child to be able to speak up when he/she is being pushed too hard by their parents or coaches.
Allison Evans
KIN 332i Sec03 T/Th 12:30
I agree with your view. Just as we saw in the film: Playing to Extremes, children are burnt out at a young age from parents pushing them too hard to specialize in one sport. Children also face chronic, serious injuries from overuse and overtraining. Parents need to place more concern over their children's health, well-being, and education. Parents are either too self-involved in correcting their past mistakes or are overly obsessed in creating a future for their children that they do not realize that their children may not desire the same.
I also feel that children should be allowed to play informally as well as in organized sports. There should be a balance of the two so that they will be able to try a variety of sports and choose which ones they desire to play. It will also make sport enjoyable to them since playing a sport (not of their choice) can be redundant and ruin the sport for them.
I agree that allowing the athlete to make their own decision about how a sport should be played can be troublesome as they do not have adequate experience or training as a coach would have.
Sara Yi
KIN332i Section 2796 T/Th 12:30-1:45 PM
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