Most children know how it feels to lose, and they will do everything what it takes to beat their competition regardless of the game played (Pica, 2009). Afraid of facing dejection from a social circle and gaining a loser identity, children strive to be more competitive and excel in their chosen fields. However, most children opt to harness their naturally athletic gifts or develop their selected sport. Developing a child through execution of sport-specific techniques right away can be a waste of time (Mann, 2008). However, that becomes a way for a child to develop a sense of discipline and work ethics at an early age. Any human must be physically and mentally prepared before learning a sport, but some factors need to be taken into consideration before a child develops sport-specific skills. Physical and mental development is the first step towards building a child in a specific sport. Basing from the hypothesis, any children or teenager is welcome to choose any sport he/she likes to exercise full mastery. However, certain aspects need to be considered before fully indulging on specific sports discipline.
Every sport involves extreme physical and mental activities, so there should be rigorous and systematic training before knowing the basics of a chosen sports discipline. As a first step, the children and the youth must know how to use and take care of their body in a proper manner possible. The predominant psychomotor (human motion) skills required in order to achieve success in teaching sports disciplines upon children are movement, throwing, kicking, catching, and striking (Nichols, 1994). These psychomotor skills – even though basic, are the most important building block in properly mastering a chosen sport.
Schools and related institutions play a big part as building blocks in developing the physical strengths and athletic prowess of a child, the reason on why physical education is part of every curriculum. Physical education both involves the basics of physical training and application of the sport. Before the minors acquire the skills needed to excel or at least know how to perform a selected sport, undertaking simple activities involving the use of psychomotor skills could very well help. This way, children will fully know the specific mechanics of the sport they practice. Simple activities such as throwing papers in trashcan from a distance, kicking and striking things are aimed at improving the specific skills needed for that sport (Mann, 2008). Schools and training institutions dedicated to the sport must always do their part in improving the necessary skills to teach better and see students perform at a high level.
Another factor in determining what sport a child should develop is the involvement of parents and guardians. Do parents/guardians really support their children on pursuing a potential sporting career in the future? Are they anxious enough to see their children suffer from the potential injuries, or are they willing to risk their children’s health by partaking in sports/physical activities? One who looks from the perspective of a parent may understand why they show signs of concern when their child is involved in any sporting competition, while cheering them to perform better in order to win. Parents play a very important role on youth sport even if they provide emotional and mental support for their child, but must not over-involve, give inappropriate coaching advice, and put too much emphasis on winning (Quinton, 2013). While parents/guardians are in the sidelines cheering them on towards victory, they must understand that a child should simply enjoy the sport, while being able to provide proper nurturing and counseling to develop their child’s sport-specific prowess. Previous statements may suggest that the kind of encouragement, trust, love and support parents give are intangible aspects enough to boost the morale of their child in developing their love of the sport.
Of all the elements playing a role in the development of a child in a specific sport, the coach is always the most important piece as he/she has direct and closer contact towards the child-athlete. The coach is always the most visible figure to oversee the performance of his/her athlete(s) in the realm of competitive sports. The coach equips the child with necessary training in order to strengthen his physical, psychological, and possesses knowledge and experience on how to perform a specific sport more effectively. Coaching involves greater understanding and teaching, in a way that coaches establish a behavioral culture through planning, effective demonstration of techniques, and consideration of feedback (Muir et al., 2011). The coach does not just teach its child-athlete how to shoot and pass the ball. Thus, a greater mental fortitude to instill proper discipline, to encourage the child to perform better and to create a synergy that closely bonds with the child-athletes are attributes that a coach must possess.
The paper did not specifically point out that the children’s choices are limited when it comes to selecting a specific sporting discipline. However, they should be fully committed to and interested to indulge themselves in that specific sport. For example, if the child wants to know how to play football, then he must show devotion and passion towards personal development. Parents must enlighten the child who wishes to indulge on sports, while understanding the risks and taking precautionary measures involved. Sports coaches must guide the child with their expertise while instilling the importance of good morals. In general, proper guidance in developing the psychological, emotional, intellectual, and physical traits of a child is prevalent towards development.
Works Cited
Mann, DPE, ATC., Douglas. "Developmentally Appropriate Sports Skills for Three- and Four-Year-Olds." American Camping Magazine, 1 Mar. 2008. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. <http://www.acacamps.org/members/knowledge/program/cm/0803mann>.
Muir, Bob, Gareth Morgan, Andy Abraham, and David Morley. "Developmentally Appropriate Approaches to Coaching Children." Coaching Children in Sport. Ed. Ian Stafford. 2011. Print.
Nichols, B. (1994). Moving and Learning: The Elementary School Physical Education Experience. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Pica, Rae. "What Makes a Game Developmentally Appropriate?" NAEYC, 1 Mar. 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. <http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200903/BTJLeapsBoundsPica.pdf>.
Quinton, Mary. "The Influence of Parents in Youth Sport." The Sport In Mind – Sport Psychology. 24 May 2013. Web. 4 Nov. 2014. <http://www.thesportinmind.com/articles/the-influence-of-parents-in-youth-sport/>.
