The question of when should my child start athletic development comes up often. My answer is always, “Now.” The bottom line is if we wait to develop skills we are only missing opportunities to create solid foundation for future improvement. Research on developmental stages has shown us there are distinct periods of time when biomotor abilities are best developed.
I think the major concern with parents not wanting their child to start too young is the misconception of what SAQ training really is. They are inundated with commercials on television that show big strong men and women doing highly intense activities and frankly this scares them. What most parents lack in understanding is the fact that training should be geared toward the specific stages of development a child is presently in.
Let me ask you a few questions and see if you feel these activities are too intense or dangerous for your child:
- Learning how to properly skip to develop good oppositional patterns in the arm and leg swing. Plus, develop the ability to push off and hop with control.
- Developing the ability to shuffle sideways in order to gain confidence and control of footwork. Also, being able to stay low in order to make a good athletic play in T-ball or youth soccer.
- Challenging themselves to walk on their hands and feet like a bear from one cone to the next, roughly 10 yards apart. The goal is to stay straight- legged and use the core muscles.
Obviously, none of these exercises are overly demanding or dangerous for your child. As a matter of fact, all three exercises are perfect to develop locomotor skills and body control. These three skills will help your child learn how to move with confidence. The best part is while the child is having fun performing these exercises, he will develop important fundamental skills. The children performing these exercises will lay a foundation of coordination, strength, flexibility, agility, and much more.
A child’s brain is being developed based on what the brain is being fed. Just think if a young child was never exposed to exercises that encourage running, jumping, leaping, hopping, lateral movement, crawling, throwing, kicking, and catching. Their bodies would never develop motor pathway in the brain from which the child could call on when needed. Not to mention all the developmental benefits that exercise gives the child in terms of academic achievement.
So when parents ask me when a child should start athletic development training I say, “Now.”
Hopefully the message you receive from this post is how important it is for all trainers to educate parents on what developmental training really is. If we continue to allow parents to feel afraid to start a child in a program, think of what the child is missing. Their potential is being ruined because of misinformation.
Please let me know the steps you are taking to help spread the word.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
P.S. If you are unsure of what skills to teach please take a moment and look at www.SportsSpeedEtc.com. This site will give you some important information about some of the top educational DVDs on movement training. The two most influential DVDs over the past few years are Ground Breaking 2 and Low Box Training for Athletes. Check them out so you can make a difference with the children in your community.
I couldn’t agree more. Our education system is failing us with unqualified gym teachers. It starts at the university level which fails in teaching our gym teachers athletic development. As a result, we have gym teachers with masters degrees that don’t know how to teach an altitude landing or deceleration in it’s simplest form. A phys ed teacher spends a lot of time with the kids over the week/school year. They could have a huge impact if taught how to property teach athletic function/movement.
Quick story…
This past spring, I trained an athlete who had just finished his senior year playing soccer for the University of Pittsburgh. He was to play lower level professional soccer in his home country of Finland this summer. As part of a workout, I was having him and a former Pitt teammate(an American) perform a med ball throws similar to a shot put. The Fin was able to make American look silly. Why? In growing up in Finland, he was taught various aspects of athleticism including the track and field disciplines. ie.. running, jumping, throwing.
I work with a lot of Ice Hockey athlete excellent well balanced athletes unlike the Canadians who have only played Ice Hockey growing up. I know, Canadians dominate the NHL. They also have a ridiculous amount more rinks, players, and leagues.
Keep preaching! One day it will sink in to the public and higher education system.
Thanks for the comments Scott! It is really important stuff. Keep it up my friend.
I agree it just makes sense. Most if not all of the “prescribed” activities that help to develop athletic motor skills are done by most children given the opportunity (unless parents provide their children with an electronic nanny). On another note, do you ever get to the New England area (Massachusetts/Southern New Hampshire)? As always thanks for the stream of practical information.
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