Comments on: Children, Exercise, and Sport http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/ RossTraining.com - Low-tech high-effect training advice without the nonsense Wed, 16 May 2012 20:51:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: levi http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1328 levi Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:06:25 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1328 your son is adorable! your son is adorable!

]]> By: Tom http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1327 Tom Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:03:50 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1327 Ross, wise words indeed. As a parent I see the joy physical activity brings to my kids, whether it be sledging in the snow, mimicking burpees with me or more organized team practices and games. That joy shown and the knowledge that they are doing something healthy both physically and mentally is enough to disparage any thoughts of pushing them further into the realms of frustration and burnout, if one could use that term. Kids need parents as role models in so many ways and that responsibility cannot as you say lead us into trying to re-live our own pasts through our children's activities. My dad loved sport and instilled that into me in a supportive, not pushy way and that's the legacy I hope to pass to my small ones. Keep it steady Ross. Cheers, Tom Ross, wise words indeed. As a parent I see the joy physical activity brings to my kids, whether it be sledging in the snow, mimicking burpees with me or more organized team practices and games. That joy shown and the knowledge that they are doing something healthy both physically and mentally is enough to disparage any thoughts of pushing them further into the realms of frustration and burnout, if one could use that term. Kids need parents as role models in so many ways and that responsibility cannot as you say lead us into trying to re-live our own pasts through our children’s activities. My dad loved sport and instilled that into me in a supportive, not pushy way and that’s the legacy I hope to pass to my small ones. Keep it steady Ross.
Cheers,
Tom

]]> By: Dave http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1326 Dave Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:51:15 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1326 This needs to be picked up by the AP and be run in every newspaper, large and small, across America. This needs to be picked up by the AP and be run in every newspaper, large and small, across America.

]]> By: Chris Bishop http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1325 Chris Bishop Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:43:30 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1325 Funny how you should post this now, right while I am reading a book containing a segment on this (Play as if your life depends on it, Frank Forencich). Unfortunately play is something we stop doing as adults as well. If we looked at everything as if we where children we would have alot more fun during exercise as oppossed to feeling we have to. But especially in children, and ontop of the growing epidemic of obesity world wide (I'm in the UK and see it also), we need to instill fun and play with being physical, and take out the competition and seriousness of sports for kids. A) if they are not naturally, they will not be picked because they want the team to 'win' or B) they are pushed and the fun goes out the window because of the pressure to win. Either way, you're instilling negative associations with physical activity which can lead to a life time of inactivity. Awesome article Ross. Cheers Chris Funny how you should post this now, right while I am reading a book containing a segment on this (Play as if your life depends on it, Frank Forencich).

Unfortunately play is something we stop doing as adults as well. If we looked at everything as if we where children we would have alot more fun during exercise as oppossed to feeling we have to.

But especially in children, and ontop of the growing epidemic of obesity world wide (I’m in the UK and see it also), we need to instill fun and play with being physical, and take out the competition and seriousness of sports for kids. A) if they are not naturally, they will not be picked because they want the team to ‘win’ or B) they are pushed and the fun goes out the window because of the pressure to win. Either way, you’re instilling negative associations with physical activity which can lead to a life time of inactivity.

Awesome article Ross.

Cheers
Chris

]]> By: chezza http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1324 chezza Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:05:50 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1324 When i learned how to be a coach, the workshop on child protection considered that extreme cases of 'pushy parents' was child abuse, and as such should be reported to the authorities. At the time i laughed at the suggestion, because it is just so common. Certainly something that needs to be constantly adressed, good blog When i learned how to be a coach, the workshop on child protection considered that extreme cases of ‘pushy parents’ was child abuse, and as such should be reported to the authorities.

At the time i laughed at the suggestion, because it is just so common.

Certainly something that needs to be constantly adressed, good blog

]]> By: Administrator http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1323 Administrator Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:52:13 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1323 What strikes me as alarming is that SO MANY others have similar stories and experiences. I've seen the problem with young fighters, but it appears that it branches out to almost every sport as well. Ross What strikes me as alarming is that SO MANY others have similar stories and experiences. I’ve seen the problem with young fighters, but it appears that it branches out to almost every sport as well.

Ross

]]> By: Troy http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1322 Troy Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:49:02 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1322 Excellent post. Unfortunately, I too have witnessed this attrocity. What makes it even more sickening, is that most parents I've seen do this are so out of shape, they could stand to put the sandwich down and do a couple thousand push-ups themselves. Excellent post. Unfortunately, I too have witnessed this attrocity. What makes it even more sickening, is that most parents I’ve seen do this are so out of shape, they could stand to put the sandwich down and do a couple thousand push-ups themselves.

]]> By: keith rickert, jr http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1321 keith rickert, jr Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:12:33 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1321 Great post Ross. Great post Ross.

]]> By: thomas http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1320 thomas Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:52:21 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1320 so true. cheers bro! so true.
cheers bro!

]]> By: staples http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1319 staples Tue, 25 Mar 2008 01:08:13 +0000 http://rosstraining.com/blog/2008/03/24/children-exercise-and-sport/#comment-1319 It's heartbreaking, because I have seen this firsthand. I witnessed a father pushing his son (who was probably about 5 or 6) to basically become a UFC fighter, by the standards he was laying down for this kid. The father was constantly on his son about more sit-ups, more pushups, more squats, etc. Last I saw, this kid was extremely close to being able to do a one arm pushup- at six years of age. Not because it was a personal goal (I can't imagine this would be a goal of many six-year-olds), but because his father was pushing him to it. Now, why being able to do a one-arm pushup has anything to do with fighting skill, I'm not sure, but clearly this kid was exhausted and worn down by the constant demands (and corrections, because nothing he did was right, and if it was right, there was no praise). I could already see how burned out he was, and he's so young. I wanted to tell this father how ridiculous it all was, but it simply wasn't my place :/. Parents have got to stop pushing their kids to excellence in these extraneous areas of life. What's important is that kids love to be exercise without realizing it's exercise. If your kid is a natural-born piano/football/fighter/artist prodigy, then it simply won't matter at which phase of their life they get into that area- if they have a natural talent in it, they'll excel, and probably do far better far quicker than the kids who have been doing it since they were 3 years old. Just let them be kids and wait and see the type of person they'll wind up being- you'll miss out on discovering who they were meant to be if you try and push a false identity on them. There's a season for everything, and if they're young, it's the season of self-discovery and playtime! Don't let you or your child miss out on the joys of this season- you'll never get it back. It’s heartbreaking, because I have seen this firsthand. I witnessed a father pushing his son (who was probably about 5 or 6) to basically become a UFC fighter, by the standards he was laying down for this kid. The father was constantly on his son about more sit-ups, more pushups, more squats, etc. Last I saw, this kid was extremely close to being able to do a one arm pushup- at six years of age. Not because it was a personal goal (I can’t imagine this would be a goal of many six-year-olds), but because his father was pushing him to it. Now, why being able to do a one-arm pushup has anything to do with fighting skill, I’m not sure, but clearly this kid was exhausted and worn down by the constant demands (and corrections, because nothing he did was right, and if it was right, there was no praise). I could already see how burned out he was, and he’s so young. I wanted to tell this father how ridiculous it all was, but it simply wasn’t my place :/.

Parents have got to stop pushing their kids to excellence in these extraneous areas of life. What’s important is that kids love to be exercise without realizing it’s exercise. If your kid is a natural-born piano/football/fighter/artist prodigy, then it simply won’t matter at which phase of their life they get into that area- if they have a natural talent in it, they’ll excel, and probably do far better far quicker than the kids who have been doing it since they were 3 years old. Just let them be kids and wait and see the type of person they’ll wind up being- you’ll miss out on discovering who they were meant to be if you try and push a false identity on them. There’s a season for everything, and if they’re young, it’s the season of self-discovery and playtime! Don’t let you or your child miss out on the joys of this season- you’ll never get it back.

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