Don’t get stressed out

When kids are asked why they want to play sports the most common answer is “It’s fun!” At the same time many children find themselves in sport situations where they feel overwhelmed, under pressure and/or anxious. As children get older and the level of competition increases stress levels can also increase. Research does suggest that kids can experience stress at many levels of sport.

So what can parents and coaches do to help their young athletes? The most important thing to remember is that we shouldn’t be putting the players under additional stress. Some practical tips to help your youngsters include:

• Using relaxation techniques like deep breathing can help those who are anxious before games.
• Focusing on positive thoughts that are simple, specific and targeted to the task at hand.
• Communication. Find out from the athletes what is stressful for them and involve them in the process of deciding what coping skills work for them
• Expected stressors are much easier to deal with than unexpected ones, so help athletes to think ahead about potential sport and life stressors and how they can be planned for.

Remember that everyone is an individual and what might work for one, may not work for another. Trying out different coping skills helps each child learn what works for them. Teaching coping skills is one of the most important things we can do to help our young athletes deal with the pressures, stress and anxiety in sports. Not only is this a good skill for sport, it can be a very valuable life skill.

Find resources like this one in the SIRC Collection.

Source: Tamminen, K. & Neely, K. (2010). Help Kids Cope with Stress in Sport: Practical Tips for Coaches and Parents. Fitness Informer, Winter 2010, p.23.

Online resources:

1. Handling Sports Pressure and Competition (http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/sports_pressure.html)
   The Stress of Youth Sports (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52426)
2. The Nature and Function of Adolescent Sport Friendship Qualities in Managing Stressful Sport Transactions: Summary Report (http://www.hkin.educ.ubc.ca/behavioural/Sport%20Peers%20and%20Coping%20Summary%20Report.pdf)The Nature and Function of Adolescent Sport Friendship Qualities in Managing Stressful Sport Transactions: The Experience of Competitive Swimmers. Summary Report (http://www.hkin.educ.ubc.ca/behavioural/swimming_Summary_Report.pdf)
3. Crocker, P.R.E. & Hadd, V. (2005). Stress. In D. Levinson & K. Christensen, Berkshire Encyclopedia of World Sport. Great Barrington, Massachusetts: Berkshire Publishing Group. (http://www.hkin.educ.ubc.ca/behavioural/Articles/4.pdf)
4. Crocker, P.R.E., Hoar, S., & McDonough, M.H., Kowalski, K., & Niefer, C.B. (2004). Emotional Experience in Youth Sport. In M. Weiss (Ed.), Developmental sport and exercise psychology: A lifespan perspective (pp.197-222). Morgan Town WV: Fitness Information Technology.(http://www.hkin.educ.ubc.ca/behavioural/Articles/9.pdf)

Would you let a child drink ten cans of cola?

Would you let a child drink ten cans of cola? Would you let them drink an energy beverage? You may consider the latter; strategically marketed to appeal to youth and seen at sporting events you may never have realized that some of these drinks can contain upwards of 500ml of caffeine. It isn’t easy to figure out exactly how much caffeine is in an energy drink. The nutritional label often does not state the total amount of caffeine, simply listing caffeinated herbal extracts as an ingredient. An early release editorial titled “Caffeinating” children and youth caused some waves this week appearing in the Globe and Mail as well as on TV. The above issues as well as the negative side effects (irritability, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, sleep deprivation) are discussed.

In sport, studies have been done over the years on energy drinks versus sport drinks. It is an area that confuses most. The SIRC Collection contains the following articles that may help:

• Sports drinks? Energy drinks? Water? Keeping hydrated can be tough…
• Drink to Your Health.

Hypertension … in kids!

When we think about high blood pressure, we associate this with getting older and watching our sodium intake. But an article in the Wall Street Journal brings to light a dangerous trend in adolescent and pediatric hypertension. The fact that more and more children and teenagers are showing evidence of hypertension means that they are on an early trajectory for heart attacks, strokes and other serious problems. Studies quoted in this article indicate that an estimated 5% of people age 18 and under have hypertension, which is up from about 1% three decades ago. This is largely due to an increasing number of overweight and obese children. Indications are that this estimate is actually on the low side. “The good news is that most young people can achieve healthy blood pressure and reverse the accumulated bad effects by increasing physical activity, improving their diet and losing weight. Medicines generally aren't required.”

The following steps are recommended so you can monitor and prevent high blood pressure and its risks in children:

• Know your child’s blood pressure. Starting at age 3 blood pressure checks should be part of the annual check up
• Incorporate a regular program of physical activity as part of everyday life
• Plan time away from the house and the television
• Reduce unhealthy eating
• Reduce salt in daily diet
• Include more fruits and vegetables in the diet

According to the report the diagnosis is not a life sentence. A regular program of physical activity for at-risk children can lead to significant reductions in blood pressure and improvements in the health of their arteries.

SIRC Reference: Winslow, Ron. (2010).Doctor’s Focus on Kids’ Blood Pressure. Wall Street Journal, June 29, 2010. Retrieved from the Internet October 6, 2010.

Could The Month Of Your Birth Shape Your Sporting Destiny?

Are children born later in the sporting calendar year missing out on selection and development opportunities?

Children are frequently grouped by age for school or sport activities in order to control for the effects of intellectual and physical development. As well, youth sport programs use cutoff dates to ensure that children will receive age appropriate instruction and to allow for fair competition. However, developmental differences can be significant when groupings are limited to one year categories.

Therefore, the child born in January is almost a full year older than the child born in December of the same year, and the outcome of this advantage has been coined the Relative Age Effect (RAE). Of course, relative age is less important in combative sports since weight classes actually equalize the field.

And since relative age plays an important role in coaching decisions, it makes you wonder, who is getting left behind when it comes to selecting kids for your team? The bigger, stronger, more mature child makes the team. The smaller guy is forced out of the sport at times, so RAE is indeed affecting opportunities for the younger child.

Therefore birth month is very important in sporting success. For younger children born later in the year, they are not as likely to have as much fun because they can’t compete on a level playing field. They become discouraged at the ever-growing gap between themselves and the other kids who are more mature and physically larger, and hence, they give up.

But if the younger child is able to hang in there and endure the gap, research shows that the late bloomers are the real champions and their perseverance pays off!

If you are interested in further information on the topic please contact SIRC or check out our online resources.

Discussion on Relative Age Affect will continue at the Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) Workshop taking place in Ottawa February 19-20, 2011 at the Delta Ottawa City Centre (Formerly Crowne Plaza), come visit the SIRC mobile Resource Centre in the Victoria Room.

Sport For Life

Check out the latest SIRC Newsletter on Sport For Life!

Being healthy and active for life is something that Canadians truly care about and this is why we support the Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) movement. We embrace terms such as physical literacy with its focus on learning fundamental movement and sport skills which build confidence and in turn encourage physical activity later in life. We must remember to keep sports and physical activity fun. Competing to win should come second to learning the skills of the game. Children should also be exposed to a variety of sports to keep their sporting experience enjoyable and to continue being active into adulthood. What Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) is showing us is that a well planned practice, training, competition and recovery regime will ensure optimum development and promote a positive sport experience.

http://www.sirc.ca/newsletters/mid-jan11/index.html

"Active Start" for the Long Run

While sport participation is a major factor in the development of most North American children, age appropriate activities are even more important for instilling a long term love of sports. And it’s even better if you can get your child to be involved in a variety of activities throughout the year.

It’s alright if you want to develop your 3-year old into the next Sidney Crosby or Alexandre Bilodeau. While flooding your back yard or making a moguls course provides opportunities for developing sport-specific skills, research now shows that the focus of these efforts should be on learning the basic skills applicable to all sports. So it really is best to incorporate some of the fundamental movement skills first and foremost.

The first of the seven stages of the Canadian Sport for Life Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Model is called “Active Start” where girls and boys from the day of their birth until 6 years of age, should focus on fun daily activities. Basic skills and movements like running, jumping, throwing, catching and kicking should be of prime importance. As well, children should be interacting with other young kids which helps them build on their interpersonal skills – something that can be carried into adulthood.

We know that the benefits of playing sports are numerous. In order to keep our kids engaged in sport and prevent burnout, recommendations suggest kids should participate in a variety of physical activities long before specialization begins.

Keep it fun. Keep it simple. Mix it up.

Video: American Development Model USA Hockey “This Is Hockey”

Sport for Development - Right To Play

10 Years of Right to Play – 10 Years of Sport for Development
by Liz McDonald, SIRC

On February 16, 2011 SIRC had the pleasure of attending a Right To Play (RTP) Canadian Awareness Program (CAP) in Ottawa. The main objective of the evening was to increase knowledge and understanding of the work Right To Play and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) are accomplishing through sport and play-based programs in West and Francophone Africa.

The evening was filled with the who, what, where, when and why of Right To Play. Simply put, Right To Play uses sport and play to improve health, build life skills and foster peace for children in communities affected by war, poverty and disease. The organization was founded in 2000 by four-time Olympic Gold medalist Johann Olav Koss. Right To Play’s work can be found in more than 20 countries around the world and aims to focus on sustainability and inclusion. They provide programs designed to meet the needs identified by the local communities. Right To Play has been doing this work for over 10 years. Click here to view the RTP Report on progress: 10 Years of Play.

CIDA is Canada’s lead agency for development assistance. One of it’s main goals are to engage in policy development in Canada and internationally, enabling Canada’s efforts to realize it’s development objectives. Last year, CIDA announced a pledge over three years to support Right To Play’s “Play To Learn” program. This program is expected to reach more than 200 000 children and youth, as well as 4500 teachers and community Coaches.

The evening was filled with stories of amazing people doing great things using sport. We had the pleasure of hearing from the RTP Regional Director of West Africa and Francophone Africa, Dr. Dennis Bright. He was an inspirational speaker with stories from the field. We experienced some of the games with the RTP Project Coordinator in Rwanda, Innocent Hitimana. Finally we were awed by RTP Athlete Ambassador, Ottawa’s own Kristina Groves. She spoke about her experiences as an athlete and a voice for RTP.

Right To Play’s goals coincide well with SIRC’s vision which is to enhance the education of all Canadian and International organizations and individuals involved in sport and fitness through quality information and learning services. SIRC is proud to be a supporter of Sport for Development abroad and within Canada. The SIRC Collection is filled with articles and studies on the positive effects sport has on communities and people.

If you’d like to learn more about the amazing things Right To Play has been doing or to find out how you can get involved please visit Right To Play online.

Contact SIRC for more information on sport for development.

Active Kids ... It's No Coincidence!

Is it more than a coincidence that Active Healthy Kids Canada released the 2011 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth during the same week that Montreal is hosting the Canadian National Obesity Summit? If you grew up before the advent of technology, the thought that you or your children would only be getting 14 minutes of play time after school between 3pm and 6pm would seem simply unbelievable. But it’s shockingly true. The days of kids running around playing ‘kick the can’, pick-up basketball, or staying outside until called in for dinner, are long gone.

The Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth is the most comprehensive annual assessment of child and youth physical activity in Canada. The Report Card was released this week by Active Healthy Kids Canada and its strategic partners, ParticipACTION and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute – Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group (HALO).

Among the 23 grades assigned in the Report Card, key grades include:

• “F” for Active Play
• “D” for Active Transportation
• “C-“ for Physical Education
• “D+” for Family Physical Activity
• “D-“ for Municipal Policies and Regulations

It is well documented that youth and teenagers who are involved in organized and supervised after-school activity programs are less likely to find themselves toying with the idea of experimenting with risky behaviours such as drugs and alcohol. While the physical benefits of exercise to the human body are obvious, less obvious is the fact that time spent outdoors playing lowers levels of:

• anxiety
• anger
• fatigue
• sadness

Parents and after-school caregivers play a paramount role in changing the habits of today’s youth and they should not be afraid to encourage children to engage in fun physical activity, and restrict television viewing, computer games and the like.

Contact SIRC for more information on physical activity for children and youth!

Curling for Everyone!

While fall proclaims a new school year for parents and children, it also signals the beginning of the new curling season. Canadians have always taken their curling very seriously, and can justifiably look for medals (gold preferably) when it comes to the World Championships and the Olympic Winter Games.

As leading experts of the game, an important element of continuing high levels of participation and global domination is to ensure that the grassroots level is continuously developed.  One of the great benefits to the sport of curling is that it is a highly social sport that can be enjoyed across the lifespan.

Introducing this safe and inexpensive game to children in a way that they would not otherwise have access is key to attraction and retention, building the sport’s foundation. The Capital One Rocks & Rings program is designed to introduce the Olympic sport of curling to elementary school children, by bringing the curling rink to the school gymnasium. The unique floor curling equipment provides a realistic curling experience without the need for ice!  A highly interactive program with an emphasis on fun, the program is now entering its’ fourth year reaching over 160,000 Canadian students coast to coast, a testament to the popularity of the sport. The program also employs 40 instructors across the country this season, creating jobs for youth and providing them with opportunities to develop coaching and leadership skills.

So, while the Canadian Curling Association and clubs around the country gear up for a new curling competitive and recreational season, maybe now is the time to find out if your child will become the world’s next great curler and enjoy a generation of curling fun!

Contact SIRC for more information on curling!

Start2Finish Battles Child Poverty

“Poverty is the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution refers to being unable to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter.” (Wikipedia)

What is most troubling about poverty is that as Canadians we think that poverty refers to other people in another land.  But it is not. It is right here in Canada.  There are children living in poverty, who are at great risk and require guidance, academic and physical support, and most importantly, hope for a brighter future.

 

This is why organizations such as Start2Finish are stepping up to break the cycle of child poverty in Canada by providing ongoing educational support and physical activity opportunities to children at risk during their school years. By investing in their future and developing their mind, body and social health, Start2Finish is empowering poverty-stricken Canadian children to succeed, giving them opportunities they  might not otherwise have  ever had.

One of the highly successful Start2Finish programs also addresses the all-important need for physical literacy, by including “The Running & Reading Club” after-school program. This 32-week program is led by 1984 Olympian Sylvia Ruegger, the Canadian record holder in the women’s marathon, who combines enhanced literacy with physical activity to economically challenged children. The program operates directly within local inner city schools, and runs from October to June.  This unique opportunity takes children on a journey that improves their physical, mental, emotional and social health, fostering discipline, goal-setting and literacy.  They build their endurance and strength through fitness activities and also receive individualized tutoring in reading and writing. At the end of the year, the children participate in the Start2Finish 5 km “Run for Change and Reading Challenge” followed by an awards ceremony acknowledging their achievements. So far over 1,400 children, from Halifax to Vancouver, including several First Nations communities, have benefitted from this program.

For more information on child’s health and fitness, please visit SIRC.

Coaching Young Athletes

As a coach, there is always a chance that you will spot exceptional talent in a young athlete.  When this happens, it can be easy to forget that that talent is wrapped inside the body and mind of a child.  Kids think differently than adults, especially when they are younger.  Abstract thinking doesn't really start developing until adolescence, so it can be quite a challenge as a coach to effectively communicate with your young athletes.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Use plain language - Remember to coach the intelligence not the age; just because a child has an amazing talent doesn't mean they have a superior intellect. Analogies are okay as long as they stay within a topic that the athlete is familiar with. Learn to gauge where the child is mentally and work from there.

Be aware of a child's comfort level - When you are a coach, children will already recognize you as being in a position of authority.  We may not feel that the height and size of a person matters to youngsters but some kids have trouble getting over the intimidation they feel when someone is larger than them.  Fortunately, this is easy to overcome by lowering your height to be on a similar eye level. Once a child gain's a little more confidence, they will focus more on the coaching and not the big intimidating person telling them what to do.

Watch your body language - Body language is the most basic form of communication and our facial expressions can be the most telling.  Obviously a smile is a positive message, but eyes and eyebrows confirm the positive expression.  We all know people who talk with their hands, so we know that it is also a form of expression.  Hands on hips or having your arms crossed sends negative messages to others, whereas the more animated the coach, the more engaged they appear to their team.  Becoming aware of how we present these messages to kids can go a long way to improving a child's coaching experience. 

To be an effective coach for youngsters takes practice, so with some time and patience you should be able to have fun and be a great leader. 

References from the SIRC Collection:

1. Faigenbaum A, Meadors L. A Coaches Dozen: 12 FUNdamental Principles for Building Young and Healthy Athletes. Strength & Conditioning Journal (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins). April 2010;32(2):99-101.
2. Gould D, Carson S. Young Athletes Perceptions of the Relationship between Coaching Behaviors and Developmental Experiences.
3. Nyitray M. Comfort is the Key to Coaching Young Athletes. Olympic Coach. Winter2012 2012;23(1):29-32.
4. Shepherd J. Starting Young: Coaching young athletes. Ultra-Fit Magazine. February 2011;21(2):104-107.
5. Smith R, Smoll F, Cumming S. Effects of a Motivational Climate Intervention for Coaches on Young Athletes' Sport Performance Anxiety. Journal Of Sport & Exercise Psychology. February 2007;29(1):39-59.
6. Watson II J, Connole I, Kadushin P. Developing Young Athletes: A Sport Psychology Based Approach to Coaching Youth Sports.