It is a fact that the age at which a young person reaches their peak in sport, is getting lower. This again does depend greatly on the particular sport involved as some sports such as swimming and tennis; the youngster participating certainly is quite young.

However, that being said, in an analysis of tennis players in recent years showed the average age of boys and girls to be higher than would have been expected. Boys were in the region of 24 and girls 22.

If we look at men’s tennis in particular, we have a number of up and coming good players in the 20 – 24 age group – but the number one in both ladies and men’s is higher than the average.

What constitutes specializing in any sport? To become an elite person in any sport takes 10,000 hours of training and practice, this constitutes 3 hours per day for 10 years, therefore, if we are looking at someone achieving success at 24, they would have to be training and practicing since they were 14 or younger.

They bodies running sport want the juniors to be competing fairly regularly by the time they reach 10 years old and this pre-supposes they started playing the sport at 6 – 7 years old. They say that at 10, if a child is going to make it in the sport, they should be playing at least 3 times a week!

Important aspect to consider:

1/. A good sports basis is to include cross training, such as basketball for a tennis player.

2/. School work should mot be jeopardized.

3/. A child body is developing continuously throughout their pre-teens and in the early teens, so they should not do weight training, a little is O.K. if properly supervised.

4/. Correct, balanced training taking into account both side of the body.

BUT – the most important point in all of this is what the child wants to do and not what the parent or coach wants the child to accomplish. Fair enough, there has to be a slight area of challenge from the coach and a good coach will know how to do this in the player’s best interest.

At the end of the day, we will find the odd child who from an early age will be dedicated and completely focused on the sport of their choice. This is however, a rarity and unfortunately they won’t necessarily get to the top of their chosen sport.

It is interesting to note here, that Tim Henman was not the best of the squad when he was young, but went on to surpass all of the others in his group.

In the U.K. there is a great deal of competition amongst all of the sports to get hold of the best juniors, and it is generally found that someone who is good at one sport is also good at a number of other sports. The junior will ultimately choose the path that suits them. What we do find in this scenario, is that an out standing player will suddenly appear on the scene and will be a world-beater viz Seb Coe, Ian Black, etc.

So at the end of the day – it is up to the child as to when they want to start specializing, the coach can only advise them.

To find out more about the great game of tennis and to subscribe to a monthly news letter, visit http://www.tennisatthenet.ws John Hoskins is an L.T.A. and a PTRUK qualified licensed tennis coach working at a number of facilities as head coach in Kent, England.

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Get up… take the kids to school… Starbucks venti skinny vanilla latte triple shot… go to work… first bite to eat at Noon… five-thirty… pick up kids… McDonald’s fly by… drop one off at soccer practice… drop one off at football… back to pick up first from soccer… pick up second from football… home by 8:30… help kids with homework… snack… tuck kids in bed… collapse… oh – and who was that strange man in my bed I call my husband?

Sound familiar?

Today’s society places great importance on how involved our kids are in sports and activities. Our children are so overscheduled now that families are completely torn apart. Mom is on one side of town watching one kid’s game while Dad is at the other’s. And if you have three, forget it! Fast food is the norm and the parents and kids are exhausted and disconnected.

Reasoning for such aggressive schedules is typically quite honorable, “I want my children to have the opportunities I didn’t have.”… “Sports teach discipline, hard work, and team work.”… “They make great friends through their activities, friends they’ll have for life.” These are statements from parents who love their children and truly want the best for them. However, what is often overlooked is that the downside of heavy involvement in sports and other extracurricular activities may greatly outweigh the upside. Parents know they’re tired, they know the kids are cranky, they know their marriage is lifeless, but due to today’s societal pressures it would be considered cruel and unusual punishment to even consider cutting back on this crazy lifestyle and deprive their children. Friends will look down upon them and the children surely won’t do as well as their peers who have spent countless hours on the soccer field and even more going through drive-thru’s.

It has gotten so out of hand that one news reporter didn’t even catch the hypocrisy when he said in one breath that “obesity in children is at an all time high” and then stated, “Sports involvement is also at an all time high which is a great way to battle the obesity epidemic.” Is it too far of a stretch to believe that maybe one is actually responsible for the other? If we know that 80% of health is related to eating habits, and these kids’ eating habits border on horrific, then wouldn’t it be a logical conclusion that this crazy lifestyle may actually be causing obesity in kids? It’s certainly something to consider.

But even beyond the obesity debate, there’s the problem of the disconnected family. Most children today live in some sort of a split-parenting lifestyle due to the extremely high rate of divorce. So these kids are being shuffled from house to house and then shuffled even more when they are at those houses. The new definition of “family” is fuzzy at best and we exacerbate this when we split up the newly blended family (2nd or 3rd marriage) with everyone going in different directions.

While the kids have structure they have little down time just to be a kid and develop their wonderful ability to be imaginative. When they’re not scheduled for something they often don’t know what to do. The have little sense of family and what is truly important in life (family, love, relationships) as winning a game can be more important than visiting with grandparents not seen for six months. And they are learning that what should be the most important relationship in the family (between Mom and Dad) comes last on the list of priorities. And we wonder why the divorce rate is so high! On top of all that, how close can a parent really be with their child when they are watching them, not engaged with them. When there is no time to have deep conversations, they won’t happen.

So it’s pretty easy to see how these activities can literally pull a family apart and drive us away from what is most important. Family time, having a close relationship with our spouse and children, and experiencing life to its fullest. These are typically the items at the top of everyone’s priority list but wind up falling to the bottom in the soccer mom’s reality lifestyle. That’s where the Anti-Soccer Mom can make a difference…

Take Back Control

All the chaos is not good for anyone in the family. With everyone going in different directions, it’s impossible to live in accordance with your values. So you need to take back control. While it may not be easy at first, you need to cut back the kids’ schedule. Likely they will be resistant, just be sure to explain to them why. When they begin to understand that you are doing this because you love them and actually want to be around them, you may be surprised what a positive impact that can make. Typically these kids are feeling pretty neglected and misunderstood anyway, but just don’t know it. By slowing life down a little they will be getting the type of attention they have been missing dearly.

Once you’ve cut back on their schedule, then you need to fill the time with activities in line with your values. Here’s a bullet list from the Anti-Soccer Mom:

~ Rearrange your life in order to have sit-down meals together.
~ Invest in some family board games like Cranium and make sure to carve out the time to play them.
~ Purchase a subscription to the USA Today, skim it, and debate current world topics at the dinner table. Make sure no opinion is “right”, rather discuss values and ethics as it pertains to the subject.
~ Turn off the TV.
~ Play together – there’s nothing better than heading to a park and tossing a football around.
~ Illustrate how to have a great marriage by living it.
~ Show them how to take care of their bodies by taking care of your own.

It’s what we do every day that teaches our children how to live and love. Make sure your actions and messages are congruent with what you believe and want to teach.

And don’t be afraid to be the Anti-Soccer Mom on your block. You might be surprised that they likely will envy your new and wonderful lifestyle.

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Soccer camps are a great way to improve your skills, get some exercise, and make memories with friends. However, not all soccer camps are created equal, no matter what the paperwork says.

The soccer camp you choose should depend on what you want to get out of the experience. Somebody who just wants to get away for a week and play a little soccer wouldn’t get that experience at a camp that focuses on intensive training. Before you sign away your time and money, ask yourself a few questions about what you want from a soccer camp.

Do you want to goof off with your friends, or get in shape?

If you’d like to get in better shape for soccer or other sports, look for camps that put an emphasis on physical training and conditioning. Make sure you get a physical to verify that you’re in good shape for the camp.

However, if you just want to have fun and make some memories with your friends, look for a cheaper camp that’s not as intense.

Do you want to improve your basic skills, or do you want more than that?

Getting better at basic skills may sound like something you can get at any soccer camp, but getting them perfect is something that takes time, dedication, patience and a lot of correction to learn. Look for a camp with lots of coaches who will take the time to correct your problems.

On the other hand, if you’d like to improve your tactical sense, like when to pass and shoot and where to move, it’s a good idea to look into longer camps or even soccer boarding schools. Tactics aren’t something that can be easily taught, and they take a lot of time and mistakes to learn.

Are you looking for more than just soccer training?

If you’d like to get a little more out of camp than just soccer training, then see what else they offer. Some soccer camps combine a cultural experience abroad with soccer training, and some even offer the chance for exceptional players to try out for professional teams. Do a little research into the camps to find out what else you’ll be getting out of them.

Find the right camp for you

Keep in mind that all intensive soccer camps should provide four aspects of skill development: strength and conditioning, technical precision, tactical development and sport psychology coaching. By taking a little time to research the other aspects of the camp, you’ll find just the one you need to make your experience fun, beneficial and memorable.

EduKick’s mission is to provide intensive soccer development training programs that also teach youngsters about cultural diversity and foreign languages. As professionals, soccer fanatics and fathers, Joseph Bilotta and Corey Zimmerman wanted to create a program that maximized the EduKick youths’ time abroad; instilling a sense of independence and pride through experiencing international travel, structured language study, cultural excursions and daily professional soccer training. For more information about soccer camps, or to register for a soccer camp abroad, visit EduKick.com.

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Attending dance movement sessions can bring numerous benefits on many different levels. The pupils learn to listen to instructions and become a member of a group. They learn to express feelings and emotions physically in a non-aggressive manner. Familiarity with their bodies is increased and they learn to use them creatively. Physical flexibility , co-ordination and cardiovascular fitness all improve. Classes are team-building and confidence enhancing. The participants discover that the whole of their bodies can register feelings of touch. Arms, legs, feet, knees, back or butt all feed back sensations of touch.

Classes need to include rhythm and instrumental work, singing accompanied with movement, body awareness exercises, dance improvisations to music and contact improvisation. Contact improvisation is partner work where the weight between the two close moving partners gives rise to the movement.It is a pleasurable, free-flowing dance form. It is sometimes referred to as an art sport because it combines gymnastic and poetic qualities, a healing art because it promotes physical and mental well-being. It is a movement form uniquely suited to blind and deaf/blind people because it is based on the sense of touch.The dance emerges from paying attention to sensations on the surface of the skin and inside the body as two people move in close physical contact.

Kjersti Engebrigtsen a Norwegian dance movement therapist writes ” it is often said that the blind understand sequence by touching one thing at a time Dancing on the contrary is a simultaneous experience”.

I have had blind pupils in the groups of children with special needs with whom I have had the pleasure of working. Some of them were in wheelchairs with no voluntary movement. Their class teachers and I worked on the floor with them. Usually the pupil was positioned between our outstretched legs leaning back against our chests for spinal support. We never, ever manipulated their limbs. The sessions were mainly about gentle movements to music with sensory elements such as texture, smell and light included. This group had very severe problems but they obviously enjoyed the classes.

We also did square dances with the children in wheelchairs. This activity was much appreciated by them. It increased their spatial awareness as well as their feelings for speed and direction.

I have also worked with blind teenagers in a mixed ability group. Here the emphasis was on socialization and confidence building. There were many activities which needed total confidence in other people. One such activity was standing upright on the vaulting horse and leaping off to be caught by many willing hands. I tried this with my eyes closed and it was terrifying! I really admired the complete trust shown by these young people.

Gender issues arose with this group and we had to be extra sensitive to each individuals choices, wishes, likes and dislikes. A session of social dancing was always included. Being able to take part in social dancing gives teenagers confidence at a time when they are endeavouring to lead a more independent social life. It’s good for them to be able to behave in the same way as their peers.

At the moment there is a great deal of innovative work going on in this field. The Third St. Ensemble Company, based in Tuscon in the United States, has a mixed company of children, young adults with or without disabilities, blind and deaf dancers.Amazingly the company performs in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. Wheelchairs are incorporated as props in contact improvisational techniques.

Many of you will know of “Dance Dance Revolution” a game played on a Play Station console. Students at the University of North Carolina had an idea for a modification which would get visually impaired children moving while teaching them braille. They adapted “DDR” mats so that they could be connected to the USB port on a PC. This has created a game which gets the children moving while teaching them braille characters at the same time. The children use their hands, feet, head or other parts of their bodies to press appropriate dots for the braille character. Schools throughout North Carolina are now using this system which helps improve spacial awareness while also improving muscle strength.

Buse Gowda of Bangalore, India lost his sight at three years old due to an accident. Ashok Kumar was a dance teacher engaged by the Ramana Maharishi Academy for the blind. He had no idea how to teach dance to visually impaired students. It was Buse Gowanda who asked Ashok Kumar to demonstrate and hold a pose. He then felt his teachers’ limbs to understand and explore the pose. Buse Gowda then tried to copy the pose. To help his students Ashok Kumar created a “touch and feel” technique. Buse Gowda is now a renowned dancer who excels in facial expressions. He received a national award in 2000 for outstanding achievement in the field of creative arts.

This just shows that blindness does not stop those with talent from being great dancers if we give them the opportunity.

About the Author

Dzagbe Cudjoe is a Dance Movement Therapist and ethnologist with wide experience of Dance in Africa and Europe. As an ethnologist her main field of research was into West African traditional religion. As a Dance Movement Therapist her area of specialization is working with children who have challenging behaviour or severe physical and intellectual Special Needs. Dzagbe is now working on helping the parents of such children to appreciate the healing effects of dance. She is the author of the e-manual “Dance to Health – Help Your Special Needs Child Through Inspirational Dance.” For more Information visit Dance to Health

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The protect drill method requires the player to protect the ball. This effective method can improve the drilling skills of the players largely. This method requires the players to work one on one.

The coach should have one player stand next to a ball, having his feet shoulder width apart. Now, have another player stand on the outside shoulder of the first player.

Now, the main task of the second player is to get his foot on the ball, by any means necessary. The job of the first player is to keep balance, protect the ball, and respond to open aggressiveness by a defender.

The coaches can try this method with the same setup, as they require in the above method for protecting the ball. In this method, again, there are two players.

The only difference is that the main task of the player furthest from the ball to try to wedge his body between the inside player and the ball any way he can.

This method also ranks good for the coaches when it comes to teaching soccer drills for youth. In this method, the coach needs to have two players stand facing each other.

Now, instruct them to grab the other player’s jersey up by the shoulders. This will put them face to face in a strong position. Here, let me add that you as a coach should stand 10 yards away from the players with a ball at your feet.

Now, as soon as you say “GO!” blow the whistle, the task of the players to try to get the ball away from the coach. The players need to work hard on this and should show some aggression. The first to reach the ball wins.

What is more, in this method for soccer drills for youth, if the players are not showing aggression in their effort, you should begin to dribble away from the fighting players, forcing them to follow you in their tussling position.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority on the subject of soccer drills for youth.
His web site, Youth Soccer Drills, provides a wealth of informative soccer articles, resources and tips for soccer coaches, parents and players.

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How will martial arts change your child’s life? The difference could be, as simple as, keeping your child away from peer pressure that leads to drug abuse. Although, the answer is much deeper, martial arts will give any child the tools necessary to become a success in life.

Goal setting skills (a major component in martial arts training) make a huge difference in anyone’s life. By making accomplishments, your child develops a positive self-image. This “positive self visualization” develops academic and athletic success.

Children want structure, and they crave discipline. This makes them feel secure in family, school, and public settings. Within their martial arts training, they find structure, discipline, and the ability to discipline themselves.

Social skills, (like good manners), eye contact, and public speaking, are developed in each lesson. As your child advances through the ranks, there may be more opportunities with the “Leadership Team” or the “Demonstration Team.”
Some martial arts schools have these “elite teams” for children to develop leadership, and inner confidence, skills.

Leadership Team members learn how to develop the skills necessary to lead a group. Demonstration Team members learn about showmanship, humility, and the courage to perform in a variety of public settings. These elite teams prepare children for life’s pressures, and give them experience, at learning valuable skills.

Let’s face it – we live in a time of video games, Internet, cable TV, and fast food that tastes good. Globally, Type II Diabetes is on the rise in children due to inactivity, high calorie diet, lifestyles, physical education cut backs, and lack of time.

Martial arts gives children a positive way to burn calories, and socialize with quality friends, in a safe setting. It also keeps them away from the television.

Find a martial arts center that prides itself on the positive development of its clients. We have many success stories – from academic achievements, to losing pounds of unwanted fat. If you want to make a positive change in your life, or that of a loved one, your local martial arts studio is always there to help.”

Author Description

Paul Jerard, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura Wellness Center in North Providence RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in Providence. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher.

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