Young Children's "Unsportsmanlike" Conduct

I talk to people about my work teaching children sports and how I am proud to be giving back to society by helping to develop young children who are "coachable." When others hear about what I do, I often get mistaken for pitching a coaching approach that emphasizes character-building. Of course, coachability can be used to define character; however, it more specifically describes a child's openness, eagerness, and willingness to learn. Isn't this what we, as parents, are all looking for from our children?

As a coach, being mindful of "coachability" and how it is built in children allows me to better relate to children's ways of thinking. Almost universally, I can see young children quickly losing interest by sports' rules, technical skills, and strategy. Let's face it, candy, cartoons and fun are more a child's speed. Unfortunately, this childlike way of thinking is deemed unsportsmanlike. Because sports is so adult-oriented and we as adults are used to thinking about sports in an adult-orientation, it is very, very difficult for us to see sports from a child's perspective. It takes a conscious effort, and there is reward beyond just a child learning faster. If you want to reduce the frustration and increase the enjoyment you have in your child's learning process, it requires you to slow down and consider how your child must be experiencing the world.

The next time your 2 1/2 year old jumps off her tricycle to walk it up an otherwise small slope, bend down and grab a look at it from her vantage point. The small slope we see is often a huge hill to her. Before the age of seven, our children are challenged by the same huge hills in sports, and it is our job to help them see the small slopes. By using language they can understand and skills they can eagerly repeat and feel good about themselves inside of, we, as adults, must do better about being coachable to the ways children think and learn best. By adult standards, children are naturally unsportsmanlike, but we must not think of this as negative. Instead, we should make the conscious effort to bend down to experience sports from our children's perspective, and turn hills into slopes whenever possible.

Good Teachings!

Brad