(Akiit.com) Sports in education are crucial, we use sports as a way of empowerment for many people, and as our children begin to make use of sport as not just a means to physical prowess but also as a way to get meaning to life, they can hit obstacles. When our children start out in athletics or any sport, there is a period where they are improving overnight, but as there becomes more pressure to perform, they can hit roadblocks. So what can we do to encourage our children to improve their athletic abilities, despite physical limitations?
Focus On Form
Because young athletes are drawn to a sport because they enjoy it, when there is a pressure to perform, this is when they have to focus on form. When our child shows skill in a specific sport, there can be that temptation to push them further and further away from the basics. But we have to remember that we use the form as a foundation. When it comes to a sport like basketball, there are plenty of beginner drills for basketball that can help to cement physical form. We also have to remember the importance of something like muscle memory. But because form and the basics can be viewed as a primitive, or even pointless approach to exercises, this really does provide the basis for any child to improve their skills in a specific sport.
Encourage Self-Motivation
As parents, we may find that we want to motivate them, and we want to be their only source of inspiration. But as your children get older, you have to instill the power of self-motivation. This is all about creating focus, and encouraging their own self-education. One of the ways to help your children become more self-motivated is to set small goals. Sometimes, we need to encourage commitment, and as our children lose the power of motivation, especially when they become more interested in other things in life, this is when we can start to encourage why these goals are important for them. This is especially prudent in terms of a sport that they enjoy. We have to remember that motivation doesn’t necessarily mean getting up at 5 in the morning and running for 5 miles, but we can still encourage ways of being fit and healthy without endlessly drilling things into them.
Establish Goals
One of the best ways to encourage goal setting is to get your child to set it themselves. The goal doesn’t necessarily have to be winning a state championship; it could very well be about making friends, learning to run a little bit faster, or just having fun. The great thing about the little goals is that, over time, so you can set an extra one, which gives them the additional motivation and self-resilience to carry on. But the goal shouldn’t be an expectation, and it’s about evaluating this as you go. Giving them unworldly pressures may yield the opposite effect. Goals are crucial, not just in sports, but in life. Encouraging your child to improve in sports can give them additional skills in other areas.
Staff Writer; Fred Parker