I have just read the following article and it got me thinking. http://www.superhumanperformance.org/blog/2015/11/13/express-yourself Using the skating/boarding/BMXing example it is clear that with the correct environment skills can develop through self-led practice and peer support. Competition in terms of formal rankings etc is not present, but clearly the desire to improve is.  This seems to give rise to a supportive culture or community. Everyone is on the same team, no one is worrying about others getting […]

I’m sure we’ve all heard the phrase “Children are not mini adults”. I’ve been mulling over the idea that maybe “Adults are big children”. Here’s why. Across many sports and physical activities it seems the number of young children having a go are pretty good. I’d suggest that we are becoming increasingly good at kiddy-fying our activities to appeal to children. Smaller teams, more time playing, focusing on fun and inclusion. In some forward thinking […]

Running, managing and maintaining a successful youth section at any voluntary sports club is a challenge. The first challenge is to define what makes the set-up successful. Is winning junior leagues success? Is having huge numbers of players success? Is helping players gain representative honours success? Is providing a pathway into senior participation success? Is it possible to achieve all of the above? In an ideal world it probably is. The reality for many clubs […]

An interesting situation occurred this evening. I coach (with a colleague) for a local leisure provider.  Players pay the sports centre to participate.  We are employed to deliver a session between set times.  Once those times end, who is responsible for the child?  We have another session with different players following straight on from the previous one.  If a parent is not there on time to collect their child, and they wait in reception or in the carpark, […]