If you’re a parent with kids involved in organized sports you have most likely experienced them complain about going to practice and even threatening to quit. You’re not alone, over 75% of all kids under the age of 12 quit organized sports. We have every right to be concerned that many youth sports leagues and organizations are doing nothing to improve the overall experience for kids. A recent study showed that over 90% of all youth coaches have no type coaches training, yet they instruct close to 25 million kids each year. The results are obvious; a majority of kids don’t like the experience they’re receiving when they play organized sports.
My mission through Trick It Out Sports and my radio show “The ABC’s of Sports” on Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 122 & XM 143 is to improve youth coaching and the overall experience for kids. Through these two vehicles and this web site I provide content, coaching tools, and advice that are easy to use and will help overcome the lack of training most volunteer coaches never receive.
Youth sports skills have been taught primarily the same way for the past half-century. However the way kids receive information and learn has changed drastically. In a rapid pace era where information and technology are cornerstones to a kid’s lifestyle, youth sports instruction is outdated and no longer contemporary.
Kids are visual learners when it comes to physical activity. If the information and skills being introduced and taught to a child does not engage them, there is limited chance they will comprehend and retain it for any extended period of time. Information and skills must be presented to kids in a visual fashion that appeals and captures their attention. The other disadvantage most youth coaches have is their inability to adequately demonstrate skills and techniques. Video sports games can accomplish this while making a youth coaches job much easier and effective.
We strongly suggest using a handheld video gaming device such as the new Sony PSP GO or a Nintendo DSi and/or mobile/smart phone such as an Iphone or Blackberry to your next practice. Each hand held device can play different team sport video games with realistic graphics. The Nintendo DSi does not sport such picture perfect graphics as compared to the other available mobile phone technology. Though both feature replicas of professional athletes performing skills, the mobile/smart phones come as close to reality as you can imagine. However both do a great job visually replicating fundamental athletic moves, similar to that of an actual video recording. Web site access on a practice field can provide great instructional benefits as well. A new customized game and training tool I designed and just introduced is specifically designed for this purpose and can be found at www.trickitoutsports.com. The site highlights plays as tricks through video and virtual cards that visually explain the trick and how best to execute. Whether it’s watching the execution of turning a double play or the technique of foot and ball work on the soccer field, a video game image or web site is worth much more than a verbal or less than accurate demonstration by coaches.
If you think this is type of training is unrealistic, think again. Teams in the NFL have converted their entire playbooks over to video games in order to better engage their players into learning all the plays while better understanding the tendencies of their opponents. NASCAR drivers often will race their cars on the video game tracks in order to better learn the entire course they are about to race for real.
Unlike video recordings, hand held video game units allow the user to manipulate the athlete on the screen, allowing the operator (coach) to control all movements. Another teaching technique is to allow the athletes to manipulate the movement of the video game action, therefore further engaging them in the visual interactive learning process.
As an example, if you’re coaching a youth soccer practice and kids are becoming bored working on ball skill techniques, bring the handheld video game device and show FIFA Soccer 10. Have the athletes focus on the footwork of a particular ball-handling trick followed by challenging them to replicate the move on the field. This type of experiential learning that is both contemporary and so closely interactive will not only enhance your practices but will also develop much more engaged athletes in the learning process of the fundamentals.
By bringing the handheld video sports game or Iphone/Blackberry to practice you are also directly and subconsciously training each kid to focus on technique execution the next time they play the video game at home.
There are additional applications for sports video games as they apply to your child’s future sports experience. Over the course of the next several weeks I’ll introduce those concepts as well as other portable technology tools that can be effectively used at practice.
Remember today’s kids are growing up in a fast paced environment where they need to be both entertained and engaged at all times. Using video game training at practice will not only improve the attention of each athlete and improve practice; it will also increase your legitimacy as a coach that understands their world.
