Guiding kids to better health: the fitness professional's role in youth sports and fitness

Youth fitness extends far beyond school physical education classes. Sports and after-school fitness programs are some venues in which coaches, personal trainers and group exercise instructors can get involved in keeping youths fit. Although exercise professionals should have a basic understanding of guidelines in order to offer an age-appropriate program, understanding what motivates and inspires this population is also necessary. A fitness professional should ask:

* Do I enjoy working with kids?

* Am I qualified to teach a youth program?

* Do I have a strong understanding of sound strategies to get and keep this population involved?

* Is it the parent or child choosing to get involved in the activity?

* Why does the child want to participate in the exercise program?

* Does the child have a role model or strong fitness advocate?

* Are there realistic expectations and a long-term goal set for the child's healthy development?

After answering these questions, take some time to evaluate your responses. First, to be an effective youth fitness instructor, you should have a passion for working with kids. Second, you need significant experience in the fitness field along with a certification or degree that specifically addresses youth fitness. Using your education and experience, you should be confident developing sound strategies to encourage children to participate and keep them motivated to stay with your program. Your chances of having a successful program will be greater if the child voluntarily decides to participate and parents support your philosophy. An ultimate long-term goal and realistic expectations for the child should he discussed and approved by staff, child and parents.

While having a good relationship with the coach is important, having a qualified coach is more so. Some coaches, who may be parents or serving due to personal interest, lack a solid knowledge base regarding important aspects of the given sport. If the coach is unfamiliar with proper training methods, players' risk of injury increases (Koester 2000). The instructor should not only enjoy working with youths, but also be qualified and understand the profound influence he or she can have on a child's life.

Children's Motivations

Children primarily participate in sports "for fun." Developing skills, friendships, challenges and becoming fitter are other reasons they get involved. Unfortunately, after beginning a sport, nearly 50 percent of children eventually quit. Dropout can be caused by injury, interest in other activities, not enough "play time," conflicts with the coach, too much competition or simply because the fun disappears (Koester 2000). Instructors should recognize when children have too much pressure on them and balance competition with fun.

Feedback

Thoughtful feedback regarding sports performance can deeply impact a child's sports experience. One study found that "players who received more frequent positive reinforcement actually scored lower in perceived physical competence than those who received more frequent criticism" (Koester 2000). This seemingly illogical finding is due to the fact that "positive reinforcement was often given unconditionally to players with less ability (e.g., 'good job' and 'nice try') without regarding their effort. Players with more ability received skill-relevant information as part of the criticism (e.g., 'use two hands' or 'keep your glove down')" (Koester 2000). Fitness professionals should use positive reinforcement with discretion and give critiques in a way that enables the child to understand the steps needed to improve.

Focus on skilled and non-skilled children alike.

Maintaining Adherence

Certain strategies increase participation while shifting an external reward system to an intrinsic one.

* "Structured play" can be used to get kids involved in an activity that would otherwise be boring if done solely for exercise. For example, obstacle courses and drills could take the place of simply running a mile.

* Goal setting is an important element in developing the child's self-confidence and improving performance. Those who set realistic goals have been observed to demonstrate better performance than those who have not (Piper and Teichelman 2003).

* Assigning captains can generate a sense of accountability and hone leadership abilities. It can also alleviate some pressure from the instructor, empower the child and encourage more interaction among the group.

* Praise good behavior to improve kids self-esteem.

* Grade based on effort and attitude in order to encourage the young athlete to understand these attributes are as important as physical skills (Piper and Teichelman 2003).

Fitness instructors can use this structure to stay knowledgeable about a child's progress and keep him or her on track in a fun way.

Address the Whole

Programs should be holistic. Integrated programs can address specific needs required for overall fitness and long-term health. For example, a swimming program would be a great catalyst for the cardiorespiratory system but may not address bone strength. Simply including impact activities, in which the body is loaded and exposed to forces, stimulates an increase in bone mineral density (Sanders 2002). This can be as easy as having children jump rope before the swim. Clearly, an integration of swimming, strength training and impact exercises would be more holistic. After all, strong bones are key to a solid foundation and, with nearly all bone growth occurring from ages 10 to 20, starting early is imperative (Sanders 2002).