http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080709/hl_nm/tv_kids_fat_dc;_ylt=AumcntaGagqd.HkBWWuJ2ebgcbYF

It seems that TV may be even worse for us than I thought.

And on a personal note, I’ve gotten lazy about watching TV while
eatting. (My mom would be FURIOUS!)

So after this article, no more eatting with the TV on.

Unless it’s the superbowl. That doesn’t count.

It is VERY dependent on the teaching skills and philosophy of
the instructor.

Usually, they instructor has no background in teaching, exercise
physiology, children or sometimes common sense.

Watch this video and let me know what you think…

I give this one three stars.

Comments:  It’s not bad. I like that it shows progressions.  As an instructional video it really needs more information and details.  For instance:
1. What is the focus on foot plant? Toes, balls of the foot…it isn’t clear.
2.  What does she need to do to increase the speed?
3. What are her arms and legs doing?  What is she trying to accomplish? What does “lift heels” mean?
4.  Specific details on how fast and how far should she be running each rep.

I give it two stars.  I’m disappointed by it, since I’m a PE teacher too. Of course, from the ability of the PE teachers I see, teaching running isn’t something that’s covered in their curriculum.

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He wasn’t a good enough swimmer and the coach had
cut him from the team.  He was discouraged and never
went out for a school sport again.

First, I was surprised because usually water polo is
aching for athletes.  And it’s such a tough sport that
a lot of kids will quit after the first year.

But then I got mad.

With obesity rates in our schools soaring, with sitting
on your duff and playing video games becoming the
new form of recreation, why punish a kid by telling him
he’s not good enough to play?

Schools are there for the kids.  They aren’t there
for just the athletes, or even the best athletes.

My solution…hire more coaches.  Have recreational
leagues for the kids.  Make cutting from sports teams
a thing of the past. 

Like the inquisition.

Briefly, it’s a speech by a university professor who has terminal cancer. 
It’s about having dreams and achieving them.  Something right up
almost everyone’s alley.

One of stories is of his football coach who came to practice
without footballs.

Huh, you ask?

Well, there’s 22 players on the field at a time, and only one
person can touch the ball at any given time, so he decided
to work on the fundamentals that the whole team needed.

This is almost directly from my philosophy of teaching
athletic skills. 

Indeed, there’s a section in the my Build An Athlete  program
for soccer about it.  I explain why it’s critical, even more
important than ball control skills.

I recommend you watch the video.  It’s fairly long (almost two
hours) and a bit of a tear jerker, but there’s a lot there.

My next blog will deal with another coaching issue that
came up.

And maybe later, I’ll mention a dream he had that I
had too.  Maybe…

And this dark side can lead to dangerous consequences.

There are more and more kids that are taking lessons from the pros
and seeking easier and quicker ways to the top.

Boys tend to go to steroids.  Girls tend to have eatting disorders.

Be aware that this is only tendencies.  I know that neither abuse is
limited to one sex.

The best defense is education, communication, and observation.

Be sure to talk to your child about the dangers of steroids and eatting
disorders.

Encourage them to play by the rules and to cherish hard work and effort.

Sports and athletics are great activities to challenge and learn about
yourself.

They shouldn’t be about winning, or putting your life in danger for
any reason.

Any reason at all.

The coach was doing a real good job of having them work on
fundamentals.

His instructions were clear. His demonstrations good.  And his
advice was insightful. As a matter of fact, I learned a lot listening
to him.

When we got into the car, my son (not the easiest kid to coach),
complained about doing what he was asked.

It didn’t make sense to him.  It seemed to be harder and more
difficult (it was).  He thought the coach was being nit-picky.

So I explained to him why the techniques were important, and
why they needed to be done the way Coach explained.

Instantly, he understood.  It made sense to him and now he’s
ready to go out and master those skills.

Everyone is the same way.  We need to know why we are doing
something.
* Why should we go to practice?
* Why should I work hard?
* Why do I need to move this way?

Once we understand why, we are more motivated to perform.

We are motivated because we know HOW it will help us
get better.

The next time your child asks why, don’t give them the
usual “because I said so”.  Take some time to explain
to them.

I think you’ll have much better results.

The speed, agility and coordination of those athletes is
amazing, isn’t it?

One thing I noticed was that most of the players had
their knees bent all the time.

And they were bent a lot. Probably close to 135 degrees
or more.

They were bent when they were on defense. They were
bent when they were running. And they were bent when
they got tired.

Bending the knees allows you to start quicker and to
change direction faster. 

When you’re running, you can stop quicker and then
be ready to jump, cut, or shoot.

Soccer is a lot like basketball.  It takes great agility
and quickness. 

It usually isn’t the fastest person
who gets to the ball first.  It is the person who
moves first who gets there.

When I watch teams practice, they stand with
their legs straight most of the time.  If they practice
this way, they will compete this way.

Work with your team or child to keep their knees
bent.  Encourage them to do it when they are passing,
shooting, or exercising.

Soon, they will have developed the strength to hold
that position for a full 90 minutes.

Do it, and watch their game sky rocket!