Youth in Sport - Keeping Kids in The Game | Hugh McDonald | TEDxLangleyED

Some key points- placing a child in a specialization or one sport at a young age/ all year round practice, can lead to overuse injuries because kids will be using specific skills/movements for specific sports. Rather multisports at a young age is more beneficial when there is a focus on having fun and encouraging kids to sample sports and develop different skills. A multisports approach at a young age will more likely have greater advantages and benefits for kids in the long run.

"Magic is believing in yourself. If you can make that happen, you can make anything happen." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe My Take - Coaches have the power to create that magic in every kid. You can also destroy that magic. It all depends on your reason for coaching kids.

My Sports and US Society class brought me here.

This message was brought to you from the bench. Holy smokes....

bless dis man hes nervous asf

Much needed and spot on!!!!!!!!

Love this message and follow it. My only question… concern is when the kids play against other players or teams and loss, terribly. I coach 3rd grade and in our league, some teams loss 40-5, 35-1 etc.. it’s very hard to have fun and enjoy the game when you’re on the other end of something like that.

I love this

Great message... attaboy!

Please establish credibility in the description or in the video before arguing. I am looking to understand what is the environment I can push to get high school student get to their full potential.

This guy rode the pine

excellent message

Let your kids decide what they want to play and win, and give them the fair resources to compete on a level field.

Yeah and what about us the people that we have dedicated our lives to become Olympian’s or to create olympians to represent their countries ?i understand your point that’s for sure but I also grew up in an competitive and serious sports environment. I’m healthy ,I believe successful and very loving and caring. I stayed in sports as an athlete for 25 years and as a coach so far 13 years and even when I was overwhelmed I was trying to find by my self the solutions and that made me a strong and independent person since the age of 12 that I moved alone in the Olympic training center without my parents . I had 500 team mates from different sports in there all of us feeling the same way about it one sport was our thing and it was making us happy it was giving us joy and meaning to live and try to become the best athletes in the world .the joy was coming from the company ,the everyday eating together ,the once in a week movie night with the National team or even playing guitar and sing all together after 7 hours of practice in the same sport all year round for 8 years non stop all preparing for the next worlds or Olympics or international meets. We became stronger people ,we became self motivated ,we learned how to earn what we want and get what we deserve to have .....I see my athletes now and they have everything in the plate ,things that for us to have we had to earn them ....I’m sorry brother but I do care about kids loving sports and live their life healthy through it but I am also somebody who lived a healthy and tough but happy life through one sport and I still love it big time . Yes not everybody is made for the Olympics or to be in the top of the world .....but let me tell you that ,not everybody is not made for that too.... Love your elementary school approach but there are people out there,kids like me,and we are many .....that we were or are 4 or 5 years old and she. We watch the great athletes our dna says I can beat them one day,I can be one of them the way that your dna says I want to be an elementary school teacher ,and that makes me really happy for you but also what I was born to do as well as the kids like me were born to do is not what u describe .with all the respect ,u should touch that subject too cause I really wanna hear your thoughts God bless

I understand your message but you should always push your kids. The drive to be the best on and off the field will stay with them longer than any game. It's a life long lesson that some kids need to be taught how to over come and achieve. Bottom line push your kid's to be the best because life is full of competition . There are some who over coach their kid's. Teaching them to try to become perfect in all areas is impossible! But the practice of trying to be perfect is the best work ethic!!!!! Pushing them to be the best will be ok because they will teach them self's to love the game!!!!!!!

Something that can complicate a kid's experience with a sport is starting a sport late. Starting a sport late can make that sport more complicated. I'm talking about starting a sport where they're 3 or 4 years behind most other kids their age. By the 3rd or 4th year of a sport it's no longer geared for beginners. The coaches won't be handling that sport as though they're dealing with beginners. If a kid does want to get involved in a sport and they're 3 years behind they need to try to get a few months of preparation from an experienced person before actually starting that sport. So try to get a kid involved in a particular sport when other kids their age tend to start. This will help them to develop in that sport in a more normal way with the other kids.

Well said

Thanks for explaining why I despise my Sun's approach to athletic activity.

I never "understood" sport, neither of my parents (nor any close relatives really) were sporty. If schools are to take sport seriously they need to inspire unsporty kids by taking them to some events and establishing an enjoyment in achieving basic skills.

He doesn't specify age of youth. Ten year olds are different than high schoolers.