Learning Exploration (Age 10-13)
At this age students are able to comprehend verbal skill cues. You can model movements as well as give simple specific positive congruent feedback. I will talk about that kind of feedback in my feedback page under teaching practices. In short, it is a very simple one word piece of feedback that tells them something about what they are doing or have just done. Students that lack coordination and control will need continuous focus on foundational concepts like simple locomotor skills, coordination, balance, cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, speed, and agility. Students that demonstrate appropriate coordination and skill development can progress to more complex methods of training (ie. low level plyometrics, power skips, single leg hops, squat jumps). One big benefit to all sport participation is having great core stabilization.
Always praise effort rather than talent to increase motivation to continue to try their best and improve at the fastest rate possible. Your child could be the fastest because they have developed early and praising them for their speed (eg. You won the race! Wow you are so fast!) could lead them to not work as hard because they don't value effort. But more importantly when the other kids catch up to them or when they are faced with competition at the next level they will be more likely to select easier competitions because that's when they were praised for being fast. This is the same with playing sports, if you praise them for being so good rather than working hard then when they become an average player at a higher level and are receiving less praise then they will want to return to the lower level. Praise them for effort however and they will want to continue to work hard no matter where they stand in their team or against opponents.
Always praise effort rather than talent to increase motivation to continue to try their best and improve at the fastest rate possible. Your child could be the fastest because they have developed early and praising them for their speed (eg. You won the race! Wow you are so fast!) could lead them to not work as hard because they don't value effort. But more importantly when the other kids catch up to them or when they are faced with competition at the next level they will be more likely to select easier competitions because that's when they were praised for being fast. This is the same with playing sports, if you praise them for being so good rather than working hard then when they become an average player at a higher level and are receiving less praise then they will want to return to the lower level. Praise them for effort however and they will want to continue to work hard no matter where they stand in their team or against opponents.