Ideas on getting kids to hang on till it happens...
It is exciting to see a young athlete make huge gains in performance from one season to the next - recently I witnessed such a feat - a junior age athlete surprising almost everyone with stellar performances. It amazed almost everyone - an athlete going from finishing in the middle to back of pack in most races over the past number of years to being one of the fastest athletes in his age and sport in Canada - on his way to the world junior championships representing his country. 'Who is this guy?' was the question alot of people were asking - how did he get so good after being so average in ability for so long? Something is going on when a situation like this happens - something good. Here is what I've learned...
Kids improve when they are ready...
Alot of adolescents go through one year or several years or for some kids many years of not really being present. You ask them how its going - they respond with a blank stare or an 'ok' and not much more. Its easy to give up on these kids - interpreting their brain fuzziness as a lack of commitment or interest or passion. You put this together with a kid who is a late developer and doesn't get on the podium, and you have a kid that is easy not to pay attention to. Inside almost every kid there is a dream, a vision of a future state where they are successful - they don't always show it, but its often there and when they are ready, they put it together. Great coaches are patient and you'll find they aren't the ones who are surprised when 'out of no where' results happen. Bottom line is that a big part of improving is deciding that you want to improve and accepting that you have to do the work - or it just isn't going to happen. Adolescent athletes can take a while to get there - to have the emotional maturity to decide. Be patient...don't give up on kids.
Having a role model that shows them it is possible is huge...
'He competed at that level...I want to compete at that level too'. Knowing that a friend has accomplished something amazing and making a plan with that friend to do it together, is huge in helping to see that something is possible, within reach. Daniel Coyle, in The Talent Code, talks about talent hotbeds. We have all seen this happen at some level in your club or in someone else's - why is it that high level performers seem to emerge from someplace. Something is going on - having an environment where young athletes create a space where their sights are set high makes a huge difference in the culture that emerges. Support the dreams of the athletes you work with - often, the last thing they need is a reality message when what it takes to be do something amazing is believing in yourself.
Having a coach that believes you are capable makes a big difference...
Coaches are important people in the lives of adolescent skiers. What we say and do makes a difference. A small comment about doing something well goes a far way. A coach supports athletes by giving them just enough to do it by themselves. I have seen this happen - sometimes its just the way a coach interacts with an athlete that sends the message 'I think you're going places...' Its a coach's job to do these things - to be the person who validates ambition, someone who recognizes effort, and someone who builds skill to ever higher levels.
Being born into the right family is a factor...
Some kids are just lucky to be born into a family that supports their desire - that lets the kids do the driving. You can pick these families out at events - relaxed, low stress kind of people - not the kind of folks who describe their child as 'talented' even if their child really does have lots of ability. Mostly these families support their child's interests and help them to set the stage and process what has happened and what is going on around them.
And so...
Its great to see it happen when it does - young athletes having a breakthrough. No matter who the child is, it is exciting to see improvement. Its even more embracing when it happens to an athlete who has been in the background for a few years. The LTAD literature says it happens - and really for many athletes it does - wait around long enough for your body to grow, work hard enough, be in the mentorship of an experienced, knowledgeable coach, surround yourself with ambition - good things start cooking. The challenge of course is getting kids to hang on long enough till it happens. In my role as a T2T coach with the Canmore Nordic Ski Club, I am blessed with the great privilege of thinking about this sort of stuff and what I can do support young skiers. I encourage you to do the same.
Some kids are just lucky to be born into a family that supports their desire - that lets the kids do the driving. You can pick these families out at events - relaxed, low stress kind of people - not the kind of folks who describe their child as 'talented' even if their child really does have lots of ability. Mostly these families support their child's interests and help them to set the stage and process what has happened and what is going on around them.
And so...
Its great to see it happen when it does - young athletes having a breakthrough. No matter who the child is, it is exciting to see improvement. Its even more embracing when it happens to an athlete who has been in the background for a few years. The LTAD literature says it happens - and really for many athletes it does - wait around long enough for your body to grow, work hard enough, be in the mentorship of an experienced, knowledgeable coach, surround yourself with ambition - good things start cooking. The challenge of course is getting kids to hang on long enough till it happens. In my role as a T2T coach with the Canmore Nordic Ski Club, I am blessed with the great privilege of thinking about this sort of stuff and what I can do support young skiers. I encourage you to do the same.
Roy
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