by admin | May 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
Developmentally Appropriate Youth Football Modifications Youth 6-14 years of age should play non-contact, flag football Hold small-sided practices or games of 6 v 6 on one quarter of the football field; use all four quarters for multiple games at the same time Let the players create their own plays Get everyone involved in a minimum of 12-15 plays Teach only the basics of the positions and the basic skills Avoid the “3Ls”: Lines, Lectures and Laps (1) Examples of Modified Programs NFL Flag Football For kids ages 6-14; co-ed and non-contact NFL Ultimate This is a combination of football, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, hockey and basketball References (1) Bigelow, B., Moroney, T. & Hall, L. (2001). Just Let the Kids Play: How to Stop Other Adults from Ruining Your Child’s Fun and Success in Youth Sports. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications,...
by admin | May 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
Developmentally Appropriate Baseball Modifications T-Ball: Kindergarten-Second Grade Use kids as base coaches below 9th grade Use only 3-4 players in the field per batter to reduce standing around and boredom Play many mini-games at the same time Hold one practice/game per week Let the kids learn by playing Forget about the complicated schedules and uniforms By second grade introduce hitting a pitched ball, either by an adult or a machine (1) 3rd-5th Grades Play 9 on the field Allow all players to play all positions Give all players equal playing time Move into kid pitch, but limit the number of innings pitched to 6 per week Play a 10-game season that lasts about 3 months Limit practices to 1 hour Limit games to 6 innings Playoffs are OK for 4th grade and up, but NO ALL STAR TEAMS (1) 6th-8th Grades Increase season to 20 games over 3 months Include all teams in the playoffs (1) References (1) Bigelow, B., Moroney, T. & Hall, L. (2001). Just Let the Kids Play: How to Stop Other Adults from Ruining Your Child’s Fun and Success in Youth Sports. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications,...
by admin | May 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
Developmentally Appropriate Basketball Modifications Kindergarten-Second Grade Use a play group style of organization for this group Use balls that are 28.5 cm in circumference or smaller Baskets should not be higher than 6′ Limit practices/games to one session per week total Sessions should not last longer than one hour Limit the season to 6 weeks The majority of the focus should be on dribbling; most other instruction will be too advanced If “games” are desired, limit play to 3 v 3; use the subs as sideline players to inbound balls (1) Third-Fifth Grade Games should be no more than 30 stopped minutes; play no more than one game per week Limit practice to 60 minutes per week Game and practice can be combined to one 90-minute weekly session Baskets should be 8′ high for 3rd and 4th grades; 9′ high for 5th grade Use smaller balls NO CUTS Limit roster to 8 players During games play 3 v 3 so that every player gets many touches of the ball Limit the season to 12 weeks Let the kids keep the scorebook Do not have playoffs or keep league standings (1) Sixth-Eighth Grade Limit roster to 10 players max; 8 is ideal Play 5 v 5 basketball with all players getting equal playing time at all positions The basket should be 10′ high for the first time 6th graders should be practicing twice a week for 90 minutes max 7th and 8th graders can practice three times a week Do not use complicated plays Use man-to-man defense Limit the ration of practice to games to 2:1 Limit the season to...
by admin | May 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
Modifications to All Programs Equipment – Change the size of the equipment used depending on the age group. In tee ball this could mean using a large ball and a large bat to help kids make contact with the ball more frequently. Use softer equipment. Using softer equipment takes away some of the fear of getting hit by the ball. Most equipment manufacturers make this type of equipment. Field size – Use a smaller field for smaller participants. Goal size – Use larger goals or no goalies so all can score. Team size – Play games with fewer participants on the field so that each person will get a maximum number of touches on the ball. Roster size – Limit your roster size to only a couple subs. This will help everyone get lots of playing time. Cuts – Do not allow anyone to be cut from your team if you are below the high school level (1). Age divisions – To minimize the relative age effect, use a narrow age gap, such as 6 months or 9 months, rather than 1 year or 2 years (2). Developmental level – Instead of organizing teams by birth date, another suggestion might be to organize teams by maturity level (2). Select teams – This should be the youngest age that participates on a select or an elite team (1). Specialization – Participate in multiple sports. Only think about specialization once you reach age 15 or 16, not before (1). Playoffs – Eliminate playoffs up through 5th grade, and in 6th-8th include all teams in the playoffs (1). Practice – Use fun...
by admin | May 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
It is no secret that our society views professional athletes as royalty, treating them as modern-day deities. The media shows glamorous images of the lifestyles of professional athletes, enticing images, luring, daring others to attempt to find this holy grail of athletics for themselves. This deification of professional athletes, among other things, has had major consequences for youth sports. Parents see the potential financial advantages that having an athletic child can bring in the form of college scholarships and professional salaries. Parents have pushed for, and gotten, more competitive teams, more all star teams, more travel teams, all for younger and younger children, many of whom have barely learned to tie their shoes. These same kids are specializing in one sport as soon as they can walk in hopes of scholarships or fame or fortune. What no one seems to have stopped to consider is if what we are doing is really going to benefit our children in the long run. According to the National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), “49% of children do not have the basic skills necessary when they enter organized sport” (1). Combine that with the fact that young children are being put into sports situations that they are usually not emotionally, psychologically or cognitively ready for, in addition to not being physically ready, and it is no wonder that the drop out rate from sports is around 70% by age 13 (1). Whether due to burnout, injury, lack of interest, or the structure of the system, the fact is that a huge majority of children are choosing to leave sports behind as they hit...
