The Coaching & Inclusion Factor

About a decade ago or so, a national fitness franchise burst on to the scene and quickly became one of the most successful entities in our entire industry.

Curves.

And while I profess to not know much about this fitness icon, I do know that its explosion in popularity was largely due to the fact that it gave overweight and perhaps insecure women a safe and friendly place to exercise that didn’t have muscular Personal Trainers in form-fitting spandex or Barbie doll-like models parading around in next to nothing.

Although I am very happy that the fact that these women now have a place to exercise and become fit, I can’t help but feel annoyed by the fact that they felt ostrasized enough to never want to step food in a standard health club - and were willing to sacrifice their health in not wanting to.

Now… Do we really want this kind of ostracizing to go on with kids?

I recognize and understand that natural hierarchy’s already exist within the peer groups of children, but in terms of the fitness and sport arenas WE CAN LIMIT IF NOT PREVENT IT BY PROVIDING GOOD LEADERSHIP.

And that comes down to quality of coaching and inclusion.

I have written several times about the need for Trainers and Coaches to have a chameleon-like approach to the way they interact with groups or teams.

Not everyone is coming from the same place and not everyone is motivated in the same way.

And whether you like to believe this or not, you likely talk to, interact with and treat your more ‘advanced’ young athletes differently then you do the kids who are overweight, clumsy and not quite as ‘good’.

Don’t react to that statement negatively… search yourself honestly to see if it’s true.

When my young athletes walk in the door, they know that they are all 100% equal.

There is no ‘better than’.

And I go to great lengths to make sure of that.

Youth fitness and youth sports MUST be about inclusion.

The experiences kids have while in your care are going to help shape their relationship with physical activity for the rest of their lives.

And we want to provide a safe, supportive and inclusive setting within which they can strive for their own personal bests…

… And not worry about who actually ‘increased their vertical jump 6 inches in just 6 weeks’ and who didn’t.

Those are my Top-6 Differences in Training Adults and Youths.

I hope you learned a ton and are even willing to re-consider some of your coaching and programming habits.