USSA Sport Education Coaches Tip of the Week: June 18 2013
Each week the USSA Sport Education Department will post a Coaches Tip of the Week. The information will rotate through the ski and snowboard disciplines so check back each week to see the newest tip!
Coaching the Whole Athlete: The CAP Model
Part 3: Physical Development
{This is an excerpt taken from the 2013 Spring Alpine Coaches Academy presentation by Stacey Gerrish}
This will be a three part series focusing on one area of development each week.
A child's physical development often makes efficient, effective, "ideal" movements difficult. It is crucial for coaches to understand the physical development of a human to effectively coach new movements and avoid frustration. Physical development or lack thereof, is not a reason for children to ski poorly. Physical development is a guideline to help with analysis and targeting of desired movements. A child's movements need time and experience to develop coordination and muscle strength.
As an athlete develops physically here are a few things to keep in mind when providing feedback.
Physical Development – Ages 7-11
• Have the ability to move upper body in opposition to lower body
• Completely developed gross motor movements and cross lateral movements
• Well established fine motor movements
• Still experiencing growth spurts
• Interest in rehearsing/practicing to achieve perfection
• Beginning to develop more refined coordination
• Vision is still developing
Physical Development – Ages 12+
• They can be fully physically developed
• Muscular strength is increasing
• Joints and bones may be weak during growth spurts
• Hormonal imbalances can affect performance and attitude
• Vision is fully developed
• Can do multi faceted skill drills
Coaches should understand the limitations and abilities of the physical development of their athlete and be creative in helping them to understand proper movement patterns. Keep physical development in mind when giving feedback. For example, vision is still developing until around age 13, therefore visual cues and feedback are not as valuable before age 12-13 as they are after.
Tailoring your coaching to involve all aspects of the athlete's development will help you to be more successful as a coach!
Check back next week for How a Coach's Learning Style Influences their Coaching Style.